Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 21:01:11 -0400 From: "J Moore" <jbmoore3nopsamast.net> Subject: Re: '96 900S brake pad replacement costs
A lot depends on just what else, besides brake pads and the labor to replace them, gets "sold" to you. Good luck finding any shop that will just replace the brake pads without at least resurfacing the rotors, and more than likely, replacing at least one set of them. These days, non-vented rotors, as I believe the rears are on your car, are seldomly resurfaced; they usually replace them if there's any significant wear or warpage. The fronts, which are vented, can sometimes be resurfaced at least once. But the real issue here is, how many miles do you want to get out of this brake job? My 1995 900S has 93,000 miles on the original brakes, and I expect to at least hit the 100,000 mark before they require service. When the time comes, I will likely purchase all original Saab rotors and pads for all four corners, and do the work myself. My reasoning to that is, assuming that a caliper doesn't fail, that I will get another 100,000 mi. out of the new brakes. I'm not going to experiment with generic parts to save a couple of hundred bucks. The parts for this will total approx. $600.00, I believe. Actually, you can get rotors and pads for about $200.00 at eEuroparts.com. It is tempting, but I'll likely go for the Saab stuff just to avoid the potential aggravation. I'm really impressed at the life of the brakes on this car; I still get no pulsation at any speed, and nothing has ever been done to them. For your case, the cheapest you might get out this is maybe $250 for new generic pads all around, and re-surfacing the fronts. At the high end, say going to a Saab dealer and getting all new Saab pads and rotors, maybe $750. I would avoid any "chain-store" places that give a lifetime warranty on the pads; I've found they typically use "cheapo" pads as a way to get a lifetime customer. They always seem to find other parts to replace each time you try to take advantage of the "lifetime" warranty. Do you have an independent Saab mechanic that you use? Finding a good independent is usually the way to go, especially when your car gets more than a few years old. At that point it's hard to justify dealer pricing, and a good independent mechanic knows what other brands of parts are a good value. If you need to find one, why not post a message to this group giving your location? Sorry if I gave you a lot more of my humble opinion than you asked for. ; ) Good Luck, Jim "Matt Winterroth" <matt_winterrothnopsamail.com> wrote in message news:BFwua.40609$g41.3512205nopsam1.east.cox.net... > to whomever can help me, > > i have to take my 1996 saab 900S into the repair shop to replace the front > and rear brake pads. i live on the east coast in the US. any ideas on what > sort of price i should expect to be quoted? > > thanks in advance... > > ... ... ... . . . > > Matt Winterroth > > e-mail: matt_winterrothnopsamail.com > web: http://www.winterroth.com > >
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