# Smoke coming from front passenger wheel



## btuser (Jul 4, 2011)

I'm driving with my daughter and when we pulled into the driveway the front passenger wheel was smoking pretty good.   Frozen caliper (figures, first day of vacation and I know what I'm doing).  I'm trying to teach my 11 year old daughter about cars so just for kicks, how much do you think it costs to have someone fix this for you?


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## begreen (Jul 4, 2011)

Depends on why it froze and how much damage was done and the car.  If it needs a full caliber, disk, rotor (and maybe a wheel bearing?) it's going to be several hundred at least. If this is a BMW  or Mercedes, then add a thousand. If the problem is waiting to happen on the other side too, double it.


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## btuser (Jul 4, 2011)

Vehicle is a 2500hd.  Pulled the wheel and tried to retract the caliper with a c-clamp.  pumped the brakes and only one side of the caliper would retract as normal.  Cracked the bleeder valve and then tried to retract that side to no avail, so I've got a  frozen caliper, one side.  Brake pads look good and miraculously the rotor looks/spins fine.  I just had new rotors/pads less than 1000 miles ago, and the trip was 2 miles to the dump, wait, then 2 miles home.  

$43    for the new caliper
$6      for brake fluid.
$5      for bleeding kit 
$23    for brake hose kit (not necessary but I've got a brand new brake line to that wheel so why bother with a piece of junk in between two new parts.
$12    for fish and chips (traditional Sunday road trip) 
It took 5 hours total, if you count the lunch, extra trip to the auto parts store (I could have sworn I had brake fluid) broken/rusted fasteners, testing, bleeding (me and the brake system) and clean up .   Total cost $89 lunch included.  

Now, if I were to pull into a repair shop this is what I would expect:

$100x2    New calipers.  The mechanic may convince me to replace both sides while I'm at it which I can understand because its 1/2 off already.  A good mechanic will give me the                             option.     A crook will tell me that I HAVE to because calipers need to be replaced in pairs.  
$150x2    New rotors.  Not even gonna mess with it.  No one trues rotors anymore.  Why bother?  $10 to machine rotor vs 200% markup on a new part+ they will charge you labor.
$45x2      new brake hoses.   Mine as well.  
$90         new pads   The old pads are fine but you don't make any money re-installing old parts.  I completely understand the liability angle, insurance angle, everything angle.
$20         Brake fluid ,  Disposal fee $5 (the old brake fluid goes right into the shop heater.  I know he's "required" to charge it but  I'm paying him twice to heat his shop.)  Enviromental fee $5.  Same thing and some shops double up on this.  
$65x       Labor:  At this point anwhere between 2-4 hrs can be expected.  A good mechanic would have it done in 2 hrs but I've been charged that much time for just brakes +    rotors , which is literally a 30 minute job if you include pulling the wheels.  I figure 3 hours would be "fair" even after doubling up on parts.  

At the end of the show I could expect to pay anywhere between $600-$900.   I was doing the math while my daughter was pushing the broom and she was still not impressed.  The way I explained it to my daughter was she will average 20k/year her first few years in the work force, and after food, rent and whatever else she would be luck to save 10% of that which comes to 2 grand/year.  At that point, it's her option to spend 4-6 months working just to fix her brakes, or jack up the wheel and play grease monkey for 4 hours.  

She said:  "Dad, you will fix my brakes for me or I will have a boyfriend who will do it for me."   Lesson learned.


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## maverick06 (Jul 4, 2011)

btuser said:
			
		

> or I will have a boyfriend who will do it for me."   Lesson learned.



she has to hope thats the case..... i have a coworker who made a side comment that the acceleration in her car is bad. I asked why and she said that her boyfriend said it must be a sticky throttle cable......

I go out and look and her transmission fluid was black....

i told her that its probably not shifting right, she said "yeah, that might be it".... 

Told her she needs to get it flushed and then hope for the best because when the transmission goes on an old car like that its probably toast for the rest of the car.... 

I guess thats what happens when you dont know better and rely on bad advise from a boyfriend ( who "doesnt drive much, so hasnt bothered to renew his license"

jeez...................


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## JustWood (Jul 4, 2011)

Most young punks these days can't fix a hang nail so keep your tools handy!


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## amateur cutter (Jul 5, 2011)

First off, I will replace one caliper if that's all that's needed, secondly, the parts mark up isn't as good as you may think, third, that job pays at most 1.5 hrs. flat rate, & that's what I bill you, even though I take the new caliper apart, re lube the mounts etc. to prevent problems in the future. Clean up the hub surface so the rotor doesn't warp. No I don't charge extra because your truck is caked with mud dirt etc. Yes imo everyone should have a basic knowledge of auto maint./repair. They might then question the technicians/shops that do rip people off & give us all a black eye from time to time. BTW brake fluid does not burn well in a waste oil furnace, & does not go in the drain oil barrel, it raises H@LL with the heater. It goes to the recycler who charges to haul it away.

