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Average cost for a front brake job (metro Philly)?
| 02-26-2019, 02:56 PM | #1 |
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Average cost for a front brake job (metro Philly)?
What's the average cost for a front brake job in a F30 these days in metro Philly?
(and, no, I'm not able to do it myself) |
| 02-26-2019, 04:16 PM | #2 |
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I got front and rear Brakes and Rotors (Aftermarket) done in Abington. 370$ for the brake and rotors shipped to my house, another 375$ for install. They quoted 175$ per axle with my supplied parts. 755$ total. Let me know if you want the place and I can pm it to you.
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| 02-26-2019, 08:18 PM | #3 |
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I know a guy in NE philly who's a bmw mechanic that does some side work. He'll hook you up
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| 03-17-2019, 09:40 AM | #5 | |
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| 03-22-2019, 11:41 PM | #6 | |
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One solution that worked for me was I painted my rotor hats with G2 Silver brake caliper epoxy paint. Best price and availability that I've found is right from TireRack for $38. For prep, buy a wirebrush, some cans of cheap brake cleaner and some kind of plastic bucket or oil change catch bucket if you don't have one. Got these all cheap from Walmart. Take the wheel off. Put the plastic bucket underneath to catch the rusty stuff so it doesn't stain the ground. Spray the rotor with brake cleaner. Wire brush it as you rotate the rotor around, spray and repeat. The rust comes off pretty easily. I think I might have used some Formula 409 too which helped get it off. Give it a last spray with brake cleaner and let dry for 10 minutes. G2 is an epoxy so once you mix it you have to use it. So you either have to have/borrow 4 jack stands or buy two G2 kits and do two brake rotors at a time. Pay close attention to the application temperature in the G2 directions. If the outside temperature is too high the paint will get thick and gunky. If you are within the temp range it will spread out really nice and look like it was sprayed and not brushed on. The brush supplied probably won't be enough. I bought a package of 36 half inch brushes (#61880) from Harbor Freight for $3. See photo. They work great for spreading glue, grease, just about anything, then just toss them out. I've attached a couple of photos. Note that I did not paint the flat rotor hat surface where it contacts the wheel. I painted the round side of the hat that was rusty and visible. The rotors are painted with G2 Black Caliper Epoxy with white Brembo decals added after it dried. Hope this helps! Last edited by johnung; 03-28-2019 at 11:28 PM.. Reason: correction |
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| 03-23-2019, 12:06 AM | #7 | |
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The same companies that make OEM parts for BMW also make much cheaper replacement parts. If you need rotors, Zimmerman makes quality rotors that are also coated (silver) so they won't rust. Same issue for brake pads. The suppliers that sell Zimmerman also sell European replacement pads. My favorite street pad costs more but performs and has much less dust that washes right off, unlike the sticky BMW pad dust. They are US-made Hawk HPS 5.0 pads. Chances are that you haven't flushed and changed your brake fluid in the past two years which is recommended. That removes and moisture that has built up in the system which effects safety. Standard BMW fluid is fine. Another thing that people never think of when they are replacing their brake fluid is to replace their brake hoses with stainless steel hoses. This eliminates any brake hose flex when you step on the brakes. Dramatically improves pedal feel. Stoptech SS lines are roughly $100 for a set of four. Also a good idea to replace the rotor screws which often rust and prevent the rotors from coming off. A set of four stainless steel rotor screws is about $10-$12. Hope this helps! John |
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| 03-25-2019, 11:55 AM | #8 |
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I'm literally going through this right now... Took a screenshot below of a quote I got from a reputable tuner shop in Montgomery County. The labor is $360 for the install. I don't have the M sport package or brakes, or it would be more expensive... So I am looking at around $1300 for everything
 The dealershit wanted over 2k.... |
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| 03-25-2019, 12:16 PM | #9 | ||
