If your car is screeching or vibrating when you hit the brakes then you might want to get a cheap brake service job. But don’t go just anywhere. Watch out for those bargain brake jobs.
When you hear those squealing brake sounds, you might look at your wheels and see a lot of black dust that has accumulated inside that is hard to clean off. Just take a look at the insides of the wheel covers or rims. The black dust is from the metal used in the brake pads. Some brake pads even used to have asbestos which we all know is a dangerous thing. The reason the dust sticks is caused by a static charge from the metal brake pad meeting a metal rotor. Then the charged dust collects on the first service it can connect to.
Some typical metal brake pads that are used in a cheap brake service may look nice and thick. But the appearance just gives you a false sense of security because they usually wear down in a third of the time that they should.
Is Cheap Brake Service Worth It?
The other thing that you see often in a cheap brake service job is brake pads that have been installed incorrectly. An incorrectly placed brake pad will wear down unevenly, you will see two different levels worn on the pad. The brake pad is level when it is new and it should be level when it’s finished. A similar situation can occur with the rotors. If the wrong sized brake pad has been used then there will be uneven wear on the rotor. In a properly done brake installation, the brake pads and rotors should wear down flat and evenly. Also, from time to time you need to change the brake fluid. You can do it by yourself and cut the brake fluid flush cost or find some reliable affordable auto service near you.
Cheap Brake Pads
Today when we think about good brakes we often think about ceramic brake pads. At a cheap brake repair place, they will sell you a ceramic pad but it’s probably a mixture of metals and ceramics. If not, then it will be the cheapest possible ceramics.
Some interesting points about ceramic pads are:
- They are not made out of metal.
- They have no asbestos in them.
- They last longer than regular brake pads.
- They do not create a static charge, eliminating the dust build up seen on wheels with metal brake pads.
Another product that is available is a hybrid brake pad. If you have taken your car to a few places and it still makes lots of noise when braking, then hybrid pads might help the problem. Hybrid pads have two different types of ceramic in them and are designed to stop brake noise.
Cheap Brake Rotors
The next parts to consider are the rotors. There are many different varieties. If you have a cheaply made rotor then it can actually come apart. You might think you have got a good deal on a cheap brake service until your rotor starts making horrible noises. It’s important to spend a little more money and get a quality rotor. The newest generation of rotors are vented. The vents allow the rotor to cool off faster. If you feel a terrible vibration just when you’re braking then it can be the rotors. When the rotor is getting too hot it can warp or bend and start to vibrate. So, the vents help the rotor cool down much faster and not have a vibration problem.
So Does Cheap Brake Repair Worth It?
The best thing to remember about cheap brake service is that if it sounds too good to be true then don’t buy it. $99 is just not enough to pay for even the pads on a good quality brake job. So don’t go out and buy cheap and think you’re getting a good deal. It will only last a few thousand miles and you’ll get stuck paying someone else to do it again. Try and look for other ways to reduce your brake service cost. Here you can find valid brake service coupons and get up to 50% OFF.