   Edit: That rotor you want turned for $ 10.00 is probably already below spec. for thickness because it was made in China to a minimum spec. & no I won't turn it because yes, I could be liable for a problem down the road. That's why I have some very expensive measuring tools, run out gauges etc. P.S. That brake lathe on the bench over there that you want me to turn that rotor for  $ 10.00 with cost me more than a lot of the cars I'm fixing are worth.

Just a rant from a shop owner/auto tech. A C


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## btuser (Jul 5, 2011)

XactLEE said:
			
		

> Most young punks these days can't fix a hang nail so keep your tools handy!



That's what I'm afraid of!  I came to my menial skills late in life out of necessity.  

I don't think that $600 for a new caliper, brakes and rotors is at all out of line, but I have been taken advantage of before.   I've got a real good mechanic that I trust more than any spiritual adviser.  He calls with the goods and I say yes before he's done talking.  I also wash my truck before inspection the same way I brush my teeth before the dentist.


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## MishMouse (Jul 12, 2011)

> She said: â€œDad, you will fix my brakes for me or I will have a boyfriend who will do it for me.â€ Lesson learned.



Sounds like your little girl already knows what to do. :lol: 
Actually she will probably be bringing her boyfriend's car to "Daddy's Garage" also. :cheese: 
Which would be good since then you can inform him of your hunting skills and the fact that you love it when they try to run.


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## btuser (Jul 12, 2011)

I'd be happy if she brings home someone who likes to fix their own stuff.  Most of the kids I see nowadays spend their time driving around in their parents cars.


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## Jack Straw (Jul 12, 2011)

My daughter has been away working in Mass. for the summer. Lost her brakes last week (pedal to the floor). Got her towed to a mechanic- he replaced rear pads, rotors and ebrake shoes (375$). He stated she was driving around with the ebrake on which I new was wrong. After the repair she kept getting a burning smell when driving. Took it back....bad caliper! (another 180$)

When its your young daughter all you care about is her safety. They really didn't charg too much, but they didn't test drive it properly as far as I am concerned. AAA was a great invesment.


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## Danno77 (Jul 12, 2011)

If your daughter values those attributes she'll find a boyfriend who can do those things. My daughter can marry anybody she wants as long as he is competent. He can take his car to the shop and get ***** on simple things, I don't care. But he dang well better be taking it to the shop because he is loaded and doesn't want the hassle, not because he is a wiener who doesn't know how to check the oil in the car. I don't care if you use a chainsaw, I don't care if you have a wood stove, I don't care if you change your own oil/brakes/etc, I don't even care if you have someone else come and replace a three tab shingle or clean your gutters. But for goodness sakes, you danged well better know how to do those things. Unless, of course, you don't want my respect. My son-in-law had better want that respect, everybody else I leave to their own devices.


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## Highbeam (Jul 12, 2011)

43$ for a new caliper on a modern HD truck? That's a great deal. 

I do brakes myself and even just this last Sunday had to swap in a new unit bearing for the front wheel of my superduty Ford pickup. I got home towing 6600 lbs after 12 hours of mowing a pasture and the front right was smoking. 

You say you just HAD the new brakes and rotors installed. As in, you just payed someone to do that? Whoever the mechanic was for that job might have something to do with the caliper freezing up on you this time. Probably carelessly compressing the pistons to fit the new pads in and jacked up the bore. How's that for a lesson on DIY brakes? Do it right or you'll be back.  

I have two daughters. They shoot guns, stack firewood, and help dad work on cars. If they aren't willing to do this work when they get older then at least I hope that they will value these skills in their boyfriends or girlfriends or whatever they bring home. I'm hoping that they don't even find out about the opposite sex until they are about 25YO. Currently they are 5 and 8 YO.


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## PapaDave (Jul 12, 2011)

Don't remember exactly what it cost for all the parts, but I did the fronts on the jeep last year in the driveway. First side took about 50 minutes, second side was about 40, and that was replacing all the way down to the calipers and bleeding. Cleaned the backs of the wheels and hubs of most rust with a wire brush. Torqued the wheels on. Actually, everything got torqued to spec.
When I had the F-150 done a couple years before that (all 4 disc brakes), it was a little over $600, with one front caliper replaced. Took them 2.5 hours.
YMMV


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## btuser (Jul 13, 2011)

$43 is a good deal.  Lifetime warranty.  Fronts are always cheaper for some reason (more of them I guesss).  Core charge was $30.
I've got a friend who refuses to do any of his own stuff.  Not because he's stupid, or vain, but he knows he's not good at it.  Fortunately, he is good with people and is more than willing to pay people to fix the things in his life that break (and fortunate enough to make enough money to afford it).

I am not inheriently good at "stuff", but have gained the reputation as someone who can do it.  Last Winter he had a sweep re-line his boiler's chimney.  The sweep did an excellent job from what I could tell.  When I relined my own due to a boiler upgrade my wife asked me why I "had to do it" myself and couldn't I just call someone to see what it costs.   This after I already relined for the insert!

My liner cost me $600 for the parts, while my friend spent $3100.  Nothing wrong with that, and I don't begrudge the sweep his money because his was harder than mine.  That being said $2500/year is more money than most Americans put into their retirement each year.


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