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How many miles on your brakes? How many miles do u drive it per year? Some places quote new rotors automatically when they don't wear much. At 15,000 miles my rotors had worn away less 5% of the available material. Let me know particulars and I'll give you a list of part options and suppliers. Glad to help because this kind of thing ticks me off! John |
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| 03-26-2019, 07:24 AM | #10 | |
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I bought the car with 5k miles on it and I have just about 55k on the car now and I haven't changed them yet. They are the grey ones you are talking about. I would appreciate any insight you could provide! I hear ya, I just got new wheels and need tires and TPMS and springs so I was looking at close to 4k with install and everything... again -Vlad |
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| 03-26-2019, 03:01 PM | #11 | |
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Rotors- are Zimmerman replacement rotors (High quality German manufacturer who probably makes them for BMW) Unlike OEM BMW rotors these are coated so the rotor hats won't rust! With 55k miles its probably time to change the rotors. Techs avoid resurfacing these days, new is safer. Rotor Screws- Stock rotor screws rust (1 per rotor) and freeze your rotor to the hub. Some of your current rotor screws may already have done so leaving a hassle for the installer (but they know this so they include it in the labor price) When replacing your rotors have them install a new stainless rotor screw with each new rotor. NOTE: Better pads will make the most dramatic change that you can feel! Brake Pads- I would avoid the BMW OEM pads, stock or M Sport or M Performance- it doesn't matter. They don't perform that great and they put out a lot of sticky dust that just makes the brakes and wheels always look dirty. If you want to go with a cheap replacement pad I would stick with Brembo or Pagid. Haven't used them myself. Just based on what I've heard. I really recommend the Hawk HPS 5.0 pads. I researched pads extensively last year. I've been using them for about 8 months and I'm very happy. They heat up quickly in the morning after just 1-2 stops (unlike ceramic pads). They bite very well and stop quickly when you need it- so much better than stock pads. Much less dust than stock and not a sticky dust. It cleans off well. Perfect street/performance pad. Sensors for Pad Wear- there is one sensor on the front and one on the rear. With 55k miles it's probably time to change the sensors as recommended. Your choice to pay the price of BMW OEM sensors or the cheapest aftermarket sensors offered by ECS. Brake Fluid- make sure that the installer completely drains and replaces all of the brake fluid with new. You don't need fancy brake fluid. It just has to meet BMW specs. This should be done every two years to eliminate moisture buildup which is a safety concern. Stainless Steel Brake hoses/lines- This is optional but the perfect time to do it is when you are draining and replacing the brake fluid since there is almost no added labor time. NOTE: The two items that will give you the most dramatic improvement in your braking are changing the pads and going to stainless lines. The stock rubber brake lines have a little bit of expansion every time you step on the brake pedal. Stainless steel lines don't flex at all. They take that little bit of mushiness out of the pedal leaving you with confidence every time you step on the pedal. Really makes a difference. Your New Wheels? You don't say what new wheels you have or their size. TireRack is obviously a great resource to research and/or buy tires and TPMS. I've equaled or beaten their prices at my local Sam's Club which only charges $15 each to install including a warranty which I've used many times with family cars. I just found out that they only charge $10 each to swap winter and summer tires on the same wheels which is convenient. Others on the forum have mentioned tire deals at Costco. Don't just automatically buy the stock size tire. You do have other options to consider. For instance, you don't have to stick with the 225/45-18 tire on stock 18x8.0" wheels. Other options include 235/45, 245/45 and 245/40. There are pros and cons to each option. I decided to go with 245/40 for better handling on my stock style 400M 18" wheels. You have tire model options in both runflat and non-runflat tires. Really read through the wheel/tire section of the forum for ideas. If you are sticking with runflats, I've heard the best things about Bridgestone DriveGuards