Hey guys. I searched the crap out of this and couldn't find a whole lot. Nothing really. Went to Les Scwab today to get an alignment and to have a noisy rotor/pad checked out. Turns out that my rear brake system needs to be replaced. Calipers rotors and pads. They quoted me $1000 for the entire kit. So my questions are.

$1000 too much? I'm finding calipers pads and rotors for both sides online running about $350ish.

Also since they have to be replaced should I just upgrade and to what. I know nothing about brakes and the upgrades rotors and calipers I found were running $2500 for the rear system. Which is crazy expensive. Thanks for the input.

 

When I replaced my brake pads it cost me about $100 to upgrade. Discs will be a few hundred. If you are handy do it yourself. I would definately get a 2nd opinion I cant think why everything would need to be replaced.

 

Thanks. I'll def take it in for a second opinion. They claim that like anything with moving parts calipers fail. And because they failed the pads failed and because the pads are gone the rotors are destroyed because metal on metal. So I don't know why everything needs to be replaced as well. Especially both sides when the problem is only on the rear passenger side.

 

ive heard of it, but its extremely unlikely that you would need to get your calipers replaced. Im not even sure if $1000 (including labor) is even the cost of new calipers with pads and rotors...What is more interesting is why the rears are shot but not the fronts.. usually the fronts take the brunt of the braking force and wear out slightly faster than the rears..Unless you only changed the front and didnt change both pads and rotors in the rear. If you changed them both at the same time it could make sense that the caliper failed.. maybe?

mazda quoted me $800 to replace my pads and rotors with labor(i laughed my *** off and went home.. if you shop around you can get pads and rotors for what wrightcomputing said)

im thinking they might buy you non oem pads and maybe oem rotors and then claim that they bought you new calipers.

 

Mazda sells a rebuild kit for the calipers

 

Yeah I have seen those. This all somewhat fishy. Going to get second opinion tomorrow. I'll let you guys know. The weirdest thing is they told both rear sides are shot when only the passenger side is showing the problem. Grinding on the rotor. Everything, brake wise, has been replaced simultaneously. Yet only the rear passenger rotor and pad are obviously gone. Pad literally rotor in the aspect it has been ground down from metal on metal.

 

It's not out of the ordinary for the rears to go quicker than the front. Many rwd cars equipped with DSC/TCS apply the rear brakes when slip is detected. My rear factory pads were completely shot, while the front had a good ~8mm.

Another problem I had with the rear pads being so worn down, is that the thread inside the caliper piston was completely off the seated screw of the caliper cylinder. The rear caliper is basically a piston that has something similar to a threaded nut inside it, and the cylinder has a threaded screw inside it. The piston turns into the screw of the cylinder. When the piston is too far extended, the "nut" sits on top of the threaded "screw". When enough pressure is applied, the hardened screw jams into the softer thread of the nut and completely ruins it (which was my scenario). There is no "rebuild kit" for this. I resorted to a used complete caliper with bracket for $60.

Now anyways, back to the question. Pads and rotors can be easily changed. If you can loosen a few bolts, then you can do it yourself. Rebuilding the caliper isn't too hard of a job either. If you don't know what you're looking at, get some insight as to what needs replacing. Even a full "upgraded" rear set of rotors and pads shouldn't be more than $600, or actually $500.

 

\As a for instance if you're really needing to replace calipers....

http://www.autopartsdeal.com/Parts_L...er/mazda/rx-8/

or (3rd one down - loaded @$68 with core trade)

(everything) http://www.autopartsdeal.com/catalog...+Brake+Caliper

...just one of many (Google) places for rebuild parts, new calipers, semi-loaded calipers (no pads included), etc.. If you're not too particular the parts to *replace* rear everything shouldn't exceed $200 if even. Then you'll need a brake fluid flush of course, extra. Add labor for everything, or a friend that knows what to do.... might be couple hours work.

 

that was a good read, thanks for the info.

 

I just had one of my calipers replaced. It was getting stuck and causing excessive wear... not to mention that it's a potential safety hazard.