derek97

So I stand at 3mm (front) and 4mm (rear). So guys, do I replace at this point or do I still have XXXX thousand miles left in the current?

I'm extremely frugal on the brakes and drive like an old man...lol. Really...

In addition, my mechanic quoted $450 for front/rear OEM replacement; does this sound good? He said it was a $600 job easy....cutting me a break.

neojungle1

iTrader: (8)

Hell no!!! Sorry. Brake. a easy job diy my friend

98Gs4001UZ

I replace mine and I recommend brake pads being changed at 3mm. 600 dollars!! That's expensive. Im so glad i do mine myself and have access to a brake lathe so i can turn the rotors. I put
Wagner thermo quiets on my car they work great.

starfyrels

iTrader: (2)

You being frugal and spending $450 on a brake job does not compute. Lol

Also a brake job is $99 at just brakes here in town and that includes new pads and resurfacing all 4 rotors. Of course there are shop fees and other things. Of course the guys at these type of shops might not do the job right at that price.

I find it hard to believe that it takes that much time to get brakes done. $15/rotor for resurfacing and $65/oem front pads and $70/oem rear pads. $260 in labor...I need a new career lol

derek97

Ok, I'm hearing you all. Sounds like I should consider a plan B or a second and third estimate.

DIY, sure, if I had time...

Thanks for continued feedback

porn-adkt

iTrader: (37)

$59.99 for front brake job @ Mavis

raytseng

The way the pads are chamfered the last bit of the pads will wear slower than the first bits. So the last mms have the potential to last awhile if you want to stay on them.

However, like you said, if you are easy on your brakes, and if you're going to replace them eventually, you might as well replace them now to enjoy the improved performance and put the miles on the new brakes.

I highly do not recommend the Lexus OEM pads, because for whatever reason they are extremely chamferred. Perhaps only 60% of the surface area is used. I theorize they had noise complaints so they redesigned the pads and had to cut out more material. You will feel ripped off that you're getting half a pad while paying full lexus price for a butchered part.

Regarding price, a reasonable fair price from a certified ASE mechanic should be about 1hour/axle+parts (you can buy your own). Some places will do it for less, especially if they aren't ASE certified, others more.
Like others said, this is a straightforward standard procedure on our car, you don't really need an ASE mechanic to do it, just like you don't need a mechanic to change the oil.

The $99 for front/rear with parts is a bit ambitious on the cheap side.
The $450 is overpriced unless it also includes new rotors (which you may want to consider).
Giving benefit of the doubt even at $100/hour that's $200+parts (~$150 at MSRP) so there's a missing $100 (not to mention the profit they raked in on the parts at full price).

I suggest buying all your parts, and then taking them to a good shop that will just for labor costs. You can call your shop back and asking for a labor-only quote. If it's still too high, use Yelp or cartalk.com to find a better shop.

You may want to consider getting ceramic pads, and new rotors.
I suggest to take a look at akebono proact+ centric premium blanks which seem to be a good blend of performance value and what I am currently using. The ceramic pads should last longer and wear less than OEM. Performance wise you will not give up anything compared to the chamferred Lexus/Toyota part. They are definitely not butchered up like the toyota part and use the majority of available surface area. Search for more threads/reviews on this if you want.

The price for new rotors from an aftermarket provider such as centric have become reasonable enough to be competitive with resurfacing. Overall it may still be more expensive, but the factory milling will be more precise than a shop resurfacing and perform truer.

Also, I suggest new set of brake hardware (fit kit/clips) if those have not been changed. These should be inexpensive.

Finally you may want to get new brake fluid done at the same time if you have not gotten that changed in past 30k miles (should be about a $60 procedure).

All the above should be available for reasonable prices at rockauto.com. Do out the math, you can go with cheaper parts or OEM too if you want that route. But overall even if you spend $450 with parts of your choosing, you'll end up with better gear than letting the shop pick the cheapest for you.

Overall, if you are easy on your brakes, you might as well get on the good stuff sooner rather then later and start using the new parts. Unless you are planning on ditching the car soon and can avoid a brake job all together.

Hope this was helpful.

HardParkin

Your brakes are fine. You're good all the way to 1mm unless your brakes start to vibrate when you brake first. But if you're that concerned, go ahead and get them done. $450? That's still pretty expensive. If you lived in Cali I'd do it for you for $350 parts & labor. But since you don't, keep shopping around. Good luck!

derek97

Got it, good information that I'm taking to heart.

I'm currently shopping for new estimates....buying my own parts too!

Thanks again

lexybaby77

I would still use it till 1mm (that's what I did). Might last a couple more months while you shop around. Make sure to resurface your rotors or probably replace it if needed. Try to avoid resurfacing from places like Autozone or Kragen O'Reilley's (if you have them in your area). Not so good quality when it comes to resurfacing. But definitely $450 is too steep for brake job. I know you don't have time for the DIY but to give you an idea, the rear brakes takes about 10 mins to do. The hardest part is removing the tires. But its up to you. Good luck!