Brake Service
(Continued)

“You can get a set of pads for $12 or for the same vehicle you can get a set of pads that cost $110,” O’Hora said. “You really need to use something mid- to high-quality if you don’t want a customer coming back complaining about squeaking and vibration. However, on American and Japanese cars, you don’t necessarily need to spend the big money on rotors because they all have to be OEM spec, and all of the rotors meet that. You can save some money by using the off-shore or China-line rotors, but make sure you use a good quality pad to avoid comebacks.”

Another important thing to know is a lot of lower-end pads do not come with the corners curved; they are straight across. O’Hora suggests putting a 45-degree bevel on the sides — the top and bottom are fine — to prevent squeaks and chatter. It may take an additional three or four minutes to do that, but it will save face with the customer, O’Hora said.

Both operators run into technical challenges with brake service now and again. “With regular brake systems, there usually aren’t any problems,” Hartwell said. “With the ABS or traction control systems, sometimes there are a few questions about operation strategy or sensor information.”

The technical challenge O’Hora mentioned is having the proper tool, whether it is a torx, Allen wrench or knowledge of the structure on certain vehicles. “On the Saabs and Porsches, the rear calipers are screwed in, not pressed in,” he said. “If you try to press them in, you will blow the back side of the caliper out, which will cost you hundreds to repair your mistake. The rear caliper on Mazda vehicles has a setscrew. What you need to do on this one is remove the plug from the back of the caliper and unscrew it. Then, you can push the piston in. If you don’t pull the plug out and you push the piston in, then you just poked a hole through it and you’ll need to replace the caliper.”

Brake service has a lot of profit potential. Hartwell charges $160 for his basic 12,000-mile warranty brake service. O’Hora said his average ticket for brakes on American and Japanese cars is $220, while the average price for European cars is about $520 per axle — both of these figures include pads, rotors, sensors and labor, as well as a 55 percent set profit margin on the service.

Hartwell and O’Hora both said they would recommend the service to other operators, but with some words of caution. “Do it only if you have a properly qualified technician,” O’Hora said. “If you don’t have a properly qualified technician, I would not recommend brake service because of the liability. Leaving the lug nuts loose or improperly torquing the lug nuts can crack rims. Leaving the brake caliper bolts out, or even one bolt out, will destroy the rim and cause a severe accident — which one of the other places here in town experienced on a Mercedes. They left one of the caliper bolts out; the caliper went into the rim and just ground a hole through the center of the rim. The tire, of course, exploded, and the vehicle skidded out of control into a guardrail.”

For operators willing to invest in training and tools — and take on a little risk — brake service might be the golden ticket they are looking for.

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