Regular brake service is crucial to ensure your car is safe to drive. Some brake parts that need to be regularly checked are the brake pads and rotors. But how long does it take to change brakes and rotors?
On average, it will take around 30 minutes to about an hour if that’s the only thing that needs to be done. There is a wide variation in time because, with a brake repair service, the mechanic has to deal with several brake components that are all subjected to wear and tear.
But here’s what you need to think about. Doing a DIY brakes and rotors service may not be worth your time. If an expert mechanic requires about 30 minutes to an hour to complete the rudimentary task, how much more will it take you to do it if you are only a weekend mechanic?
Read on to learn more about the estimated time it will take to change brakes and rotors.
How Long Does It Take to Change Brakes and Rotors?
If no other brake system issues need to be addressed, replacing brakes and rotors will typically take around 30 minutes to about an hour to complete. The completion time varies because of the many components that must be checked in a vehicle’s braking system.
But you need to think twice if you want to replace your car’s brakes and rotors on your own. It may not be worth your time. How long does it take to change the front brakes?
It takes an experienced mechanic from 30 minutes to an hour. So, what would you think it would take you to do the job if you were only a weekend mechanic?
How long does it take to get brakes and rotors changed? Is it tough to replace brakes and rotors? Many people say this type of work is not a difficult job for a DIYer.
But then, it is very time-consuming. If it’s the first time you’ll be doing it, you are advised to read up a lot so that you won’t make any mistakes. You can’t make a mistake because it is your brakes that keep you from possible collisions.
How Long Does It Take to Change Brakes and Rotors at Midas?
At Midas, if you only go for brake inspections, it will usually take the mechanic about 30 minutes or less to do it. However, if you are to go there for brake repair and maintenance, you will be spending more time.
The mechanic will give you a written estimate of the repair or maintenance costs. You will not go blind with what they do to your car because they will also provide you with every detail of your brake system’s work.
With regards to the costs, Midas usually charges from $350 to $400 for brake pads and rotors replacement and from $200 to $219 (including tax) for front axle brake pad replacement.
Indeed, Midas is a reliable car service and maintenance shop.
How Long Does It Take to Change Brakes and Rotors at Pep Boys?
Pepboys is also a good option if you need your brake system checked, maintained, or repaired. They have experienced technicians that will ensure that your brakes will keep your car stopping all the time safely. Pepboys is also selling the best-in-class brake products and brands in the market.
If you go to Pepboys for brake repairs, you may spend as short as 15 minutes or as long as eight hours to get the job done. After examining your car’s brake system, it depends on the actual brake work required.
In general, Pepboys car mechanics take about one to three hours to fix the brake system issues of their customers. That’s the average time considering the many problems a vehicle’s braking system usually encounters.
How Long Does It Take to Change Brakes and Rotors at Meineke?
Just like most car service shops, it will take Meineke around 30 minutes to one hour to replace the rotors and brake pads on an average car.
If there are issues with your car’s braking system, repairs and replacement can take anywhere from 15 minutes to about 8 hours. It all depends on the type of problems that their mechanics will discover.
Brake pads and rotors repair and replacement are just two of the usual issues a braking system encounters. Meineke mechanics are well qualified to handle these repairs. But they can also provide other braking system services that your car may require.
These additional services include:
- Brake caliper replacement
- The brake caliper and rotor re-alignment
- Brake rotors and brake drums resurfacing
- Brake hose replacement
- Brake and fluid flush and replacement
- Brake master cylinder replacement
How Long Does It Take to Change Brakes and Rotors at Firestone?
Firestone is not only good at making durable tires. They also do brakes and rotors replacement. At Firestone, their mechanics will take 30 minutes to one hour to replace the brake pads and rotors on your vehicle.
But if you go there for brake repairs, it may take you longer than that. The actual time they will spend on your car will vary. On average, plan to spend around 3 to 8 hours to have them fix whatever is wrong with your braking system.
As for the cost, Firestone charges from $130 to $240 per axle for brake pad replacement. This includes rotor resurfacing. For brake pads and rotors replacement, their charges can range from $345 to $398 per axle.
How Long Does it Take to Change Brakes and Rotors at Jiffy Lube?
Jiffy Lube is well known for its oil change service. But that’s not the only service they offer to their customers. They also provide brakes and rotors repair and replacement.
If you go there to have your brake system checked, and they only need to do minor adjustments and corrections, you could be out driving your car again in about 30 minutes to one hour.
However, if the problem they discover is serious, you may have to spend between 3 and 8 hours in their service shop before you can drive your car again. Jiffy Lube uses certified brake technicians who will check and do the repairs on your car’s braking system.
It’s not difficult to have you serviced at any Jiffy Lube outlet. They have a total of 1.600 service shops scattered in different states. They are also open during weekends and even at night. So, anytime you can, go to a Jiffy Lube outlet to have your brakes fixed.
You can rely on Jiffy Lube for brake and rotor repair and replacement because they are used to servicing 3,000 braking systems daily. This means many car owners experiencing brake system problems consider Jiffy Lube their go-to place.
Again, how long does it take to change brakes and rotors? Expert technicians can replace your car’s brake pads and rotors in 30 minutes to one hour. An inexperienced DIYer will take several hours to finish the same task.
Should You Replace Brake Rotors And Pads Together?
One of car owners’ concerns is the best way to service their brake pads and rotors. Experienced car mechanics usually recommend that the best is to replace the brake pads and the rotors simultaneously.
Replace Only the Brake Pads If the Rotors Are in Good Condition
However, there are situations when only the brake pads are in bad condition, but the rotors are still okay. In such cases, only the brake pads should be replaced. The car owner doesn’t have to spend money on brake rotors that are still in good working condition.
