MrRegieRitmo Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Anybody know how much reasonably, I could expect to pay to have 4 brake discs fitted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volksy Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 I'm presuming you're having discs and pads fitted?Depends on the car i guess, the labour shouldn't be huge, maybe a couple of hours, as all you need to do really is remove the wheel, unbolt the brake caliper and swop discs etc.Some cars have the hand brake inside the rear disc, which can be more time consuming to reset, but generally its not a huge job. (unless there inboard) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 New pads are already on as they were required for the MOT. The discs weren't but they were an advisory so have bought them to be replaced as an imminent job. Especially now there's a huge noise from the offside front wheel where the old disc & new pad is grating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew e Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Reg consider the front pads shot then if there grumbling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 Reg consider the front pads shot then if there grumbling.They're only a month old!Well just tried Kwik Fit but they can't help me as only fit their own parts due to guarantee reasons when I told him I already have the discs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Is it all the time or just under braking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 The rubbing / friction noise is there all the time but when accelerating or driving along normally, you don't hear it too much. When decelerating or braking it gets much louder, sounds like a pneumatic drill. Makes the Alfa sound much fruitier though, like I'm driving a rumbling V8, if only it was the engine, not the wheel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead_E23 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 there's a huge noise from the offside front wheel where the old disc & new pad is grating!I would bin the pads if they'd been on for a month, especially making a huge noise - and would have a careful look for a seized caliper as the source of the racket. (ETA: there's also a metal shroud behind the disc which could be rubbing if they bent it whilst installing the pads)Changing front discs on a 146 should be a piece of piss - about three bolts on either side and a couple of hours maximum to do including tea drinking (rear brakes are just a tiny bit fiddlier). I reckon you'll get charged in the region of £100 for that (£150/£200 for 4) - and by the time you've found someone, dropped the car off and picked it up you'd have been as quick to do it yourself. Seriously - buy some tools, and they'll pay for themselves again and again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 I'm wondering whether I should just have a go, it's not like I've got much on. Haynes don't do Alfa manuals as far as I can tell, so there's only the pretty useless handbook. I don't want to start it, make a mess & then find I can't finish the job for some reason. If it wasn't for the noise I'd happily still drive it around as it's not doing any harm, it's just a bit disconcerting. I have visions of the wheel suddenly catching fire or something. Basically the drivers front disc is so worn that it's developed a ridge around the perimeter & the new pad has obviously begun to bed into it because for the first two weeks since the new pads were on there wasn't a dicky bird, it's only in the last few days the noise has developed so the pad can't have been dud or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead_E23 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Can't hurt to have a look - it's unfortunate that Haynes haven't written a 'book of lies' about Alfas, but I find there's plenty on the web- for example, this guide on changing rear pads. The special tool referred to can be bought in Halfords for about £25. Once the pads are out, there's a single bolt holding each disc in. You can't miss it because it's facing you and has a pointy head like a wizard's hat. Undo that, wiggle the disc out past the caliper bracket and then start putting everything back together. A couple of hours later you can pay yourself a notional £200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Bo11ox Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Hey reg, if you whip the wheel off and take a pic of the disc + caliper we'll tell you exactly how to tackle it if you like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 I think time is the main factor here, I'll be seeing the other half in about 2 1/2 - 3 hours time, tomorrow I've got this wedding to go to which is going to be from half 11 tomorrow, all afternoon & may spill over into the evening so doesn't leave much time for other things. I've just been down to Tesco & back in it (about half a mile away) and no real harm done so I think I'll be ok in it if I don't go crazy, & if I take it to work I better stay off the dual carriageway & go the country route so the driving isn't harsh & fast. That will hopefully bide me time until Aidan can give us a hand. If I had all weekend to 'have a play' I'd give it a crack but at the moment if the car still drives & once I start to take it apart there's a strong possibility it could be out of action for sometime as I could very well have to leave it mid job to do other things, I may as well just wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 Can't hurt to have a look - it's unfortunate that Haynes haven't written a 'book of lies' about Alfas, but I find there's plenty on the web- for example, this guide on changing rear pads. The special tool referred to can be bought in Halfords for about £25. Once the pads are out, there's a single bolt holding each disc in. You can't miss it because it's facing you and has a pointy head like a wizard's hat. Undo that, wiggle the disc out past the caliper bracket and then start putting everything back together. A couple of hours later you can pay yourself a notional £200.E23 thanks for that link it looks pretty useful. Incidentally I had to purchase a 'special tool' curious to Alfa 145/6s when we did the pads, it looks to me like a £13 metal dice with a couple of notches on it which you use to wind the caliper back. Universal Caliper Winder - except the one I had to buy wasn't very 'universal'. It was a real bitch of a job, even with the correct tool apparently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 If you're going to reuse the pads you should reface them by rubbing them vigorously on a doorstep or similar surface. Brake pads tend not to contain asbestos nowadays but it's generally best to avoid inhaling any kind of dust.If you don't reface them you run the risk of duplicating the wear pattern on the new discs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 If you're going to reuse the pads you should reface them by rubbing them vigorously on a doorstep or similar surface. Brake pads tend not to contain asbestos nowadays but it's generally best to avoid inhaling any kind of dust.If you don't reface them you run the risk of duplicating the wear pattern on the new discs.Thanks, I'll keep that in mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel bickle Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Sounds more like the wheel bearings to me............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 Sounds more like the wheel bearings to me.............Well it crossed my mind....but it seems too much of a coincidence that I've just had the new pads put on & we saw the state of the discs so put 2 + 2 together! Would that be expensive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel bickle Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Bearings arent expensive -unless you ask someplace like Kwik Fit.If you're doing it yourself add 2 hrs and a large tub of high meting point. T'aint difficult.If you're having it done -add 1 hour a side plus parts.if the noise coincided EXACTLY with the pad change -just lok for something rubbing -theyve probably fitted a spacer or something wrong -so the calipers out of line. However- if its built up slowly.....Try slinging it into left & right hand corners- if the noise changes -its the bearings or incorrect fitment. if it doesnt -its the brakes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 You can often feel the roughness in a bad wheel bearing by jacking the car up and turning the wheel by hand, in fact there's a good chance you can trace the noise by this method even if it's the brakes.You should be able to see if anything's rubbing because it will polish the area that's getting rubbed. It could be dirt around the calliper, a bent backplate or even something silly like a wheelarch liner.I've got to disagree with Nigel on changing a wheel bearing. Front bearings can be an utter bastard to change and I would generally pay somebody else to do it if I had the cash spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead_E23 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Incidentally I had to purchase a 'special tool' curious to Alfa 145/6s when we did the pads, it looks to me like a £13 metal dice with a couple of notches on it which you use to wind the caliper back.Those metal dice things are pretty rubbish. The tools like a G-clamp without the G (if you see what I mean) are much better - doing the pads without was difficult and unpleasant, but once I'd bought one winding the caliper back was a doddle and the job took about 20 minutes a side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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