Does Discount Tire Do Brakes?

‍Discount Tire

Discount Tire is a tire shop that offers services that focuses mainly on tires. It’s a tire shop that only repairs and does routine maintenance on the tires and rims of vehicles.

The shop is set up differently than other tire shops. Because Discount Tire only focuses on tires, there’s no need for extra equipment that is usually used in other repairs such as brake tools.

Discount Tire most likely have speed lifts that lift the vehicle 6 inches off the ground without having to set any lift manually.

Discount Tire is a great way for you to quickly and efficiently purchase tires without going through the hassle of a service manager who upsells you lots of different auto repair services.

Where Can You Get Brake Jobs Done?

Almost every other tire shop repairs and services brakes. Almost all shops with a lift will be able to offer brake services.

Brake jobs are usually quite easy and the jobs offer a high profit margin for everyone involved. A brake job can cost around $400 dollars, but only take an hour to complete.

This means the mechanic performing the service makes out on the deal, since he gets paid two hours to complete a one hour job. And the shop who upcharges around 80% on parts also profit greatly.

Because of these high profit margins, almost all shops perform routine brake services.

Goodyear, Firestone, Midas, Meineke, and PepBoys all offer brake jobs as part of their offered services.

Lots of independent shops, private dealerships, and franchises also offer brake jobs.

The job is actually so easy that if you make a post on Facebook asking if someone can do your brakes for you, you may get one of your Facebook friends to come over and do the job for a cheaper rate.

I used to get business off Facebook referrals all the time from people saying, “Does anyone know how to do brakes for my car?” and someone tagging me and I’d go over and do the job.

How Do You Know That You Need  A Brake Job?

You will know you need a brake service when your vehicle starts to suffer certain symptoms. For example, most vehicles will start to experience grinding when the driver hits on their brake pedal.

This means the brake pads have become to worn and have deteriorated too much.

If your vehicle starts to shake when you hit the brakes, this means your brake rotors have become warped from overheating and it's time to change them out.

Brake rotors are the pieces of metal your brake pads grabs onto when your foot hits the brake pedal.

Pretty much any symptom that appears out of the ordinary when you hit your brakes is cause for concern. So, if you experience shaking, grinding, or noise when you hit your brake pedal, it may be time to get a brake service.

Brake Service

Brake service usually requires a couple specialized tools, some ratchets, and wrenches. To do your own brake service, the first thing you’ll need to do is jack up the vehicle. After you jack up the vehicle, take the wheel off and expose the caliper.

With the caliper exposed, undo the the caliper bolts and remove caliper. Next, compress the caliper piston with a c-clamp. After you compress the caliper piston with a c-clamp, remove the caliper bolt brackets and remove the brake pads.

This will just leave you with a rotor exposed. Remove the rotor  and clean up the hub of the vehicle with a wire brush.

After that, you can start installing new parts. Take a new rotor and install it over the hub. You may want to use some brake clean to wipe down any contaminants off of the new brake rotor.

Once the brake rotor is installed, install the caliper bracket and with the bracket, the brake pads.

Make sure to apply some grease to the ends of the brake pads in order to make sure the pads are quiet during braking.

After the pads are installed, fit the caliper bracket over the pads, and reinstall the caliper pins, and screw the pins in. Once the pins are installed then re-install the tire and the brake job for that side is done. Now it’s time to do the other side of the axle.

How Long Do Brake Jobs Take?

Brake jobs vary in timing. For example, if you have a drum brake, you can expect to take between 30-40 minutes per brake.

But if you have 4 wheel disc brakes, you can expect a 4 wheel brake job to take just about one hour.

A little less than that if the mechanic is moving at a fast rate and doesn’t run into any problems. Here is a little chart for timing

• ‍2 wheel disc and 2 wheel drum → Changing All Four Brakes → 1 hour and 30 minutes
• 4 wheel disc brake → Changing All Four Brakes → 1 hour
• 4 wheel disc brake → Changing two brakes → 30 minutes
• 2 wheel disc and 2 wheel drum → Changing Two Drums → 45 min to 1 hour

Another factor that plays into all of this is the skill level of the mechanic and their familiarity of the make and model.

For example, some makes and models have special screw in calipers that add extra time to the bottom line.

Should You Do Brakes Or Should A Mechanic?

If you have never done brakes before or never have seen them done before, I’d recommend taking the vehicle to a mechanic.

Brakes are the most crucial safety system a car has and while they are simple, if you aren’t familiar with them, it can be confusing to look at.

If you want to  do the brakes on your own, watch the mechanic do them and pay close attention to them.

If you have a friend who knows how to do them, suggest them teach you since it can be very overwhelming and daunting to do brakes as a first time user alone.

Once you see how brakes are done, you will see how easy they can be to do. But if you’ve never seen them done before and you are tackling the issue alone for the first time, it can be a very challenging experience that can seem overwhelming.

It’s best to have guidance for your first time around.