[d3v]

Hi all.

Please help me find the truth. Front brake pads are almost completely worn out at 8500 mileage, rear ones are still alive. Called the dealer, and he sent back some crazy quote for $5500. I'm speechless. I assume the dealer is trying to trick me into replacing the brake pads and rotors all around (I don't think I need to replace the rotors). However, I got the part numbers from that quote and started looking for them myself. Found that the front brake pads are around $500 and the rear pads are around $400, which means replacing all the pads would come out to about $1K just for parts, not including labor.

I'm asking for advice from the community. What's the best thing for me to do in this situation, so I don't overpay?

Part numbers:
68501808AA
68525329AB

VIN: 2C3CDZFJ9MH658685

Thanks!

 

[Dodgeguy]

Take it somewhere else.

 

[Wm. Internet Rock DJ]

First of all What Year and Model is the Challenger? 2nd sounds like this car is driven very hard to be worn out that fast.
Do you have Brembos? Have you looked at Powerstop Rotors and Pads unless your tracking the car they are a great alternative
and affordable.

 

[Gila Hemi]

 

[gtbigup]

Man that's some really low mileage for brake pads replacement 😳. Lots of fun burnouts?

 

[Wm. Internet Rock DJ]

What Year and Model of Challenger do you have?

Do you Track or Race the Car?

More answers you provide better your dilemma can be answered.

 

[Rockster]

Hi all.

Please help me find the truth. Front brake pads are almost completely worn out at 8500 mileage, rear ones are still alive. Called the dealer, and he sent back some crazy quote for $5500. I'm speechless. I assume the dealer is trying to trick me into replacing the brake pads and rotors all around (I don't think I need to replace the rotors). However, I got the part numbers from that quote and started looking for them myself. Found that the front brake pads are around $500 and the rear pads are around $400, which means replacing all the pads would come out to about $1K just for parts, not including labor.

I'm asking for advice from the community. What's the best thing for me to do in this situation, so I don't overpay?

Part numbers:
68501808AA
68525329AB

VIN: 2C3CDZFJ9MH658685

Thanks!

That's some low miles for the brakes to be "almost completely worn out". I drove my Hellcat 27.5K miles and while the front brakes were worn they probably could have gone another 5K miles or more. I didn't drive it that hard either. It was just a very heavy (4600lbs) car and with an A8 there was really no engine braking available to help slow the car down before it was time to apply the brakes.

And how was the "almost completely worn out" diagnosis made? When it comes to brakes one wants to be sure the hardware is indeed in need of replacement.

What you think about needing rotors doesn't matter. It is the thickness and condition of the rotors which determines if they are still serviceable or in need of replacement.

Generally pads and rotors are replaced at the same time. The reason is while the rotors may have some life left they'll wear undersize before the pads wear out. It is not safe to be driving around on rotors that are worn too thin.

With new pads and rotors then you are assured that when the pads are worn out the rotors still have some margin left.

A bad pad is not the end of the world. Usually. But have a rotor fail -- come apart -- and the damage this can cause and can cost to repair can make the cost of having replaced the rotors with the pads seem way less expensive.

I never had to face new brakes for my Hellcat (or Scat Packs). But had I I would have probably bought the brakes from the dealer. Whether I would have opted to have the dealer install the brakes.... Well, I never had to cross that bridge.

 

[Lurker123]

I'm going to guess that you have the 6 piston Brembos. Yes, those are expensive to replace and most places recommend you replace everything due to the uneven component wear Rockster mentioned. Fortunately, you can find cheaper replacements. Especially if you do the work yourself. Powerstop makes some complete replacement kits with new rotors and pads but the stopping power is a little less than OEM. Maybe you or your shop can keep the inner part and just replace the discs?

Before I did anything though, I would take it to another shop for a 2nd opinion. Shops may try to scare you into buying brakes before you need them "in their opinion". It's happened to me a couple of times when my wife has taken our cars in to be serviced. I had looked at the brakes about 2 weeks before while I was putting new tires on my Hummer so I knew how much pad was left, but still got several calls from the dealer to replace this or that as they tried to find new things to charge me for while they had it. I kept blowing them off with the excuse that our teenage boy needed to learn how to change wiper blades or brake pads and that would be a perfect job for him to do. BTW, those brakes? They lasted another 30k miles before I changed them out.

