LT Zetec brake pads and rotor replacement.

letmethinkabout · 08-12-2011, 04:29 PM

Was verbally told at the 45,000 service that the rear pads had about 5,000 km left on them. Have been quoted around the $800 mark to replace each side by a couple of dealers. One says they can machine rotors on request but don't recommend, other says they will not machine rotors on safety rgounds.

They tell me the Focus, Mondeo and Fiesta are quire expensive but are very good. Anyone have experience using mechanics outside of Ford dealers for this?

SpasticBus · 08-12-2011, 05:10 PM

http://www.autopartsdirect2u.com.au/...sc-rotors/7512

Given that replacement rotos are $117 on that site, i'd be inclined to DIY or go elsewhere. $800 for only the rear? Tell them they're dreaming! I have an LT workshop manual but haven't done any work to my focus yet (haven't needed to). I can't see it being too hard though.

marg99 · 08-12-2011, 05:34 PM

The rear disc rotors are more of a challenge because the hand brake arrangement is part of the disc caliper and the piston needs to be "wound back" . The fronts are easier to replace yourself

rand0mn00b · 08-12-2011, 05:45 PM

I have an LT Zetec too (sedan)

yes the rear rotors wearing out quickly seems to be a common problem with the Focus - not sure if it's a hard pad compound or the rotors are just soft or maybe a combination of both. strange for a FWD car.

mine lasted until a bit over 70,000KM though. in contrast on my car the fronts wore down only a little slower than the rears and the pads actually wore out sooner than the rotor. there wasn't much rotor left, not enough to be machined so I did everything in 1 go.

$800 per side? as in $1,600 for the complete rears? definitely tell them they're dreaming!

I picked up all 4 rotors and pads (RDA blanks and QFM HPX) for about $450 delivered. I fitted them myself with my dad's help (he is a retired mechanic). while not top of the line by any means certainly not the cheapest. you could go under $400 for it all if you really want to (can't comment on quality of said parts though) or managed to get lucky with a sale but don't count on it focus parts aren't that common so rarely go on sale.

note re: machining. if you have vernier calipers try and measure the rotors yourself to see how much is left in them - you must do so at their lowest point as that is where the lathe will machine to. from memory they shouldn't be machined if there's less than 0.8mm left

minimum thickness on fronts is 23mm (25mm new) and rears is 9mm (11mm new) so there's not a lot in it. i believe machining is useful for new pads to prolong them (so as not to cut a groove into the new pad) rather than prolonging the life of the rotor - which kind of makes sense. how can you prolong the life of a rotor by removing parts of it?

hot tip: make sure you have a 7MM hex key to remove the rear calipers. all the metric hex key sets I owned went from 6mm to 8mm and skipped 7mm. the closest imperial was 1/4" which is about 6.35mm but not good enough.

when I checked eBay there were a few 7MM hex keys that seemed designed specifically for car brakes. don't ask why??!?!

edit: and yes agree that the rear piston is definitely more difficult than the fronts. took us a lot of swearing and phone calls and internet searches before we managed to get it wound back

letmethinkabout · 08-12-2011, 11:08 PM

Appreciate the replies but I am a complete spaz when it comes to DIY other than bulbs etc and don't have the equipment anyway. So I'd be looking at Ford servicing, brake specialists or local mechanics.

No harm in ringing around looking for prices I suppose.

rand0mn00b · 08-12-2011, 11:44 PM

definitely consider a brakes specialist or buy the parts and have a mechanic fit them. the OEM Ford parts don't seem to be built for longevity so that's one disadvantage with going genuine in this instance.

p.s. the braking performance on the QFM HPX is much better than the stock setup! highly recommend them. worth paying a little extra for.

casabonka · 09-12-2011, 03:58 PM

def dont buy Ford OEM parts - they are too pricey and dont last long.
Where are you located?

letmethinkabout · 09-12-2011, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casabonka

def dont buy Ford OEM parts - they are too pricey and dont last long.
Where are you located?

Inner west Melbourne.

casabonka · 09-12-2011, 04:09 PM

ok, cant help you out with locations in Melb!!
Would certainly suggest a brake specialist tho

letmethinkabout · 09-12-2011, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rand0mn00b

definitely consider a brakes specialist or buy the parts and have a mechanic fit them. the OEM Ford parts don't seem to be built for longevity so that's one disadvantage with going genuine in this instance.

I know of BRakes Plus, ABS are there any others?

Also should I be replacing or just machining the rotors? Or is this hard to tell without looking at them?

rand0mn00b · 09-12-2011, 10:05 PM

well judging by what the dealer said your disks and rotors need replacing, but that might not be the most reliable assessment

you'd need to measure it with the right tool and at the very least you'll need to remove your wheels and probably calipers too (at which point you'd probably just remove the entire rotor since it's not that much more work and easier to measure)

unless it's seriously down way past legal or badly warped it's hard to tell just from the naked eye how far down your rotors have been worn. for instance the rotors that I removed looked completely usable but were down close to the minimum thickness.

as i mentioned above, unless your rotors are especially hard wearing, machining is mainly to prolong pad life rather than rotor life. it can help with a warped rotor or if a lip has formed, but again, that's of benefit for new pads.

brakes (and tyres) are not something I'd 'cheap out' on but at the same time you don't have to spend heaps just spend smart.

depends how much more a brakes specialist will charge but unless you're upgrading to a high performance setup I think a good mechanic is fine - you are afterall just replacing with OEM replacement parts, not large rotors, or different calipers and pistons