There will be no problem if you will replace the worn-out brake pads. If the rotor is still intact, with no undue amount of wear and tear, it will not do any good to replace it due to the following reasons:
- If new discs or rotors are used for new pads, the pads must first be polished to the new rotors before the optimum braking performance is achieved. Given the situation, this is next to impossible.
- It is costly and time-consuming to replace brake discs. If they are still okay, why replace them? Brake pads are easier to remove and replace.
If you want to be sure, ask a professional mechanic who knows everything about brake pads and discs. They will be the perfect person to advise you on what you should or should not do.
Replacing a Bad Rotor Is a Must
It’s a different case with a bad rotor. If you can’t afford to buy a new rotor or disc, it will be useless to replace the brake pad.
What will happen is that the new brake pad won’t be able to make proper contact with the worn-out surface of the disc. It will drastically reduce the braking power of your car. That is unsafe.
If your rotor has deep grooves, it will function as a shedder or hole-puncher in the brake pad material. This will happen each time you step on the brakes where the brake pad is pressed against the rotor.
Do Not Use Worn-out Brake Pads
It is also not advisable to still use worn-out pads. If you do this, it will also damage the rotors. So, when brake pads need to be replaced, you should do it immediately. If you don’t, there will be metal-to-metal contact between the brake pad’s metal base and the metal surface of the rotor.
You see, when the pad of brake pad is already worn out, its metal base will already be exposed. It is the exposed metal parts that will make contact with the metal surface of the rotor.
When you step on your brakes, metal-to-metal contact between the bad brake pad and the good rotor will create grooves on the disc’s metal surface, badly affecting its function and integrity.
Over time, the rotor can become thinner and can also warp. Its braking capacity will diminish, making your car unsafe to drive.
Replace Both If You Have the Budget
Whether you will replace only the brake pads or both the brake pads and the rotors will depend on their actual conditions, as well as the recommendation of the mechanic.
If you have the budget, then there’s nothing that should hold you back from replacing both. Doing so will give you the best braking efficiency every time you drive your car.
However, if your budget is limited and the rotor is still fine but the brake pads are already worn out, you only need to replace the brake pads. Your car’s braking system will still work fine because you have replaced the part that causes the problem.
Why Does the Brake Pedal Go All the Way to the Floor Before Stopping?
How to Change Brakes Pads at Home
Changing brake pads and brake discs are not as easy as you think. Perhaps you can do this at home if you have handyman skills, knowledge, practical skills, experience, the right tools, and plenty of time.
How long does it take to change brake pads? Removing and replacing brake pads and brake discs entails a lot of work. So, this work is reserved for professional mechanics. Boldness will only lead you nowhere if you only possess a little of what this kind of work requires.
Requires Expensive Tools and Equipment
If you are not a modder or a car fixer, you may not have the required tools to do a decent brake pads and rotors replacement.
You need a vehicle lift and jack stands to lift your car so you can access the brake discs and pedals. Other tools you need include a socket set, torque wrench, caliper compressor, and many more.
These tools will add to the costs of new brake pads and brake discs. Even if you have the budget to buy these tools, do you have the know-how and skills to use them?
Installation Error Might Cause Accidents
Many YouTube videos will show you how to replace brake pads and rotors. However, if this is your first time doing it, you will find it difficult to follow the instructions.
How long does it take to change brakes and rotors yourself at home? If you have not done it before, you do not have the skills for it, and it will take you a long time to finish the job.
There’s also a very high chance that you will make a mistake along the way. An error in installing a component of your car’s brake system is unsafe.
It May Not Be Worth It
Replacing bad brake pads and discs for a professional mechanic is worth it. That’s how they earn their income. However, it may not be worth your time if you have a different profession but would like to dabble in this kind of project.
Just imagine. It will take a good mechanic between three and eight hours to examine, diagnose, repair, or replace brake pads or rotors. They already have the right tools and deep experience in doing these things.
How about you? Even if you have all the tools, you still don’t have the skills, experience, and techniques to complete a brake job. It’s not worth your while, and you may make mistakes along the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
This topic is a bit technical, so it is only natural that you will have questions. Read on, and you might get your answers here below:
How Long Will It Take to Change Brake Pads and Rotors?
A professional mechanic may take around 30 minutes to replace a brake pad. Changing a rotor or brake disc will take much longer because of the mechanic’s components to disassemble.
Ordinarily, the mechanic will first examine the brake pads and rotors. The mechanic will do the job in an hour if they have no significant issues.
But, if they find any problem with the brake pads or the rotors, it will take them longer. Sometimes, it can take them 8 hours to finish the job.
Is Changing Brake Pads and Rotors a DIY Job?
Yes, it is if you have the skills, experience, and the right tools and equipment. But it is not worth it if you don’t have these requirements and are doing it for the first time. That’s according to experienced car mechanics.
Do I Have to Replace Brake Pads and Rotors at the Same Time?
No, it is not necessary to replace them both simultaneously. If you have the budget, it is more advantageous to do it this way. However, if your budget is limited, you have only to replace the bad brake pad. If the rotor is still in good condition, you can still use it.
In Closing: Changing Brakes and Rotors – How Long Does It Take?
Changing brakes and rotors may take about 30 minutes to an hour – if they have no major issues. If there are problems, it may take up to 8 hours. The wide variation in completion time is because several brake system components must be checked.
These parts of the braking system are all subjected to wear and tear. If the mechanic inspects the brake pads’ condition, they also have to check the conditions of the rotors or discs, the calipers, and so forth.
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