 

[ArchGE]

Do it yourself. It’s super easy with the Brembo calipers and I’d recommend Akebono or StopTech pads. Check out ScrewTube, there’s a ton of install vids. on this subject to watch.

 

[TheBlasterMaster]

Note, this is the OP's first post.

 

[Lurker123]

Oh yeah, good ol' ScrewYouTube. Lots of bad info from "pros" on there that you might have to wade through though. Like a video I saw of a guy showing you how to change your pads...he ended up pulling the bolts holding the calipers together to get the pads out and spilling brake fluid all over the ground. "Oh, maybe I'll just bleed those later"...
It can be helpful to see someone else do it first, but if you don't know what you're doing you don't really know if you are seeing it done the right way.

 

[Rockster]

Note, this is the OP's first post.

Yeah, but I'm willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt.

If the post does prove to be a troll if the poster gets his jollies trolling car forums with posts he's one sick puppy and the one with the problem. Not those that respond in good faith the post is real.

 

[ArchGE]

Oh yeah, good ol' ScrewYouTube. Lots of bad info from "pros" on there that you might have to wade through though. Like a video I saw of a guy showing you how to change your pads...he ended up pulling the bolts holding the calipers together to get the pads out and spilling brake fluid all over the ground. "Oh, maybe I'll just bleed those later"...
It can be helpful to see someone else do it first, but if you don't know what you're doing you don't really know if you are seeing it done the right way.

LOL, you do have to be careful although did help me with my first brake job.

 

[d3v]

First of all What Year and Model is the Challenger? 2nd sounds like this car is driven very hard to be worn out that fast.
Do you have Brembos? Have you looked at Powerstop Rotors and Pads unless your tracking the car they are a great alternative
and affordable.

2021 R/T Scat Pack Shaker Widebody. Yes, I looked at PowerStop, and even called them and was told they had nothing to offer me for the 2021 model year.

Man that's some really low mileage for brake pads replacement 😳. Lots of fun burnouts?

I can't say, I have nothing to compare it with. I drive quite aggressively, but only in the city.

 

[Wm. Internet Rock DJ]

Go to a Dealer and get them to inspect or to a reputable shop not the one snapped off a figure in a message or call. Under warranty should check for
Caliper Hanging up or Binding. Driving aggressively in the City? That is not wise nor safe and will certainly wear stuff out faster on top of that.

 

[d3v]

I actually asked this question in two forums at once. I don't know if it's allowed to link to other forums (if anything, let the administrators remove the link), but here we've already discussed it for 4 pages: Need urgent help with a question about the brakes

 

[d3v]

Go to a Dealer and get them to inspect or to a reputable shop not the one snapped off a figure in a message or call. Under warranty should check for Caliper Hanging up or Binding.

So it was an official dealer, the one I bought my car from. But their approach raises questions for me.

Driving aggressively in the City? That is not wise nor safe and will certainly wear stuff out faster on top of that.

I don't think it's not safe or wise. It's quite safe and wise, I don't go over the speed limit, and no one prohibits speeding out of traffic lights to (allegedly) 30 miles per hour in our state. But yes, lots of acceleration, braking. It's not about how I drive, it's about what alternatives there are to replace Brembo, because the $5500 price tag for parts doesn't satisfy me.

 

[Wm. Internet Rock DJ]

Talk blocks this Forum post and responses etc., Did see your post on there, reason I asked you the questions on both to get more incite and direction with car issues Always Specify Year and Model of your car so you get best results. Also when you get a chance please introduce yourself on the fourms under the Newbie section which also helps people get acquainted and know a little bit about your self and vehicle.

 

[Wm. Internet Rock DJ]

Brembos are very expensive, as is Welwood and Baer, Hurst etc., there is tons of shortages and price increases too just part of the Joys of Performance during these times. Before throwing money though it needs to be inspected to get to diagnosing your issue with them burning out so quickly, its not normal even with tracking time to time etc.,

 

[d3v]

Brembos are very expensive, as is Welwood and Baer, Hurst etc., there is tons of shortages and price increases too just part of the Joys of Performance during these times. Before throwing money though it needs to be inspected to get to diagnosing your issue with them burning out so quickly, its not normal even with tracking time to time etc.,

I want to figure out what we mean by "tracking." I don't drive on the track itself, only city/highway. But in terms of car modes, I don't like "auto", I drive in "track mode" all the time.