how much should I expect a mechanic to charge to replace front pads and rotors (replace not turn) on an s80 t6 96K? thanks

 

just do it yourself. Rotors are $30-$60 each and the brakes are $25-$35 per set. so you can do it yourself for $170-$310 depends on your choice of brands and if you go performance. If mechanic does it I would say add a little mark up on the parts and add about $200 for labor. Depends on the hourly rate the shop charges. But simple take the blue book flag hour rate and multiply that by shop rate and there is the labor charge.

 

I'm sorry I was thinking you need all four done. Just expect half of what I told you. It is not that hard of a job. all you need is a c-clamp to compress the piston so you can remove caliper. Plus a few basic tools to take rotor off. I would suggest checking the thickness of rotor to see if they are within limits and a straight edge or ruler to see if they are warped. If they are straight and have enough meat on them then don't worry about them.

 

my rotors are warped on my 1999 s80. is that something that i should worry about?

 

warped rotors will cause a vibration in the stearing wheel under braking. the more warped the more the vibration. if you have a warped rotor then they will degrade your stopping power, as the vibration is caused by the catch and release of the rotor by the brakes. It hits the high spot and loosens its grasp as the low spot rotates around. This in turn will wear your pads uneven and shorten their life span. I would suggest either turning the rotors or just replacing them. If you are to replace rotors then I would go with slotted/drilled rotors. They assist keeping the rotors cool, which help keep them from warping. Rotors get hot due to the friction caused by the pads and when they get really hot and color they warp. Think expansion and contraction.

 

I just paid $35 each for Zimmerman rotors online, free shipping. That was for a 99 S70. Google the type car you have and rotors and you will get your answer. I agree that you should/can do it yourself. You can find videos online and most cars are similar. The calipers are usually held on with 2 bolts and many times, the rotor will come off after the caliper is removed. Some have a screw that attaches it to the hub. After the caliper is removed, unscrew the top of the master cylinder. Use a C-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper. You are also pushing fluid back into the master cylinder, which is why you need to take the top off. The piston is pushed back into the caliper to make room for the new thicker pads. Sometimes a rusty rotor may need a couple hits with a hammer to free it up. Hit it between the studs but be careful not to hit a stud as you will likely mess up the threads. Replace the rotor, then put the caliper/pads over the rotor, and bolt the caliper to the spindle. On most cars, the wheel lug nuts being tightened down, is what actually keeps the rotor in place. Do it yourself, and good luck!!
P.S. as far as the slotted and drilled rotors go, dont bother. I used them once in 30 years on one of my cars. It was a 95 BMW 525i. I got them for a good price online(with pads) and thought I would try them. They didnt perform any better and gave a slight whirring noise when braking. Think of the brake pad going over all those holes and slots. I don't drive my cars hard so the rotors don't get abused. If I drove the car hard as in a racing situation, I would go with drilled and slotted to keep them cool. I usually go with a mid grade rotor (less than $50 each) and have even had good luck with low priced rotors when $$$ were tight. If in doubt, work on 1 side at a time and keep 1 as reference.

 

rockauto.com has centric drilled and slotted rotors for $80 ea. Just keep in mind that your front brakes do about 75% of your stopping. Therefore I would spend a little bit of money for the front. Call me crazy but I like to stop when that a**hole cuts me off in 5 o'clock traffic and slams on his brakes. (I also have a heavy foot.) Now if you do decide to go the cheap route then don't forget to put the swirl marks with a surface prep pad on the new rotors. These act as a catch for the brake dust so you constantly have a solid contact with the rotor. If not the brake dust will act as a lubricant between the pad and rotor and ultimately diminish the stopping power even with the new parts. Remember if is worth doing, then it is worth doing right the first time!