Reader Question I think I need a brake job on my 1988 Chevy Spectrum.Things are squeaking, grinding and groaning when I hit the brakes, but using the manual brake doesn’t seem to produce any adverse reactions. How much should I expect to pay? Philip

Philip hello there,

I would expect to pay $150ish for a front brake job, pads, resurface the rotors, labor and tax Although, if you hear a grinding noise you might have to replace your brake rotors which will cost you another $75 or hopefully less for some cheap no name brake rotors which should be just fine.

You don’t hear the noise with the hand brake because that only uses the rear brakes….and you need front brakes.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Question Hello I own a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer AWD, I recently went to a shop to have my brakes look at due to squealing and they showed me the “brake shoe” and told me that it was totally worn out because of something to do with my emergency brake but I hardly ever use my emergency brake

They told me I had to replace the brake shoes but everything else was fine I looked at my pads and rotors and they seemed fine.

I didn’t hear any squealing on my way home but a few hours later when I was in my car again I heard the squealing when I first started to break but it doesn’t always squeal. Is this due to the type of brake pads?

AND what does the brake shoe actually do? Please let me know cause I really do not want to go back to this place it just seems like they are trying to rip me off.
Sincerely,
Dave, NY

Hi Dave,

I have seen issues similar to this where the emergency brake cables would rust/freeze up and cause one of the rear brake shoes to wear down much more than the other wheel where there is no emergency brake problem.

If both rear brake shoes on both sides of the vehicle are worn down about the same I would assume the emergency brake is not the issue and the brake shoes are just due for a change.

If for example the passenger side brake shoes are worn completely down but the driver side brake shoes are still in good shape, then you probably do have some kind of emergency brake or other brake problem causing the passenger side brake to be applied as you are driving.

If you are up north were they salt the roads or live on the coast line then rusty emergency brake cables could be your culprit. And you don’t have to use your emergency brake often, actually using it less often is more likely to allow rust to set up and not allow the cable to release fully thus cause your brake shoes to “drag” and wear out prematurely. You can soak these cables in penetrating oil like WD40 or replace them completely.

On the brake squeal issue. This noise MIGHT go away over time as the new pads break in, or it could be caused by poor quality brake pads or there could be missing pieces, mainly brake shims and anti rattle clips that could have broken off or not been reinstalled.

BUT you only got your rear brake shoes replaced and NOT your front brake pads replaced right? Usually brake shoes do not squeal, but brake pads do.

Brake shoes are long wide and have a curve to them,while brake pads are thin and flat and fit in the palm of your hand.

I found this picture and excellent explanation of the entire brake system and how it works.

How Does Your Car Brake System Work

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Question Hi

My name is Ann.

I feel like my brakes are going when I stop the go down I know that could mean the cylinder is bad, but the repair service says it’s the way they work. I have a 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis. Can you give me any info?
Thank You
Ann

Hi there Ann

If the brake pedal slowly sinks to the floorboard when you are waiting at a stop light, you probably have a bad brake master cylinder. Check the brake fluid level first, but if the fluid level is ok, your master cylinder is probably at fault.

You can quickly pump the brake pedal a few times (push hard, take your foot off the pedal to let it come back up a little, then push hard again rapidly) to help bring the pressure back up the next time the pedal sinks to the floor.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Reader Question My question involves brakes. I have a 2004 Hyundai Sonata that had the brake pedal go to the floor recently while my wife was driving it.

Sounds like a broken brake line, had it towed to a dealer, and I was told that it was not a brake line, but the pads on the right front were down to 3% (no metal to metal yet) and it needed a 4 wheel brake job (no
rotors needed) at a cost of $400 plus.

I have some experience with brakes, and I have never heard of worn brake pads on one wheel causing loss of brakes. Does that sound like it could be correct?

Thanks,
Dave – Westminster, MA

Howdy Dave,

I would be a little concerned that the pads are worn SIGNIFICANTLY more on the right front than the left front that would indicate a problem probably in the front brake calipers. The wear on the pads should be pretty evenly worn on the left as the right side.

Can the brake pedal fall to the floor due to worn out brake pads…..yes and no. The more the brake pad is worn down, the more brake fluid it will require to fill up the brake caliper and push the brake pads against the brake rotors. So worn out brake pads can cause a brake pedal to feel softer/lower than normal.

