Hi all,

This is ex v6, accord 2000. I noticed smoke coming out of rear wheel and burning smell. Took it good yr. and they mentioned left caliper seized and gave me an estimate of -

part 31245 (r disc brake rotor) qty 2 $ 87.96
AZ Rear Calipers 229x Qty 2 = $458
AZ DOT 3 Qty 1 = $20

Tax $60
Labor $225

This includes discounts and $70 paid for inspection if I go ahead with the repairs

This sounded a lot to me so I took off after paying inspection fees to think about this again.

They recommended both rear wheel to keep them balanced (with explanation that no pull, no squeeze, etc that may occur if only one side done)

Does that sound reasonable? I am not even sure if all this is necessary or just a small might be good. But even if, for the grains I decide to go with both wheels, is the estimate reasonable? I was orally told that this costs 1100-1200 normally but we will do it for 850. And I was always repeatedly told these are fully loaded calipers that's why they cost so much.

Any help or advise is appreciated. I am in Chicago btw.

Thanks,
Smi

 

I'm a DIY kind of person so labor and parts mark up are not my game.

To me, a rear caliper change is nothing. Depending on my mood, I might replace just the one that is having issues and inspect the rotor and only replace it if there are signs of wear or heat marks.

If you are going to have to pay someone and funds are tight......just have them do the one side and call it a day. Just know the other side might need attention soon.

 

You may want to verify that it IS the caliper that is actually faulty and not the parking brake cable that has seized.
It also could be that the caliper just overadjusted and is now hung up.
Purchase a rear caliper tool fitting...

... and see if the caliper piston will rotate in.

I'd suggest checking out RockAuto, look up your year/body/etc and look under 'brake/wheel hub'. Look at Centric parts/prices.

 

You will have no issues going with any parts store rebuilt caliper and after a quick bleed to get rid of the air after replacing it and a couple new rotors you will be as good as new. You don't need both calipers, just the side that's bad. You don't need to replace them in pairs unless you really want to.

If the rotors can be resurfaced within spec you can save money just resurfacing instead of buying new ones.

 

Sometimes the sliding pins can seize up and cause the caliper not to slide properly. A fix can be as simple as greasing the pins and putting in an new set of pads. You really won't know until you take a look. Of course is nice to have all new parts, but not really necessary. I might replace the rotors if they are scored deeply, because they are only 9mm thick to begin with, and new Centric rear rotors are not all that expensive.

 

BAD advice. Unless you can not afford it you should always fix stuff on both sides. Got bad pads on one side, do both sides, got a caliber that is bad do both. Typically if one side is gone the other is prob close behind.

 

Concur!




and just to clarify, it's always a good idea to replace pads on both sides.


Autozone.com to check parts prices.