Changing brake pads - Do it myself or pay mechanic?

[Pplater]

Hey guys,
New member here, recently bought my first car (VS executive '96) and cannot wait to do it up slowly. I need help, The brake pads need replacing and cannot decide whether to go to a mechanics and spend a fortune or go down to autobarn and buy my own brake pads and do it at home.
If I do it myself, it will be my first ever time doing this and without guidance from a father figure will need to work it out. What I'm asking is, should I do it myself and just get a guide off the net or get a mechanic? and as stupid as it may sound, where abouts on the car do I place the jack to jack it up?

Cheers.

[calais24/7]

If you have the patience and the room and tools to do it. I say do it yourself. Will save yourself a lot of money. When you jack the car up make sure you get the chack on the chassi. Also don't take the wheels off unless you have the car supported by car stands. By yourself the manual and the pads and everything you need to do for the swap. Plenty of people to help you along and it will save you a fair bit

[Brett_jjj]

I suggest you get a workshop manual to follow,it shows you all you need to know to change the brake pads,it also shows most other jobs that you can do yourself so you can save money.You can learn a lot about your car from it...

[Reaper]

If you have to ask then yes - pay somebody to do it for you. At the very least have somebody who knows what they are doing to guide you thu it. It's an easy job but the downside is pretty horrendous if you screw it up.

Reaper

[Haydz]

its your brakes. the only thing slowing down your car. your taking your life into your own hands by toying with it yourself. unless you know what your doing i wouldnt touch it.

[F l a k]

I say get the workshop manual and look up some how-to's and familiarise yourself with everything involved and ask as many questions as you want on here. Once you've got it all figured in your head, and have the tools and manual and a print out of a how-to or some notes, you should be right. If you're confident enough after that then do it, if you're unsure pay someone to do it

[acarmody]

Yeah at least have a crack at it yourself, just putter around on a back road to test them, don't go over about 20km/h to start with so even if they don't work you can handbrake to a stop.

[Blakvsexec]

The best advice you can get will be this

1. Go and buy yourself a GREGORYS manual for your car.

2. Also buy or borrow a set of car stands they are usually around 50 to 70 dollars a set, NEVER NEVER work on a car just sopported by a jack.

3. When you remove the wheel slide it in approx halfway under the sil of the car, This is a safety safety if the stand fails for some reason the wheel under the car will stop it from crushing you and or damaging the car.
4. NEVER WORK ON A CAR THATS JUST SITTING ON A JACK ALWAYS USE A CAR STAND.


See here for car stands
NEW AXLE STAND JACK STANDS 6 TON CAR STANDS (eBay item 370482610982 end time 09-Apr-11 14:17:35 AEST) : Cars, Bikes, Boats

[edals]

Here is a How To on the brake Pads

VX front Brake pad Change How To Detailed

Here is a how to on placing you car on stands and using a jack

How to Jack up your car and put it on Safety Stands

But Yes also grab a manual. Best thing ever, saved me 1000s

[EDGE3]

Do it yourself once you have read all the procedure,take it nice and slowly and safely.Make sure you have a g-clamp to push the pistons in.And make sure you have the callipers held up with a strap so the brake line doesnt get damaged by the weight of the callipers hanging and make sure the pins go back into the correct position,when I have replaced brake pads I found out that them little suckers like to pop out.

[theslippery1]

Like everyone else has said to do on the safety side is good advice. I would also firstly jack up the car & remove a wheel & check for grooves on the disc if there are any & they are deep(2mm) or so & if there's a lip on the disc I would get new disc's they are not hard to replace there will be plenty of how to's on this site for doing this . There's no point doing the pads if your disc's are worn. You will find new discs on the net are the cheapest just make sure they come from a good supplier ( DBA) or the like.
Happy learning the art of home repairs
theslippery1

[bogan_vk]

id say have a crack at it its a very easy job only takes about 10minutes a side once you know how to do it, as already stated buy a manual and stands and once youve learnt you will never have to pay to have it done again.if your discs need doing theyre easy too just follow the manual.

[Skrewdriver]

Another thing you'll need to know if it's your first time,is that you should bleed your brake system of any air that might have got into system.There's how-to on this forum somewhere (i think!!)with pictures to help you better understand each step .Good luck mate

[fod8u]

The best advice you can get will be this

1. Go and buy yourself a GREGORYS manual for your car.

2. Also buy or borrow a set of car stands they are usually around 50 to 70 dollars a set, NEVER NEVER work on a car just sopported by a jack.

3. When you remove the wheel slide it in approx halfway under the sil of the car, This is a safety safety if the stand fails for some reason the wheel under the car will stop it from crushing you and or damaging the car.
4. NEVER WORK ON A CAR THATS JUST SITTING ON A JACK ALWAYS USE A CAR STAND.


See here for car stands
NEW AXLE STAND JACK STANDS 6 TON CAR STANDS (eBay item 370482610982 end time 09-Apr-11 14:17:35 AEST) : Cars, Bikes, Boats

Definitely invest in a gregory's, money very well spent.

[justbad4you]

i agree wuth reaper( if you have to ask get some one who knows to do it for you.....brakes are somthing you should get done by those in the know

If you have to ask then yes - pay somebody to do it for you. At the very least have somebody who knows what they are doing to guide you thu it. It's an easy job but the downside is pretty horrendous if you screw it up.

Reaper

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

People are too scared of brakes, I say do it yourself only if you have some mechanical aptitude. If you don't know a hammer from a screw driver, then at the very least, have someone there that has done brakes before.

I wouldn't bleed them though, there is no need to bleed them after a pad change. It can cause more problems if you don't know how to bleed brakes correctly and know what you are looking for.