Brakes...LR or elsewhere?

[cypress822]

Obviously there has been a ton of chat regarding the insanely high prices of a brake job from LR....I have called several (five) brake places in my area quoting at least 50% cheaper. Is there a reason to spend so much more money by using LR? Some places I called said they use the same parts as LR!

 

[94speedster]

First off, a brake pad change on a Rover is quite standard - and not any different than changing pads on any disc wheel. On my old LR3, I did several brake pad replacements and fluid flushs. It is really quite easy... The only challenge was finding jacks rated high enough to support the weight of the vehicle, and then the self-leveling suspension gave me fits (but web boards helped with the trick).

Regarding parts, I went with OEM pads from British Atlantic. From memory, they were significantly cheaper than dealer pricing. Labor is another area where Land Rover charges an arm and a leg. One idea might be to buy the pads from an online source, and then bring them to an independent to install. That would save a lot of money...

Good luck - but don't be afraid to give it a go yourself!
-B

 

[ougrad1]

Also don't forget the pad sensor which is a one-time use part.

 

[cypress822]

what pad sensor? what is that?

 

[rostov]

what pad sensor? what is that?

You will see the wire going to one of front pads, sometimes rear too. If you buy parts from dealer (brakes I always do) they will know. However, if it is not to the point where the sensor started touching the disk, and nod damaged yet, you can most likely reuse it, those are not cheap, but nothing more than the wire...

 

[rostov]

Regarding parts, I went with OEM pads from British Atlantic. From memory, they were significantly cheaper than dealer pricing. Labor is another area where Land Rover charges an arm and a leg. One idea might be to buy the pads from an online source, and then bring them to an independent to install. That would save a lot of money...

-B

How long are you on those rotors?
I bought aftermarket rotors a couple of times (for other cars, Mercedeses). I was told those were OEM parts just not marked for dealer, so were cheaper. A couple of thousand miles later I had to go back to dealer and purchase all the parts again since those "not marked OEM" rotors were warped, I guess because of overheating... Since then when it comes to such a critical parts as brakes components - unfortunately dealer only for me. I save quite a bit on a labor doing it myself, and also that way I know it is done properly and only if required...

 

[94speedster]

How long are you on those rotors?
I bought aftermarket rotors a couple of times (for other cars, Mercedeses). I was told those were OEM parts just not marked for dealer, so were cheaper. A couple of thousand miles later I had to go back to dealer and purchase all the parts again since those "not marked OEM" rotors were warped, I guess because of overheating... Since then when it comes to such a critical parts as brakes components - unfortunately dealer only for me. I save quite a bit on a labor doing it myself, and also that way I know it is done properly and only if required...

We just hit 25k on the LR4 and all the rotors are still good. I agree with the OEM rotors argument though. These cars are so heavy that rotors take a beating. Regarding vendors, British Atlantic and British Pacific have both been great. OEM is expensive though.

-Blake

 

[Finlayforprez]

We just hit 25k on the LR4 and all the rotors are still good. I agree with the OEM rotors argument though. These cars are so heavy that rotors take a beating. Regarding vendors, British Atlantic and British Pacific have both been great. OEM is expensive though.

-Blake

Hey Blake,

Thanks for all your great advice. I am at around 10,500 mile (about a year and a half of ownership) and my brakes are still in great condition, but I just have a quick clarification question. The brake pads/discs on British Atlantic/Pacific are OEM?, right? When the time comes for a brake job, I am planning to buy everything I need hopefully from one of these vendors (as long as they are good quality) and then have an independent LR garage do the work. Anything outside of warranty I have an excellent local place that really knows Land Rovers and does top notch, reasonably priced work. I want to avoid the dealer for anything not covered.

Also, I see a few disc options on British Pacific - are these just different quality? The prices range from $43 - $135... what's the difference? I would imagine it is probably better to get the best discs/pads you can find. Here is a link:

http://www.britishpacific.com/produ...Front+Brakes&group=Front+Brake+Disc&year=2011

Thanks so much for your help - just thinking ahead!

-David

 

[94speedster]

In my experience, there really is no rule of thumb. In some cases, the aftermarket equipment is BETTER than the OEM, and in others the OEM is better. Regarding Land Rover, I do not have enough experience with Rover parts to give you good advice. In your case, I would recommend either finding an answer on Land Rover web boards, or just going with the OEM products as an insurance model. But it appears you can save some money by purchasing from BP or BA as dealers tend to mark-up OEM equipment higher than those independents.

Let me relay a recent story.... I am a big Porsche nut, and have a track garage and a track-only 911 GT3. One big expense is front brake rotors. They cost $300 each from Porsche Motorsports, and last 6-8 track days. Stopping power is definitely a 10/10. That is an expensive consumable! Anyway, some of the Porsche track guys on the web boards learned that the Cayenne SUV runs the same size front rotors as the GT3 Cups (race cars) and GT3 street cars. Through a non-OEM manufacturer, they cost $100 each. Turns out they last 12-14 track days and are rock solid (8/10 in performance). This past summer, the hobbyists bough out the entire supply on Amazon and eBay!

Every car brand seems to have their little quirks...

-B

 

[rostov]

In my experience, there really is no rule of thumb. In some cases, the aftermarket equipment is BETTER than the OEM, and in others the OEM is better. -B

You are right. If you know what you are doing, aftermarket parts could be used no problem and even be better then OEM. In my opinion which is based on some experience in car garage and some reading, if you go with aftermarket rotors you really have to do a research. You have to make sure that those rotors are compatible with the brake pads you are going to use, and both rotors and pads would work ok with the whole brake system, so when brake applied it won’t get overheated etc.

So unless you are enhancing the whole brake system i.e. rotors, pads, calipers, lines etc., I vote for OEM even if it is more expensive.