Thursday, June 2, 2011

Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?

I have been advised by a friend that a garage should always undertake any brake maintenence as the insurance company may not pay out in the event of an accident.



Is this hearsay or is this the case? I have looked accross the net for an answer but can only find HOW TO guides for people to work on thir own brakes.



I spent a year working at a garage but that was back in 2005 and I want to know how the ground lies nowadays.



Cheers.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
dude by the same token, some shops shouldnt be allowed to change a flat on a wheel barrow!i wouldnt let em change a dollar.anyway fix your brakes.that is pure bs.

what if you put your own spare tire on and got in a wreck?same thing.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
No, I have been changing my brakes for 35 years. The only way anything could happen is if you really did a bad job and they didn't work because of your fault, %26quot;Gross Negligence%26quot;. Even then how could anybody prove you did it?



If your scared, pay to have it done, if you competent, go for it. Get a book, follow directions, then take the $80 you saved and take out your girlfriend/wife to dinner.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
If you take your time %26amp; know what you are doing. why not. Hey, it's your own ride so go for it.

About the accident event, forget it.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
Get a Haynes Manual or use this site. http://www.haynes.com/products/sfID1/3maIs there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
I think the question is more %26quot;Do I trust my skills as a mechanic enough to change my own brakes?%26quot;. If the answer is 'yes', then get to work. ;-)



In the event of an accident, I think it is more a matter of finding someone to point a finger at (say, if someone wanted to sue) than it is a matter of insurance. Call your agent and see what they say. you may also want to contact your state's insurance omsbudsman's office if you're really concerned. Stuff like that is why you have an insurance omsbudsman.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
you can do any repairs to your own car, that's why %26quot;haynes%26quot; manuals are popular.



The problem occurs if there is an accident and its proven to be some thing you did or changed that is found to be the cause, the insurance company will then not pay out.



The %26quot;classic%26quot; has to be where a car had a crash (no one injured / killed) and the insurance paid out.



The insurance company paid out then sued the person who worked on the car, the person who worked on the car was a friend of the car owner, the car owner told the insurance company all of his friends details.



The friend had written in to a national newspaper asking where he stood, and do the insurance company have a right to sue him.



The answer is yes they can sue, there is nothing he can do other than pay, he should not have done the job in the first place because he is not qualified and as such is not insured to do the job he did.



I don't suppose the two are friends anymore.



So what your friend said in the first place is true, but most people ignore it.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
You have enough knowledge of mechanics to enable you to complete the repair yourself. There can be little doubt your insurance would be uneffected by doing a home repair.



You will save a lot of cash by DIY. I do it myself without any problem as its a simple enough job with most vehicles.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
Of course you can change your own discs and pads! Otherwise, it wouldn't be legal to sell tools and Haynes manuals, and magazines such as Practical-Classics, which I get every month, would be full of criminal %26quot;how-to-do-it%26quot; guides!

Just be really careful - ANY driver of ANY vehicle, has a legal responsibility to make sure it is ROAD-WORTHY every time it is used - an MOT certificate does not mean that car is legal for a year - it means it passed that test on that day, but you still have to maintain it, and keep it in a safe order.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
You'll have got the message, it's perfectly okay to do the work yourself. The only possible issue is that if you made a mess of it and had an accident as a result the insurers might conceivably say that your car wasn't properly maintained and use that as a way to wriggle out of it. If you do it properly there's no problem at all.



Your friend has a point in that if you're not certain it is indeed best to get a professional to do it for your own sake - you can't afford to make a mistake with brakes. By all means do some research and go ahead if you're confident.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
Methinks your friend is on a different planet. Haynes manuals details brake pad and shoe changing.

Ask your friend to quote the instance where this occurred. Bet he can't because it's a figment of his imagination.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
No you can do it yourself, a lot of people do. Get a service manual if you like ( Chilton or Haynes ) that you can get at the same place you buy your new parts. And when you do the job leave one side together so you have a reference to look at as you do the other side and you'll be fine.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
your friend is wrong about that.you don,t need a garage but it would be nice this time of year but in the summer just park on a flat surface and start working.i changed my brakes right beside my house. if you have the tools and know-how just start on it. so you might cut your finger, just put a band-aid on and keep working.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
The only advice I can give was that given by my late dad - do the job correctly, be methodical %26amp; check everything you do with a good repair manual ( Haynes etc ). Nowadays it is good practice to take a few digital photos of the correct position of the components in situ before you start dismantling. I have changed the brakes ( pads, discs %26amp; shoes) on most of my cars over the years %26amp; every one passed the MOT test afterwards.Is there anything stopping me changing my own brake discs and pads?
WHAT A LOAD OF BOVINE EXCREMENT, i have changen my own and all my families car brakes, cylinders, discs, pads,etc for years now, i spent 拢20 on the proper wind back tool ( this does make things a hell of lot easier) rather trying to bodge it ( thinking your car needs pistons pushed back in this manner) as long as you, chock the wheels, jack up and support car on axle stands then go for it, as there cannot be any proof you have not done it your self.

Just rembember to pump brakes before going anywhere then test them a few times to be sure, as for the 拢50 - 拢100 labour charge keep it in your pocket, the way petrol is going you will need it lol, all the best have fun working on the cars, i do.
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