Cost of brake pads?

Phantom · 12 Apr 2006 at 11:30

Apparently, having just had the car in for its 3rd year service (£290!!!!!) I was told that my front brake pads have about 1000miles left in them. Honda wanted £85 incl. labour on a Honda customare care package or £120 incl. normally. I was in a rush and they had already made me wait an hour longer than they originally stated it would be ready by so i told them to leave it and i'd get in touch with them later. like heck i will...

...so, question is how much should they cost me and wheres the best place to go to have the work done where I can then sleep peacefully knowing the brakes are never going to fail!

do standard brake pads just come in the one size? (im not looking for performance parts and something that doesnt produce too much brake dust would be nice

)

thanks

(edit: 2003 Honday Civic Coupe )

Enfield · 12 Apr 2006 at 11:31

What car is it???

iv-tecman · 12 Apr 2006 at 11:34

Honda Accord pads are around £25. You should be looking at around £60 with fitting. Honda service centres are a rip. They wanted to charge me £350 for a 3rd year service, told them to **** off..

When I purchased the car, they gave me this service check document, and told me the pads needing changing. I’ve had the car for ages, and on my last private garage service they told me the cars pads on the front had around 7K left on them. This is 12 months after the last Honda service. Basically, Honda lied, never trust them, do not get them done by Honda.

Honda = Nice motors, rubbish service centres that WAY overcharge you, just like most of them really..

pinkaardvark · 12 Apr 2006 at 11:37

There's no real point in spending money on performance pads alone as it will make nigh on no noticeable difference. The only thing you may achieve by getting the right pad is a reduction in brake dust. i believe the greenstuff pads are good for this.
If you decide to go the motor factor route prices can go from £3 a set to £50 a set depending purely on size and rarity. I know the motor factor ones for a mondeo with 278mm disks(so reasonably large pads) are about £10 a pair. I use the balck diamond predator pads with their combi disks but your talking £300ish for a set again depending on size though.

Phantom · 12 Apr 2006 at 11:40

Enfield said:
What car is it???

sorry... car is a 2003 Honda Civic Coupe

iv-tecman · 12 Apr 2006 at 11:42

Phantom said:
sorry... car is a 2003 Honda Civic Coupe

Wouldn't have thought anymore then £50 including fitting for standard pads. Get some quotes from local garages, or see if anyone you know can recommend a decent place to go...

Phantom · 12 Apr 2006 at 11:43

iv-tecman said:
Wouldn't have thought anymore then £50 including fitting for standard pads. Get some quotes from local garages, or see if anyone you know can recommend a decent place to go...

everyone i know takes their cars to the dealer garages

Phantom · 12 Apr 2006 at 14:49

Just found this on Motorsport World:

EBC Kevlar Pads (Front) -> £18.41

Is that make any good or is that the reason its so cheap?!

geiger · 12 Apr 2006 at 15:00

pinkaardvark said:
There's no real point in spending money on performance pads alone as it will make nigh on no noticeable difference.

I disagree, it can make a noticable difference if the pads are better. I found some surplus stock pagid blues and fitted them, definetly noticable. They are even better once warmed up

Phantom, sounds about right and theres no reason you couldnt buy those and fit yourself. Its a fairly simple job, Iam not much good at mechanical stuff but even I would class it as easy.
In the past Ive paid 10 pounds for labour after buying parts like that seperately, a full on garage may charge more even though its not much more involved then changing a tyre

Enfield · 12 Apr 2006 at 15:04

Why not upgrade if it's broke?

I doubt you'll notice any difference those with just performance pads unless you often brake hard. They should be harder to experience brake fade with and they apparently reduce brake dust which can only be a good thing.

If you're not comfortable fitting them yourself to go a local garage and get them to fit them for you rather than walking into the dealer garage with your pants around your ankles...well, as good as

mrk · 12 Apr 2006 at 15:52

iv-tecman said:
Honda Accord pads are around £25. You should be looking at around £60 with fitting. Honda service centres are a rip. They wanted to charge me £350 for a 3rd year service, told them to **** off..

When I purchased the car, they gave me this service check document, and told me the pads needing changing. I’ve had the car for ages, and on my last private garage service they told me the cars pads on the front had around 7K left on them. This is 12 months after the last Honda service. Basically, Honda lied, never trust them, do not get them done by Honda.

Honda = Nice motors, rubbish service centres that WAY overcharge you, just like most of them really..

I got a quote for a new front bumper for my civic from Honda, £360, contacted a garage and £45 later have a new (well mint condition) one coming friday.

They are indeed a rip!

Lopéz · 12 Apr 2006 at 15:55

Phantom said:
Just found this on Motorsport World:

EBC Kevlar Pads (Front) -> £18.41

Is that make any good or is that the reason its so cheap?!

EBC pads are fine, not the best and not the worst. Never tried the Kevlar range though, only Greenstuff.

On the 205 I'm using a combination of Tar.Ox 6 groove discs that I picked up in a sale for £20 years ago and some OMP fast road pads that are frighteningly bad for the first 2 brake applications and just fine after that.

Phantom · 12 Apr 2006 at 16:02

the current pads have lasted 3 years from factory and they havent been that bad.

whats the wear like of greenstuff? how long will they last? looking at prices from the same site theyre about £65 for a the pair!

Jonny69 · 12 Apr 2006 at 16:31

Phantom said:
the current pads have lasted 3 years from factory and they havent been that bad.

whats the wear like of greenstuff? how long will they last? looking at prices from the same site theyre about £65 for a the pair!

I had kevlar ones on the Anglia, quite a good pad I thought. High metal content and worked well from cold and seemed to take a lot of abuse with no ill effects. Only got them to smoke once.

lordrobs · 12 Apr 2006 at 16:40

Last time I had my brake pads done it was £35 inc fitting

Phantom · 13 Apr 2006 at 14:42

lordrobs said:
Last time I had my brake pads done it was £35 inc fitting

was that a local garage or a chain? do you happen to know that make of brakepads that you bought?

Bear · 13 Apr 2006 at 17:29

pinkaardvark said:
There's no real point in spending money on performance pads alone as it will make nigh on no noticeable difference. The only thing you may achieve by getting the right pad is a reduction in brake dust. i believe the greenstuff pads are good for this.

I couldnt disagree more. Decent pads on standard discs made a huge difference on my car although uprated discs would have been better the difference on the road would be minimal unless you drive like a complete animal.

Trickle · 13 Apr 2006 at 17:41

pinkaardvark said:
There's no real point in spending money on performance pads alone as it will make nigh on no noticeable difference.

Not true. I've been able to achieve brake fade on standard pads many a time. Fair enough its much more difficult to overheat brakes on road than on track due to traffic but I've definitely noticed a difference.

As you say less brake dust if they last longer. They cost more (My Ferodos more than twice the price of standard Nissan) but then they have lasted so much longer - which counts even more if you are paying someone else to change your pads.

Downsides would be poor performance when cold and (the killer for most) that you will have to tell your insurance company who will count it as a performance modification.

Poppy · 13 Apr 2006 at 17:48

Replaced the rear pads on my accord type-r myself. Cost me £20 for the pads and 45mins of my time.

thebrasso · 13 Apr 2006 at 18:05

I'm running Mintex 1144 pads and standard Honda discs, the pads definitely feel sharper and produce less dust than standard ones however I found I could still induce brake fade. That was at MM3. I'm not sure if vented discs would help.

Pads should be in the region of £30-£40, I know I paid £45 for the Mintex including fitting.

Cost of brake pads?

Man of Honour