Technical New front discs & pads - Does this sound right?

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Technical New front discs & pads - Does this sound right?

Sexyeyes83

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Ive just bought another Grande Punto, this time a 2007 1.9 Eleganza :)

I took it to Kwik Fit to get the tyres and brakes checked and they said I need to replace the front pads and discs. I asked why the pads couldn't just be replaced and they said they have to be replaced in pairs. Is this right? I always thought you could just replace pads?

The said they are currently on 19.7 and Fiat recommend they be replaced at 20. I was quoted £250.

Been looking on ebay and you can buy discs and pads for £75. Not sure how long they take to fit, but im guessing a local garage wouldnt charge £175 in labour.

Got it booked in somewhere else to be double checked, was just wondering what anyone thought of the above!

Thanks

Sabrina
 
Ive just bought another Grande Punto, this time a 2007 1.9 Eleganza :)

I took it to Kwik Fit to get the tyres and brakes checked and they said I need to replace the front pads and discs. I asked why the pads couldn't just be replaced and they said they have to be replaced in pairs. Is this right? I always thought you could just replace pads?

The said they are currently on 19.7 and Fiat recommend they be replaced at 20. I was quoted £250.

Been looking on ebay and you can buy discs and pads for £75. Not sure how long they take to fit, but im guessing a local garage wouldnt charge £175 in labour.

Got it booked in somewhere else to be double checked, was just wondering what anyone thought of the above!

Thanks

Sabrina

typical kwik-****e trollop.

pads can be fitted on there own, dont have to be with disks.

on ecp, pagid front disks and pagid pads, with 30% discount is £80 and are as good brand.

i can fit front brakes in about an hour max. that includes changing brake fluid
 
Hi Matty,

Thanks for your reply! Do the numbers they mention mean much to you? Am I right in thinking that they refer to mm's?

Apparently they need doing asap, but im guessing if the pads were so badly worn I would hear horrible noises when braking? At the moment I cant hear anything and it brakes nicely! Got it booked in else where to get a second opinion.
 
Wow thats expensive most discs have a wear indicator on them like this

wear.jpg

If the pads have been sticking and warped the disc or the disc is badly scoured it will need replacing regardless of the wear indicator

Get a second opinion
 
you dont have to change in pairs,

but its worthwhile that you do.

When your pads wear out they were out the disc, well they constantly wear down each other..

If you change just the pads, then they can wear down the older disc quicker than normal. and vice versa. and will need changing again sooner.

Change everything at one time and you can save money getting a deal and not having to change things agian.

Also if you change just the pads you are only 1 or 2 bolts aways from changing a disc, thats only an extra 10minutes. and to change just the disc you have to remove the pads.. so if you dont want to change them yourself its easier just to do it all at once and save the cost of getting the garage to take it all off again...
 
If the disks are down to 19.7mm thickness and the minimum is 20mm then they have had it.

I was always told that you can replace the pads without changing the disks but you should always change the pads if you are changing the disks. I believe this is because the worn pad will not put even pressure on the disk causing uneven wear to the more expensive component of the two. With old disks and new pads it is the pads that wear unevenly but that's ok because they are cheap.
 
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I have a elegenza 1.9 mjet to... Rare model.

Just had my pads done. Got the pagid discs/pads from ecp for around £80. My mechanic fitted them for £30.

The pagid brakes are good.
 
I think you got away light. Kwik F** have a habit of trying to upsell. You go in for a tyre and come out with Discs, Pads, Shocks and an exhaust.

This is what I'd do.

Worn discs are usually very obvious.
You'll notice really bad grooves and probably a lip in it's outer edge.
If this is the case, then the discs are probably worn.
As for swapping in pairs, it's not essential, but is advisable, as you could create uneven braking if one side is working more efficiently than the other.
As for cost, I'd say that you'll probably pick up a pair of none pattern discs for about £40 and Pads around £20.
If you are confident, can work a spanner and a screwdriver, then the job should take no more than an hour each side.
 
Thanks for your replies everyone, really appreciated :)

Took the car upto Halfords Auto Center for a free brake check and they said I have around 4-6 months left on both the front and rear brakes and quoted £175 for front discs and pads and £172 for rear discs and pads.

They also said the OSF anti roll bar drop link has play and needs replacing at £74 and also the OSR caliper needs replacing as its not holding the handbrake at £294.

Ive just had a look on CarParts4Less and looks like I can get front and rear brake discs and pads for around £100. I personally dont think I would be able to fit them, so would need to see if I could find a garage and see how much they would charge to fit.

The rear caliper was a bit of a shocker though!!
 
Do it all yourself mate, it's really simple and you'll save a lot of money! As Andy just showed you, the drop link is only £7 and takes about 20 minutes to do. As you can see it's only 2 bolts that require removing to take the old one off.
As for front discs and pads, when the wheel is off the disc is only held on by the caliper and 1 or 2 bolts. take the caliper off by removing 2 bolts on back of caliper. Take old pads out and compress the piston into the caliper using a G-clamp or something similar. Put new pads in. If you're doing the disc too unbolt the disc from the hub and put new one on the same way the old one came off. Put caliper and pads back on around disc, put 2 bolts on back of caliper back in and you're done!
Providing you don't run into any problems it should only take an hour, if that, to change both front discs and pads!
 
Try and find a local independent What area do you live in? Someone on here might be able to point you in the right direction

Ask about the cost to do the work if you supply the parts and a pack of jaffa cakes... (not the super market value ones)

Take it by your user name that Your a woman... Sadly many garages still seem to take the urine when it comes to the Fairer sex,, But with the advent of the modern "wuss" man they are ripe for a shafting too....



They are generally much more honest when they get a 30 year old bloke turn up in work boots covered in muck (even ****fit didn't try it on with me when i had a puncture) then again i did go under my own car and look before they had chance to tell me health and safety doesn't allow customers in the workshop :devil:
 
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Can't believe how much these big name places rip people of by, its disgraceful. Those prices are rediculous! I hate to think how many people actually go ahead with all the work they quote for, when half of it probably doesn't even need doing. I doubt your caliper needs replacing, more likely to just be a stuck slider.

Go to a good small independant and avoid places like Kwikfit like the plague!
 
Am i right in assuming that the GP brakes are the same as the punto/pandas?

Or is that small engine versions only?

Eitherway - most calipers are 1 or 2 nuts to remove - 2 locators for the disc and the whole lot pulls free

A """special""" tool to wind or push piston back in rebuild ensuring a clean and copper grease in correct areas and its done

A decent mechanic should be able todo both fronts in about 1hr to 1hr if they have a swish 4 post ramp or even a 2poster

ziggy
 
Am i right in assuming that the GP brakes are the same as the punto/pandas?

Or is that small engine versions only?

Eitherway - most calipers are 1 or 2 nuts to remove - 2 locators for the disc and the whole lot pulls free

A """special""" tool to wind or push piston back in rebuild ensuring a clean and copper grease in correct areas and its done

A decent mechanic should be able todo both fronts in about 1hr to 1hr if they have a swish 4 post ramp or even a 2poster

ziggy


I'd expect a decent mechanic to do the fronts in about 30- 40 mins they are similar to the panda but no silly pin they are all bolts ;)

this is me doing my sisters 500 in the garden in real time (bar the minute or 3 i spent looking for the lost clip)




the GP is like this Ziggy

https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto-guides/264329-front-disc-change.html
 
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