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VS rotor replace.

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vc commodore

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I use a copper hammer, 4 pounder to be exact, never have to wire brush the spigot just spray some lube hit and spin.
I've been doing brakes for 11 years we machine in-house too. There's a reason we charge extra to do brakes because your boots and seals are inspected, slides cleaned, caliper brakets cleaned, aburtptment shims cleaned and inspected, hub face cleaned and brake fluid tested then system flushed if requied.
Pad slapping might work one time the next it could bite you with a seized slide and cause bad performance and increased pad and rotor wear.


Hummm, where have I mentioned pad slapping? There is no way in heck would I do a pad slap on my own car, let alone a paying customer

If you have never had to wire brush the hub, you've either never had a hub coated in crud, or you don't clean the hub when putting the rotor back on the hub. I can tell you, I have seen more than my fair share of hubs that are that caked, that there is no way in heck you can remove the rotor without cleaning it off

As for the extra charges.....Bit over the top....To me, this is part and parcel of doing the job properly and charging for the part replacements and labour involved in doing the job. All up, it should take no more than an hour to do all 4 brakes on a commodore so an hours labour chould be charged
 

losh1971

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Wow an hour for all four. Guess when you do them every day you get quick. Takes me at least that for two.
Funny thing is i realised how quick i can do ordering tonight now that I've done it plenty of times. Boss comes in and was asking to borrow some fuel vouchers if his didn't arrive before Wed. I said I'll order them for him, save him fucken around. 5 mins later job done. Used to take me 15-20mins to do an order when I was senior and not supervisor.
 

shane_3800

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It might take an hour if you have all the parts sitting there on a bench with the car on a hoist and all your tools ready to go. It's a different story when you have to test drive the car, get all the details, inspect the car, qoute the job, order the parts, machine the rotors and then do the job.
VC commodore would go out of buisness quick because he just spins spanners because he's a TA (trade assistant).
 

Trevor loves holden.

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It might take an hour if you have all the parts sitting there on a bench with the car on a hoist and all your tools ready to go. It's a different story when you have to test drive the car, get all the details, inspect the car, qoute the job, order the parts, machine the rotors and then do the job.
VC commodore would go out of buisness quick because he just spins spanners because he's a TA (trade assistant).
No mention of machining the rotors just a straight swap over, its not worth paying 25-30 for each machine when they are standard rotors, only the expensive slotted rotors I get machined down to 14mm to get a bit more life out of them.
No need to test drive if a customer said change my rotors and pads, you might take it around the block once after doing the job to test and do some bedding in but that's it.
It takes me max 20min for the 2 front ones each as I don't have a car hoist, back ones about a extra 10 min each to adjust the handbrake, tools well they should be right next to the car hoist in a trolley tool chest ready to go, if you have to walk around finding tools then you should be giving customers a discount for time wasting, sounds to me your workplace isn't set up right..
 

Trevor loves holden.

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When I go to doctors to get a blood test done I don't expect to leave with a hair cut, like mechanic work if I ask you to change my oil and filter I don't expect when I pick it up to pay for test drives and brake check basic a roadworthy to be done unless your willing to do it for free, no wounder Shane-3800 only does 4 cars a day.. Running around looking for tools waiting for parts to arrive, going site seeing. People usually book their car in so no need to be wasting time for parts to arrive you should have them ready for that day, well I suppose if you don't ask them what needs done or you have no service history then yeah you might need to order parts. When I take my car in to do certain jobs beyond my abilities I tell them what I want done.
 

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I thought a oem pad change was a set charge $ which included checking disk/rotor legality before any pad/rotor change or machining disks. Most mechanics do just slap pads on and dont even grease/lubricate/clean anything or even test vehicle on roaad, they havent got time and all there time is charged like a lawyer. With a set charge Time wouldn't be a factor unless there was piston leakage and seals replaced, bleeding the system for seals or replacing entire brake fluid and adjusting complete handbrake. So basically shane is close to the ball park with time but not just for a quick pad change, and I still use/have my old original copper hammer, beats any stupid plastic hammer which bounces and causes irs injuries to wrists, copper absorbs vibration and still produces power on objects without leaving a scratch. My skills come from my 1st job from school for 4 years in a brake garage where I started as workshop shitkicker to working on cars/maching disks/bonding brake shoes to learning/helping out in the hydraulic section, had a chance to work on a lot of old classics local and o/s.
 

crelok

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Just finished rear rotors,handbrake shoes were fine adjusted them a little.New pads and rotors now just need to get front ones(should have got them together)thanks to all who helped..cheers.:)
 

vc commodore

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It might take an hour if you have all the parts sitting there on a bench with the car on a hoist and all your tools ready to go. It's a different story when you have to test drive the car, get all the details, inspect the car, qoute the job, order the parts, machine the rotors and then do the job.
VC commodore would go out of buisness quick because he just spins spanners because he's a TA (trade assistant).[/QUOTE

Didn't realise you were starting from scratch......ie, the car just rocked up and you needed to do all the inspecting.....The topic of the thread is rotor/pad replacement....Going by that, it would take no more than an hour....

If you have to search for tools, you need to organise yourself alot better....Any decent mechanic would know sizes by looking at them and know exactly, where in their tool box those tools are located.

Go out of business quick....You reckon....If that was the case, places wouldn't be ringing me up, asking me to work for them and customers wouldn't be following me from work place to workplace..

And yep, proud for you to call me a trades assistant....At least I am organsied....It appears you aren't, which means you're below that....First thing to learn with mechanical work....Judge sizes, know where you're tools are located in the tool box, so you can put your hands straight onto them and learn to read properly....
 

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well done for trying/doing it yourself, now you qualify to say your a brake technican, once you do the fronts you will see a good improvement in stopping power.
 

Vin999

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I thought 1st thing to know/learn with mechanical trades is ..... do the job properly... truck the rest of the b/s thumbsup
 
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