2001 Elantra Brake Job

In my book, you made a good choice - and the choice I also made with both my
minivan and my son's Elantra within the last month or so.

The place I went to WAS able to turn the rotors on both vehicles. They also
sell me the Raybestos ceramic brake pads for what I would pay for them if I
just bought them retail (both somewhere in the $30-40 range). And they
charged $55 for labor, including the rotor turns.

That sure beats trying to do it in the cold. And the fellow who does them I
KNOW is going to do them right. All in all, a small price to pay for safety
and assurance.

 

Back in high school, or early college, I yanked the 307 out of my mom's
Chevy, and replaced it with a JC Whitney 327.
I also grovelled underneath my '70 Camaro to yank the trans to replace the
clutch & pressure plate...banged out U joints from the drive shaft to
replace also. On the Camaro, I was always swapping out a new Holley with a
'better' one. Headers, shocks, exhaust, intake manifolds, alternators and
yes...brakes were all done in my folk's garage.
But time marched on, and now I am pretty certain I would be on my way to
Meineke if my '04 Santa Fe needed brakes.
I must say I got soft, having a company car all through the '80s and '90s.
But now that I am back on the 35 cents a mile to use my own car for
work....I may again 25 or 30 years later.....shop for a Chilton's manual!!!!
.....now where are my torque wrenches????
.....Dave

 

"> I am almost aghast at how many people seem to think this step is

Sorry, but that's simply incorrect. In fact, the increased surface area
of a worn rotor actually increases stopping power compared to one that's
perfectly smooth. As long as the braking action of the car is smooth
now, with no pulsation that would indicate warped or unevenly worn
rotors, there is nothing to be gained by replacing them unless they are
simply worn too thin, which is unlikely unless this car is already on
its second set of pads, or more."

I think the real answer here is that it depends on the condition of the
rotors. Check to see that the braking surfaces are smooth and are not
rusted. If smooth and clean, and your brakes do not vibrate when applied,
there's no advantage to resurfacing the rotors. In fact, it's a
disadvantage. You'll be removing material from the rotor, which will
decrease its ability to dissipate heat, and you'll also be reducing your
ability to have the rotors resurfaced in the future-- there's a minimum
thickness specification.

 

personal brake job on my elantra weekend before last - new front pads
~ 1 hr. Most time spent getting out and putting back tools. Total
cost $24 for "lifetime" pads from Autozone. Note - Rotors a bit
grooved, toss them next time. 500 miles and multiple stops at various
speeds - they work fine.

Professional brake job last quote $300 for the same job.

Observation on watching the professional. Unless it's Dad the only
thing he will try to really show you is why you should pay him to do
it.