Brake Team has a special for $88.
The price includes:
• New Premium Brake Pads
• Machining the Rotors
• Grease for non sealed bearing
• Bleeding the brake fluid
• Labor to install
Brake pads wear out. A Brake Team technician measures them. The pads should be thicker thand 2/32 of an inch. We inspect your car to determine the condition of rotors, drums, hardware, brake fluid, master cylinder, calipers, lines, cables and wheel cylinders. Measuring and inspecting these parts is the way to make a decision on replacing them. We have great prices on these parts, if needed them, or to up grade your brake system. We measure rotors to determine the thickness. We take you out in the garage, explain our inspection, and let you decide what repairs to make.
At Brake Team, we install premium brake pads on the
front or rear of your car for $88.00. The brake pads we install
are better quality than the pads that came on your car
when it was new. Brake pads are a normal wear item in
your car. By having the brake pads checked and replaced
if necessary, you can prevent other damage from taking
place.
We are able to offer a great price on a premium pad
service, because we purchase pads in volume and our
technicians are focused on brake repair. Our brake
technicians service more brakes than other general
repair facilities.
Rotors (the discs that the pads grab) can usually be
machined. In other words, Brake Team puts the rotors on
a metal lathe and trims them smooth, so the pads have a
new surface to stop on. Rotors (like pads) have a
normal wear life as well. To determine the wear of a
rotor, Brake Team measures the thickness of the rotor
with a micrometer. The rotor measurement is then looked
up in the manufactures specification book, to see if it
is still good, and then machined smooth.
An inspection of your brake system is done to see the
condition of the brake system before we start any work.
There is no charge for Brake Team to check your brakes.
Brake Team is concerned about public safety on the
roads, and we feel that if you have a question about
the condition of your brakes, you should not have to
pay to find out.
A brake
inspection means looking at the different parts of the
brake systems to see what is worn, and what is okay.
The Brake Team Manager will first test drive your car,
so that we can feel and hear what you do. After the
test drive has been performed the Brake Team technician
will lift the vehicle and remove the wheels.
Rotors
On front brakes the rotors (discs), the pads (the friction material), and the caliper (the hydraulic piston assembly that pushes the pads) are all visible. On rear drum brakes the drum will be removed to view the shoes and brake hardware. These drums are normally on fairly tight, so don’t be surprised to see a hammer taken to it to loosen it.
Brake pads and shoes. We measure the thickness of the pad, you should replace the pads when it measures 2/32″. You want to replace the pads before they wear into the rotor. If this happens, you may need to buy rotors.
There are other conditions that may require the brake pads to be replaced.
Cracked pads need to be replaced. Even hairline cracks indicate overheating, which diminishes the effectiveness of the pad. Glazing is another indication of overheating and is another condition in which the pad should be replaced. A glazed pad will look really shiny because it has hardened. Grooving or scarring will also call for pad replacement since there is an uneven contact surface. Brake noise (squealing) from an otherwise good pad may just be produced by a low quality pad. We will only replace these pads if the client insists.
The rotor is
the disc, that the pad makes contact with to stop the
vehicle (there is a pad on both sides of the
rotor). 
Drums The drum
does the same job except that it is round with curved
shoes on the inside. Similar problems are looked for
here. Any cracking, pitting, or glazing indicates
excessive heat. Replacement is recommended, although
you might be able to get away with resurfacing a glazed
rotor or drum. Rust is a major problem that may prevent
any resurfacing from being done at all.
Rotors and drums should be carefully measured using
micrometers. These parts have the minimum acceptable
thicknesses forged onto them. Otherwise, the Brake Team
technician will refer to the manufacturer’s
specifications, which will tell him how much metal can
be cut when resurfacing, and when the part should be
discarded. The Brake Team technician will present these
numbers to you if they are recommending replacement.
The Brake Team technician will measure the rotor or
drum as part of the inspection. Each cut on a lathe, by
the way, will remove about 3/1000″
(or .003). A
badly grooved rotor, for example, may require several
cuts to provide a smooth surface. If it is real bad, a
smooth surface may not be achievable without cutting
beyond the specifications.
One
more problem with rotors and drums is warping (the
technical term on a rotor is runout). Runout on
front rotors can cause your front end to shake
when you brake (side to side, or forwards and
backwards), or you may feel your brake pedal
pulsate up and down, especially at slower speeds.
Warped rotors are caused by two things, generally:
Excessive
heat can be generated from a rotor that has gotten too
thin, or maybe even by riding the brakes. The heat can
also increase when towing, or driving down steep
inclines.
Runout can be measured with a micrometer that mounts to
a shock or body panel. If the runout (warp) is more
than 3/1000″
(.003) it is
normally recommended to replace the rotor. Sometimes,
it is possible to cut the warp out of the rotor on a
lathe, and we normally opt for this to save our clients
money. A drum’s warp can be measured as well, but is
more clearly visible by the wear pattern on the inside
of the drum. A warped drum will normally show wear from
the shoes on the short axis, but no wear on the long
axis. Another problem that drums may suffer from is
bell wear. This means that the diameter of the open end
is smaller than the closed end. This can be seen if
there is difficulty in reinstalling the drum over the
shoes. Once on the shoes, however, the drum will spin
freely, indicating that there is more space and no
contact with the shoes. If there is enough thickness to
the drum, this can be cut out on a lathe as well.
A quick word about resurfacing. The rotor, is married
to its pad, creating imperfections and fine grooving.
Placing a new pad on an unresurfaced rotor can result
in uneven contact and faster wear on the new pad. It is
possible that you will experience brake noise as well.
Our opinion is that it is best to have rotors and drums
resurfaced every time pads and shoes are replaced.
Brake hardware is the third component completing this
trifecta. On disc brakes, hardware is made up of clips
and shims that hold the pad in place. Hardware is
recommended to be replaced, as it is an inexpensive
item, that helps remove the pads from the rotor, when
you take your foot off the pedal. If the pads ride on
the rotor, it will decrease gas milage, and wear out
the pads faster. If it does not fit snugly in the
caliper bracket, nor hold the pad firmly in place, it
will move around and cause brake noise. On drum brakes,
hardware is made up of several springs, plates,
brackets, and adjusters. Again, it really only needs to
be replaced if it is not doing its job anymore. If its
rusty, count on it being replaced. Otherwise, don’t
discount a good “clean and adjust.” The Brake Team
technician will thoroughly clean all brake dust,
debris, and contaminants, lubricate the hardware, and
adjust the hardware to ensure the parking brake works
properly (tip: Can’t get an inspection sticker because
your parking brake won’t hold? You may just need a
clean and adjust.).