flax said:
Can anyone think of a reason not to go with the cheaper option? I use
the car for "normal" driving only.
Hi,
I can think of several reasons...
But first let's look at your rotors. You said they're rusted. On the
braking surface itself, enough that the existing rotors can't be turned
and stay within spec? If so, yes, get new rotors. If the rust is
elsewhere, welcome to life in disc brake land: they pretty much all rust
on the non-braking surfaces, frequently with no adverse affect, and
shops love to scare folks with "look at this" kinds of techniques. Rust
here in SoCal's mainly a cosmetic problem, in snowy, salted areas, it
can be serious. Ask what thickness the existing rotors are, what the
minimum thickness is (it's stamped on there somewhere, by law, I
believe) and whether they can be turned AND stay safely at or above
minimum. Turning's much cheaper than replacement in most cases.
Now, if you DO need new rotors, watch carefully what they put on the
car. Do NOT accept anything with "Made in China" on the box unless it's
got Subaru's name on it (which I'm sure it won't!) or you get an
absolute ironclad warranty from the seller. The Chinese might make some
decent rotors somewhere, but your chances of getting garbage in the
aftermarket are far better than even IME. (I'm not being anti-Chinese,
you can read about this subject on many auto forums.)
Wagner pads... not sure what to say. My experience is less than
satisfactory with their pads. Very short lived, very dusty for the
non-metallic version. Semi-metallics ate rotors faster than some others.
I prefer Subie OEMs even if you don't go with Subie rotors, though some
sources recommend matching brand of rotor and pad.
Also, find out about what grade of parts the shop's gonna use. If Subaru
does it, you know, but if an independent does the job, you need to ask.
I'm sure Wagner has, and I KNOW Raybestos has, different grades of both
rotors and pads. Prices aren't that much different from "good" to
"better" to "best." Even though you are only doing "normal" driving,
there's always something "abnormal" that pops up. What's a few bucks if
it's your safety? There are places to save money, but I don't consider
brakes to be one of them.
Another thing: IF you do have a serious rust issue, then there's a great
potential for water contamination in your brake fluid, so you want to
make sure the shop does a complete flush of the system, not just a
cursory bleeding when they finish the job. Brake fluid is hygroscopic
(absorbs water) and it becomes much less effective when contaminated by
water due to a lower boiling point, as well as possibly causing rust in
your calipers and steel brake lines. Many people recommend changing
fluid every two years.
Good luck!
Rick