I would perform the brake job and pay special attention to the front brake calipers and make sure the calipers are working correctly and not sticking or anything that would cause one side to wear more than the other.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Reader Question How much should I pay for having the rotors shaved in my car?
Fabbri

Hey there Fabbri

To have your rotors “trued” while they are on the vehicle, you basically are going to pay for a front brake job….minus the brake pads. Most brake jobs will include truing the rotors and replacing the brake pads = a front brake job.

So, I would charge you about $100 to remove the two front wheels and rotors and true them and reinstall them. I would charge about $175 for a front brake job, same as previous but with the brake pads and hardware replaced as well.

Some vehicles, like some Honda Accord’s and some European models the rotors are not made to be trued, and you should replace them when they get worn uneven “warped”.

Also, if a rotor has already been trued it will probably be too thin to true again and it should be replaced. The rotor gets thinner with each truing, so taking too much material off the rotor will cause it to “warp” or become uneven.

You can take the rotors off yourself and have your local auto parts store true them for you, probably about $25 for both.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Follow up

Thank you so much Austin!

I have a 2003 BMW 3series, does it fall into the “not to be trued” rotors category?

A good friend of mine did the brakes in October 2006, he replaced the old rotors and pads, and put new ones, so I don’t think the rotors have ever been trued.

I felt the difference immediately after he completed his work, but moved to the opposite side of the country (northeast) immediately after, and had too much going on to take the car back to him, so i decided to drive the car in that condition. No brake work has been done ever since.

Thank you again!

Hello again Fabbri

I am pretty sure most BMW dealers will NOT true them, they are sticklers about selling new rotors, or at least the ones I deal with in Houston.

You might want to call around to a few independent repair shops and see who will true them, certainly someone in your area will true them for you at a reasonable price…although, some shops will charge more just because it’s a BMW.

Some shops will have a special machine that can true brake rotors while the rotor is still on the vehicle, they just remove the wheels and then bolt this machine directly onto your rotors…pretty cool, and you will get a smoother finish using this machine.

It might be worth your time to call a few shops (preferably European repair shops) and ask if they can “true rotors on the car”.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Question: The brakes on my car are very noisy sometimes when I come to a final stop. They don’t make noise all the time, but when they do it is very embarrassing.

I have taken it to my mechanic twice for this problem but he says its normal. I am not really sure which brakes are the culprit, front or rear, how do I tell?
Alice

Hello Alice

I can feel your pain! The brakes on my 2005 Ford F150 pickup truck will make a high pitched squeal every once in a while and it drives me crazy as well.

The noise is usually caused by:

1. a vibration on the brake pad due to a broken anti-rattle clip on the brake caliper

2. the material in the brake pad itself is causing the noise

3. the brake rotor (the part the brake pad grabs to stop the vehicle) is not smooth anymore and is causing the brake pad to vibrate and make the noise.

In most cases that I see, the brake noise is caused by the brake pad itself and replacing the brake pads and resurfacing the brake rotor is the cure.

Cheap brake pads can be a major cause of brake noise, so if you drive an Asian or European vehicle – Honda, Toyota, Kia, BMW etc. etc. etc. I usually try to install brake pads purchased from the dealership.

I have had fewer noise complaints with OEM – manufacturer brake pads than with off brand cheaper brake pads you can buy at your local auto parts store.

For some reason U.S. made vehicles are more tolerant of cheaper brand name brake pads than the Asian and European vehicles are.

Usually the softer the brake material the less likely they are to make a noise. Some after market brake manufacturers offer “noise reducing” brake pads, some seem to help, some don’t seem to make a difference at all…..you just gotta try a set and see how they work on your vehicle.

You should also use a silicone “desqueek” product on the back of your brake pads to help reduce the chance of vibration/noise. Sometimes this silicone is included with the new brake pads, sometimes you have to buy it seperately.

It is always a good idea to resurface the brake rotors when you install new brake pads. The rotor is what the brake pad grabs to stop the vehicle. Resurfacing, or “truing” the brake rotors will ensure the brake pad has a nice smooth even surface to grab on to. A brake rotor that is un-even or “warped” will cause the steering wheel to shake when you step on the brake.

The easiest way to determine where the brake noise is coming from is to make a few slow stops in a vacant parking lot using the emergency brake only. Pull and hold on to the emergency release cable AS you slowly apply the emergency brake.

