What is the average cost for new brakes

Or maybe you can feel your brake pedal grinding or pulsing when you apply pressure. These can be telltale signs of brake system problems that should be addressed right away. Brake maintenance comes in many forms, so how do you know exactly what is needed for your vehicle and how much it will cost? We are here to help! Keep reading to learn the difference between brake pads and rotors, how long each part might last, symptoms of problems with these parts, and how much it costs for replacements.

Your braking system is a critical part of your vehicle, so keeping it in proper working order is essential to staying on the road. The most basic parts in the system are your brake pads and rotors. Most newer vehicles come equipped with disc brakes which means that you have brake pads and rotors at each wheel. Some older vehicles use drum brakes which we will discuss later. You will find that some have front disc brakes and rear brake drums, so a combination of both types.

A brake rotor is a large metal disc that is bolted behind your wheel and attached to the wheel hub. As your car moves, this rotor turns just like your wheels and tires.

When you need to stop, the rotor becomes extremely important. Each rotor on your car has a set of brake pads attached to it with what is called a caliper. The pads always come in pairs because there is one pad on the front side of the rotor and one on the back side.

The caliper and brake pads are stationary and do not spin with the rotor. The rotor actually spins in between the set of brake pads. When it is time to stop your car, you press the brake pedal. As you press the pedal, hydraulic pressure is applied to the pads through the brake caliper. The caliper squeezes the pads onto the rotor, thus slowing it down. The harder you press the pedal, the harder the pads squeeze the rotor.

So, you can see how pressing the pedal harder causes your car to stop more quickly. As your car stops, the weight shifts toward the front of the car; therefore, your front brake pads have to do more work than your rear pads. This also causes your front rotors to wear more quickly than the rears.

In older cars, you could press the pedal so hard that it could cause the pads to squeeze the rotors hard enough that they immediately stop turning. This would cause your tires to stop turning, and your car would slide when you locked up the brakes.

However, modern cars are equipped with anti-lock brakes or ABS for short. This safety feature allows you to press the pedal as hard as possible, and the computer in your vehicle applies just the right amount of pressure to stop your car as quickly as possible without locking the brakes. This helps you maintain control of the car and avoid a potential accident during extremely hard braking situations.

Lifelong automotive enthusiast with a soft spot for offroading. Wrencher turned writer, but I still love to tinker on just about anything with an engine. GirlDad SaveTheManuals. Wow, your DIY costs are way out of line. Also, when have you ever replaced all brakes at one time. Generally the fronts go out first and the backs last times longer than the front.

I feel sorry for the folks who have to take their cars to some of these shops. They get taken for a ride just because they are uninformed and not knowledgeable about the process. Unscrupulous mechanics are everywhere preying on the public. Thank you for your response.

These prices are based on nationwide averages listed on RepairPal. However, you should also ensure the wheels freely rotate when the pedal is not pushed down. If you follow this advice, you will ensure your brakes serve your vehicle in the best possible way. In order to help you understand how the price of this specific service type fluctuates from one location to another as well as between car brands, we have created the following tables:. Please keep in mind that these prices are not exact prices for each city as each price has been calculated using thousands of mechanics estimates for brake pad and disc repair on every make and model of car.

The only way to find out how much it will cost you exactly, if you need a repair, is to get free and bespoke quotes from the best garages in your local area. This site uses "cookies" to give you the best possible experience when using the website. Using this website means you agree to our use of cookies.

Brake pads are used to create friction and slow the rotation of the wheels, which will ultimately bring your car to a halt. The pads can be made from composite ceramics to standard hardened organic materials. Ceramic and composite materials will last for the longest amount of miles and have the shortest stopping distance, but are also much more expensive, being up to triple the cost of a standard pad. Semi-metallic pads are recommended for heavier breaking on larger vehicles or for towing while ceramics are better for lighter sports cars.

This material is mounted on a steel plate which is bolted to the caliper making them fairly simple to replace. These are one of four main components utilized in the braking system, but require maintenance most often.

It is also important to understand the other components that work together with your brake pads to stop the car. Rotor: This is the disc that is connected to the wheel and has a smooth surface which is where the pad applies a force to in order to create friction.

If you ever hear squeaking coming from the wheels, this is due to something rubbing on the rotor that is not a brake pad. Rotors are very expensive to replace, so keeping brake pads fresh is very important or they will become scratched and damaged. The car manufacturer will specific a minimum thickness for the face of a rotor, and they will need to be replaced when this is not met due to wear.

A pneumatic system of brake fluid is used to create the pressure and pull the calipers closed. These do not need to be replaced often as it is very rigid and not subject to wear.

You can check them for any leaks or pistons that appear to be seized. If the pads are wearing uneven, this is a sign that the caliper should be replaced. Hardware: Mechanics will refer to everything else used to connect the brake pads, rotors and calipers as hardware. Inspect the hardware yourself to see if you think it needs to be changed or not. Changing your brake pads is a necessary part of proper vehicle maintenance.