Should I attempt my first brake service or pay the price?

[puddinboo]

if you see any pits or rust in the rotors I would replace them.

[JCL]

If one pad is grinding and the one with the sensor hasn't reached the sensor yet, they may not be wearing evenly. That can indicate sticking guide pins or a sticking caliper. Knowing how to identify and address these issues is the difference between doing brakes properly, and simply sliding a set of pads in.

[N S]

$250 for a full set (front and rear) replacement parts.
$700 for fronts alone.
Yup, definitely worth a DIY

[Joshdub]

What crap brakes are you getting that are 250 for a full set of front and rears?

[civdiv99]

The same crap brakes that are on my pickup, or my neighbors car, or the commuter in front of me on the way to work.

Regular service replacements from Napa, CarQuest, Autozone, Rockauto, O'Reilly's, whatever.

[DanSanDiego]

Do the brakes yourself. One of the easiest DIY's for this vehicle. Go to Rockauto.com and get excited about the pads and rotors you can buy. Akebono, Bosch, Honeywell, Brembo.
The result can be a better quality brake job for less money. Meineke will put in crappy brakes while charging you an arm-and-a-leg. Their warranty may only covers parts so if you do need to use it then expect to pay another arm+leg in labor.

[Joshdub]

Originally Posted by civdiv99

The same crap brakes that are on my pickup, or my neighbors car, or the commuter in front of me on the way to work.

Regular service replacements from Napa, CarQuest, Autozone, Rockauto, O'Reilly's, whatever.

Yeah I won't put DuraDonts on my cars

[RFaber]

JCL says it right, look at the tutorial, its quite good, then decide if you can tackle that sort of thing! there is a big difference between a "pad slam" and a proper brake servicing. the calipers should wear the pads evenly, if they wear differently something is not right with the caliper. check the slides and see. the difference between a DIY job and a pro job is the knowledge of the system. a typical diy'er might miss something like a sticking caliper pin, the job still gets done, but maybe a root cause of worn pad(s) is missed. If you're confident with your DIY skills go for it!
keep in mind that the brakes are the #1 safety feature that keeps you safe and not piling into the guy in front of you! I would NEVER cheap out on Brakes or Tires. (not saying i dont look for deals on high quality parts or tires!) Rock auto and FCPEuro, great sources for parts.
Enjoy

[kado1976]

Originally Posted by RFaber

JCL says it right, look at the tutorial, its quite good, then decide if you can tackle that sort of thing! there is a big difference between a "pad slam" and a proper brake servicing. the calipers should wear the pads evenly, if they wear differently something is not right with the caliper. check the slides and see. the difference between a DIY job and a pro job is the knowledge of the system. a typical diy'er might miss something like a sticking caliper pin, the job still gets done, but maybe a root cause of worn pad(s) is missed. If you're confident with your DIY skills go for it!
keep in mind that the brakes are the #1 safety feature that keeps you safe and not piling into the guy in front of you! I would NEVER cheap out on Brakes or Tires. (not saying i dont look for deals on high quality parts or tires!) Rock auto and FCPEuro, great sources for parts.
Enjoy

So what are some good brands that are cheaper but still decent quality?

[civdiv99]

Originally Posted by kado1976

So what are some good brands that are cheaper but still decent quality?