This will only use the rear brakes to stop the vehicle. If the noise is present using the emergency brake, your rear brakes are causing the noise.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Question: Hello,

I was hoping you would be able to answer a quick question for me. My son was driving quite slowly in traffic yesterday when the person in front braked sharply, my son tried to brake but nothing happened so he pressed harder and the brakes seems to lock and he skidded into the car in front.

No one was hurt and very minimal damage was done but it really shook my son up that the brakes did not respond. Do you have any idea about why this happened and what should he do about it? He just wants an idea so when he goes to the garage he knows roughly, what he is talking about.

I would be grateful for your advice.

Thanks very much,

Tina

Hey Tina,

I am not sure what happened, or did not happen when he stepped on the brake. Silly question, but is he sure he stepped on the brake pedal and not the gas pedal?

I also own a body shop where we repair collision vehicles, and when we get a vehicle in our shop that was involved in an accident that the driver claims the brakes either did not work or did not work well enough. We thoroughly investigated the brake system to see if there is indeed a problem that should be corrected.

What we usually find is the driver panicked and either missed the brake pedal all together or stepped on the wrong pedal. He was driving excessively close to the vehicle in front of him to allow time for the brakes to fully stop the vehicle or the ABS system to take control and safely slow the vehicle down or some other driver error.

However, I am not saying your son did this. Nonetheless, what I am saying is that if the brakes have worked correctly before the accident, they seem to be working fine after the accident, and no one can duplicate the problem could this have been driver error?

Granted brakes can fail, but usually if they fail once they fail repeatedly after that, and it should be obvious that there is a problem. A few things that I have seen in my shop are:

1. A problem with the brake master cylinder – when at a stop light and steady even pressure is applied to the brake pedal the pedal will slowly sink to the floorboard. If you pump the brake pedal a few times, the problem goes away for a while but will repeat itself when steady pressure is applied to the pedal again.

2. A fluid leak of some kind (axle grease from a leaking seal, or brake fluid from a leaking caliper or wheel cylinder) on the brake pads or shoes that causes the brake shoes to slip and not stop effectively. Usually one wheel will “lock up” because it is over compensation for the wheel that is slipping and not helping with the stopping load.

3. Air in the brake system, which usually causes the brake pedal to feel spongy and soft and might take more leg pressure to stop the vehicle. This is not an intermittent problem, the air bubble will be in the system at all times, so the pedal will fee spongy all the time. To correct this problem the brake system must be “bled” of air.

4. An Anti Lock Brake Problem – Sometimes at slower speeds when making a panic stop with full leg pressure there is a slight delay in the brake system. The brakes are quickly applied, but the ABS system is takes just a split second to register the excessive pedal pressure and take action to stop the vehicle safely without locking the wheels and causing an out of control slide.

Depending on what kind of vehicle this is, and if it even has ABS brakes or not this might be how that brakes system works. My wife’s mini van in a panic slow speed stop like what your son was involved in will result in a fraction of a second delay before the ABS system kicks in and makes that humming noise from the ABS pump that results with the ABS system is working correctly. This is “normal” for this Kia Sedona mini van.

I would find a vacant parking lot and try making a few slow speed and some medium speed PANIC STOPS yourself and see what happens. It would also be a good idea to have your mechanic inspects all 4-wheel brakes just to make sure the brake material is in good shape and there are no fluid leaks.

If this car has ABS your mechanic can read the on board computer system for any trouble codes that might have been stored that would indicate a problem.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Question: Dear Austin,

I have a 1998 Ford Ranger and rear brakes are locking up even at very slow speeds. 3 Weeks ago the brake cylinders were replaced and problem seemed solved but is back now.

When going same slow speed in reverse there is not an issue. Rear Rotors were replaced about 6 months ago. Midas thinks it is only occurring in the passenger rear and does not know why at this point but does believe it is mechanical and says that the cylinders they put in are operating correctly.

Any help you can provide is appreciated and the faster the better as the car is still at the shop!

Thanks in advance for your help.

Sincerely,

Linda

Hey Linda,

I would look very hard at the rear brakes for any type of fluid leak that might be getting onto the rear brake material. I am assuming you have rear DRUM brakes, and that they replaced the rear brake wheel cylinders 3 weeks ago and the rear brake DRUMS were replaced 6 months ago. Is that correct?

