Posted: 16 Oct 2025, 12:14 am Topic Author

My front brake pads are at about 3mm and the shop quoted me $450 for front pads and rotors. Parts from online suppliers are about $120 for a decent set of pads and coated rotors. I'm reasonably handy - done oil changes, spark plugs, swapped a battery. Never touched brakes. Watched a few YouTube videos and it doesn't look too complicated: remove caliper, compress piston, swap pads, new rotors slide on. Is there anything that can go catastrophically wrong? Or is this a safe DIY for a weekend mechanic?

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I do all my own brakes. Key things: use a torque wrench, don't let the caliper hang by the brake line, and bed in new pads properly. There are great step-by-step tutorials on YouTube that walk you through it.

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First time took me 3 hours per axle. Now I can do all four corners in under 2 hours. Saved thousands over the years. Just don't rush.

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