over the stock Continental or Pirellis, especially in snow. I've heard the best things about non-runflat summer Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. There are also non-runflat all season choices. [I'm assuming that you don't have the BMW adaptive suspension.] Some spring options on your x-Drive are: (I wouldn't recommend changing springs without changing struts & shocks at the same time, both because of the ride and the duplicated labor expense.) You need to know what type of ride you are going for from race track stiff to smooth family daily driver with street performance when you are driving alone. Eibach- about 10% stiffer than stock. Lowers x-drive front 0.8" and rear 0.6". (x-Drive comes from factory with more tire to fender gap in the front.) I've had these for 8 months with Koni Special Active shocks and love the combination. Dinan- about 30% stiffer than stock. Lowers 0.75" all around. H&R- much stiffer and lowers/slams the car down about 1.5" all around. Not really recommended for x-Drive. Gotta really be careful about shock choice and bump stops because limits shock piston travel. Coilover, combined springs and shocks- lots of options Hope this stuff helps. John |
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adianshadows27.50 Ralph335127.50 |
| 03-26-2019, 05:09 PM | #12 | |
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ROTORS: I was considering the Zimmerman's in the picture below. I noticed from another source like FCP there were ones that were half the price when checking out but they mentioned they were for M Sport brakes so I'm not entirely sure they were the same. Good to know about the screw, I would have overlooked that. PADS: I was considering the EBC Red Stuffs. I also read your review on the Hawk pads and have added them to my consideration as well. Good note on replacing the lines to SS. Oversight here again (and me being cheap lol). SENSORS: Planned on getting new sensors. Do sensors make a difference if you go OEM or aftermarket? FLUID: I'll have to triple check when the dealershit last did the brake fluid as I remember it being recent for some reason. My included maintenance just expired and I think they did that even though "the brakes don't need to be replaced yet"... WHEELS/TIRES: I just bought some VMR V710FF's in 19x8.5 et35 and 19x9.5 et45. I was originally thinking of getting the General G-Max RS in 235/35 and 275/30 but have run into concerns about potholes and blowing one/ruining a wheel. alohasurftoad (big thanks again) suggested going with a 235/40/19 and 265/35/19 tire combo which I am considering but only high tier tires exist in that size. I wasn't planning on spending that much on tires but if I blow a wheel it will cost me more in the long run so I'm torn even though I will have MUCH better tires (was considering the Pilot Sport 4S out of the bunch). I haven't considered Costco or Sams because the wheels are powder coated and didn't know if they would get them mounted without scratching or damaging them. But that sure beats the ~200 mounting and balancing. SPRINGS: I was looking at the H&R Sport as I really wanted low. I have read the concerns about people bottoming out with them on XDrives and raised this concern to the shop and they said "These were made for your car, no worries". I even asked if I needed additional bump stops and they said no... You mention replacing the struts as well, which is something I didn't even think of/consider. I have seen a lot of posts with people who have done so but I didn't think it would be something you should do. Since they would add more cost to everything why not just go with coilovers at that point? I don't track the car but I drive the shit out of it whenever I can. I really just want it lower and to get rid of the monster truck look. I was originally considering the KW V1's but decided I wouldn't be able to afford it with the brake job needing to be done within the next 600 miles. And to bring everything full circle if I did do springs would the tire sizes I mentioned above give me any problems? Again I greatly appreciate your insight and feedback as I am little bit of a noob... |
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| 03-26-2019, 07:11 PM | #13 |
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I'd definitely go with the Zimmerman Brake Rotors. Performance-wise, the next step up are the racing light weight two-piece rotors for very big bucks. Drilled rotors don't really do much any more because the current pads don't put out gases that need to be vented. Drilled are mostly for looks. I think Zimmerman even makes a drilled version though if it is a priority for you or you have $ to burn.