There could be a small brake fluid leak or an axle seal leak that is allowing brake fluid or axle grease to get onto the brake shoes. If this happens the opposite side brake, which in this case is the passenger rear brake will over compensate and lock up. Therefore, have them triple check the driver side brake for any type of fluid leak.

A few other things I would look at would be:

1. Are the rear brakes adjusted too tight?

2. Does the rear brake drum need to be “turned” or cut to better fit the brake shoes?

3. Is this an anti lock brake problem? Is there a problem with the rear anti lock brake sensor causing the rear brakes to be too sensitive?

4. Is there a broken return spring in the rear brakes?

5. Are the brake shoes installed backwards – unbelievably this can happen.

You can also check to see if the brakes are adjusted too tight by touching all four metal wheels after a few miles of driving at freeway speeds. If one wheel is obviously hotter than the others are, it is probably the culprit of the lock up problem.

Caution: Do not burn yourself the all the wheels will be HOT, but you want to know if one is MUCH hotter than the others are.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Updates: Dear Austin,

Yes, they are Drums (not Rotors) and the Drums were replaced 6 months ago (which leads me to believe it should not be caused by the drums being out-of-round).

I have 2-wheel ABS but they do not think it is that “system” because as I forgot to mention to you that this locking occurs by utilizing the emergency brake too (not the brake pedal).

I called Midas and went through your list and he definitely said there is no fluid leak–not brake fluid or axle grease. He seems to believe they have checked everything on your list here too and are just baffled. He said he has never been so baffled by such a “simple problem” before.

So, by mentioning that it happens by using the emergency brake also, does it give you any other clue?

Thanks for your help.

Linda

Linda,

My gut feeling is there is still something wrong with the items I mentioned they should double check. I think, at this point you should get a second opinion from another shop. Midas is not one of the shops on my recommendation list for brake work; they are wonderful at mufflers and exhaust work but maybe not at brakes.

You might ask this shop if they can call another Midas store in your area, for a second opinion at no cost to you.

If that is not an option, I would get a second opinion from a trustworthy general repair shop (preferably a mom and pop independent shop not a national franchise chain) or visit your local Ford dealership.

This is a simple and very standard brake system, so I cannot imagine there would be something drastic going on.

I am betting it is something simple they are overlooking.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Question: Hello,

My father has a 2002 Chevrolet Impala with the following brake problem. The rear rotors rust very quickly and do not ever clean themselves. The dealer replaced the rotors during warranty period, but need replaced again.

The car is driven regularly and does stop properly.

Thank you.

Robert

Hi Robert,

The front rotors on my truck rust overnight on wet nights, but on the first few stops the pads knock off the rust. I would go to a deserted parking lot and try to stop the vehicle with the emergency brake only (pull up and hold the release cable with your left hand so the emergency brake will not lock and you can control the stop) from about 35 PMH.

If the emergency brake does not stop the vehicle, I would assume your rear brakes are not working like they should. I would have the rear calipers checked to see if there is a problem like a fluid restriction or lack of brake fluid or if the rear brake pads are worn to thin to stop the vehicle or the rear rotors are too thin and the brake pads cannot grab onto them.

He could have a brake master cylinder problem, which is not supplying the rear brakes the needed fluid to operate. However, keep in mind the front brakes do the majority of the stopping power and will wear out twice as fast as the rear brake pads.

I would be curious as to why the rear rotors need to be changed again. I would/could expect the rear rotors to be resurfaced once or twice in the life of a 5-year-old vehicle and maybe replaced once, but needing to be replaced twice, something is probably wrong.

I would also not expect the rear rotors to be “warped” or need to be replaced if you suspect the rear brakes are not working if they are not working, why the rear rotors are damaged? More about warped brake rotors

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Question: Hello,

I have a 1990 Toyota Camry. The rear brake line is rotted out and needs to be replaced. How long do you think it will take for this repair and what you feel is a fair price for it?

Thank you for your time.

John

Hi John,

I have some generic metal brake line material in my shop that I would use to make up the needed line. I would guess the repair time including bleeding the brakes to be about 2 hours labor and US$30 in parts would be a good guess.

You might call the Toyota dealer just to see if they sell and stock the line so you do not have to try to bend one to match. Buying an exact match would save labor time if it was still available from the dealership.

Most auto parts stores will carry generic straight metal brake line that you can bend to fit the body of the vehicle.

Buying the line from a wrecked Camry in a junk yard would be another option.

Blessings,
Austin Davis