Stainless brake lines really do make a noticeable difference. This is the second car that I have had them on. You will notice the first time that your foot touches the pedal and you will never want to go back. Don't bother with the brake fluid change then if it's been done recently. If you are going to add the stainless lines ask about the fluid change cost because it shouldn't be much more and then you reset the 2 year clock. Pad wear sensors are probably a religious argument. The aftermarket ones probably work just as well but people often want to just use BMW parts for some things. You got 55k miles on the last set of wear sensors so don't think it matters one way or the other. I'd ask the salesrep where you buy them. ECS sells about 4-5 different brands so they can tell you which are most popular which probably have the least amount of returns. Alohasurftoad is the man!!! I understand why you would be concerned about using Sam's. We've had probably a half dozen family cars there over the years with both alloy and steel wheels- that I freshly painted. Haven't had any problems but that probably varies by where you go. As far as Springs & Shocks you sound like you are where I was a year ago with lots of options and not wanting to make a mistake on an expensive item. Except that you want to slam yours down lower than I did- which will probably look great with those 19" wheels. So here are some suggestions on how to narrow things down. 1) Budget- now that you have some updated numbers on brakes, etc. AND maybe a couple of priorities may have shifted up or down. See where you are with budget and priorities. 2) Tires- you already have the wheels, so this would be a good time to do your research and at least narrow down your tire model choices and tire size choices. Our Hawaii Bro gave me some great advice about ignoring the size stamped on the sidewall and pulling the actual size of the tire from the specs on the TireRack website. This will really tell you how much the actual tire diameter is and how wide the tire is so you can predict the gap from the tire to the fender lip, and how much the new tire is going to project outward like you've added spacers. Since you are going to new wheels you will have to adjust to the wheel offset too. Hawaii Dude comments a lot about offset so he would be the one to consult on that with your new wheels. 3) Measure your own car to get a baseline for tire gap. With my car I started on a level ground. A concrete pad works so much better than asphalt since asphalt is really wavy even when it doesn't look it. Then I measured the tire to fender gap. Straight edges, rulers and levels work best here. Found some cheap stuff that helped at Walmart. I prefer using millimeters rather than inches when I measure because it gives a much finer measurement with less estimating. You can always do a conversion to inches at the end. Make sure to measure all four corners because they can vary. I worked up a couple of spreadsheets using this data to help me decide a tire size and predict what it would look like. They are attached to other posts but I will reattach here. One is for runflat Bridgestone DriveGuards and the other for summer Michelin PS 4S. Best to narrow your tire model choice down before pulling all of the TireRack specs or you can lose your mind with spreadsheets! Dampers to go with the H&R Springs: H&R makes excellent products. I swear by them. You can't go wrong with their springs if you want to lower your x-drive by 1.5". Your choice of damper is going to be critical to how stiff your car rides. You are already giving up a certain amount of forgiveness by going from a smaller wheel to the 19" wheels. Less sidewalk means less forgiveness. But if at the same time you are going from stiff sidewall runflats to summer tires then you will gain some of that pliability back. The H&R springs are much stiffer than stock springs. People may disagree with me but I would be thinking about a lighter sport shock like the Koni Yellow or a Bilstein OEM stock level to first level sport shock (I forget the Bilstein numbers off hand). I don't think you have to get into heavy duty sport shocks that are expensive. I had great luck contacting Koni technical number. Ask them about which shocks will go with your x-drive car and the H&R springs. Ask them about the stock bump stops and see if there is any recommendation to cut them down at all. Shaving off a 1/4 inch or whatever does the same thing as the expensive bump stops that Dinan buys from BMW and marks way up. Coilovers are a whole different thing because now you forget the H&R springs and consider several different coilovers and their cost! Just make sure when you are talking to people or looking at car photos that they have an x-Drive like yours. Go through the suspension forum to find x-drives that use H&R springs. See what they used for shocks, wheels and tires. If you see photos where you like the look then send them any questions that you have. Hope this helps! John |
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| 03-26-2019, 07:20 PM | #14 | |
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| 03-28-2019, 04:30 AM | #15 |
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wilbur_the_goose If you buy the parts I can help you do the job when I'm in Philly next week. (there Wed to Friday if not the week after)
I would buy parts from FCP euro since they have lifetime warranty. You can get zimmerman rotors, pagid/jurid/ate/textar pads and bowa sensors.
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| 03-28-2019, 04:46 PM | #16 | |
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| 03-29-2019, 01:21 AM | #17 | |
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