Ok -- so my wife has a 1994 Grand Prix SE that we've been driving forever. Has just over 120,000 miles on it. Brakes started to squeak a bit, so I took it to the local Midas shop (who actually did great exhaust work on her 70 SS for cheap!) In any case, they are saying that the following needs to be replaced:

- Front brakes and rotors
- Rear brakes and rotors (pads at 10% remaining)
- Mufflers (1st layer through, 2nd coming soon, not loud yet)
- Rear struts
- Brake fluid flush

They want $1500 to do it all. I don't have anywhere near that. They say that the rotors can't be machined -- they have to be replaced. (We seem to have to replace the rotors EVERY time we do brake pads on this thing. They said that the rusting of the rotors was common in this type of car.) They said that they could do just the front brakes and rotors for $282 -- so I gave them the go-ahead on that so that we can at least drive it some more.

My question is: Should I try to do the rest myself? Or just sell the thing and buy something else? It Bluebooks at around $1300 at best.

I've never done my own brake stuff before -- but I'm willing to learn. Seems that I can get replacement rotors for this on EBay for around $150 for all four. How difficult is changing my own rotors and pads on something like this? Note that I don't have my own lift -- just jacks and stands. I also don't have a cutting torch or any other tools beyond some of the more normal stuff (wrenches and anything else I've had to buy to work on the Chevelle so far). So, I'm not sure that I could do the mufflers myself since I can't cut or weld...

What about rear suspension? Should I attempt the strut replacement myself also? Is this something I can do with just jacks and stands? Or would I pretty much need a lift?

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions. We just don't have that kind of money to spend right now...

- John...

My best advice would be to go to the library and rent a manual for free. It will list everything step by step and you can decide whether you want to tackle the job. My old man has this car and I have done the brakes and front struts. The front struts (I think) are the cartridge type...you change them out with the wheels on the ground and is simple. Also, this job requires special tools that you may rent from Autozone.

I know you can do the job yourself, it's not that hard and worth saving the money. Get the manual!!!!

-Matt

sorry, you mentioned rear struts.....i know those are a bit more involved....never done them.

Well, sounds like I can at least do my own brake pads and rotors for the back. That will get us by, at least. I see some new rotors on EBay from various sellers that would work. (Unless anyone has any online place that they recommend for good prices on rotors and pads.)

I'll have to do some research into the rear struts...

- John...

If your on a budget just go to pepboys or autozone. Shipping will usually kill you since rotors weigh a ton. Try www.rockauto.com for low prices.

My brother's kid took his mid-90s Camaro to Midas for an advertised special brake job. Told the kid he needed this and that--$700. Kid doesn't have $700; calls Dad. Dad says: tell them to put the wheels back on and get out of there.
Makes kid go with him to Pep Boys and get some pads. Nothing wrong with rotors. Kid gets to learn a little about disk brakes and get grease under his fingernails. Cost: some pads, grease, and solvent. Much less than $100.

You can do it. I would not be surprised if they would be trying to rip you off.

Yeah, I get the feeling that there was some of that going on. We needed the car immediately -- and I hurt my back last week that I'm still recovering from -- so I couldn't do the front ones myself very soon. So, I had them do just that for now and took it back. I'll do the rest myself as I have more time. And, of course, take a look at the rotors and see if they actually need it. And the struts... And the mufflers... :)

- John...

John,
The next time you get a repair estimate that you aren't sure of request the old parts be returned to you when you approve the repair order.That outer layer on the muffler is a heat insulation and will take forever to finally rust through.The rear rotors rust like crazy on those models.New pads and rotors should be less than 150$.If you decide to do the other repairs send me a pm and I'll try to help.

I have a 95 grand prix, and I did the brakes and rotors on it myself. It took a breaker bar with a pipe slid over it for me to break the nuts loose, but after that it is a breeze. Just remember the rear brakes need a special tool or a pair of needle nose pliers to spin the piston down.

Brake fluid flush.. thats easy enough.. pour it in and push it out.....

Struts, in the rear.. easy enoug, seeing at there ins't much in the rear of the car anyhow.

If your going to do the rear struts then you will at least end up paying an hours labor to have a shop change the struts as they would have the spring compressor required to change them. I have never seen a home style compressor that is safe enough to do this. Personally, if the vehicle isnt bouncing all over the road and the struts arent leaking. I would leave them alone for now at least. It is true that struts should be change at that mileage though. Getting them out of the car is not that difficult.

The brakes are nothing that anyone couldnt handle themselves.

Our shop just did front and rear struts, Rear brakes (drum), and an alignment, on a Grand Am that totalled around 1000 bucks. If your getting charged 1500 dollars for just rear struts and brakes then they are scamming you big time. I could go on about Midas but it would involve breaking the bashing rules but I digress.

Ok -- thanks for the info. So, as far as the struts, I should be able to remove them myself without a lift -- then take them and the new ones in to a shop and just have them do the spring compressor stuff? Then put them back on myself? That sound reasonable?

And, I'm not overly worried about doing the rotors -- although, I wouldn't mind some advice on which ones to buy. How much do these vary in real quality? For example, AutoZone offers a Duralast for $34 each; a Valucraft for $23 each; a Duralast Gold Composite Rotor for $114 each; and a pair of Baer Decela slotted rotors for $160 (so, $80 each). So, quite a price range really. Any recommendations?

How about for pads? I see Duralast semi-metallic for $21; Morse Ceramic for $38; Duralast Gold semi-metallic for $30; Valucraft cheapie semi-metallic for $13; and PFC carbon-metalic for $48.

For computers and home theater, I know when one part is really worth more and when it is just a brand name. For rotors and pads, I don't have that kind of knowledge yet. :)

Thanks!

- John...

IIRC, your rear struts on that 94 W-body dont have springs on them. It uses a leaf spring across the back.
The new struts come with a long bolt to hold the suspension together while the old strut is removed. Might want to get a book or see if you can find instructions to be sure before starting. There is a W-body forum.

Seeing as you are in the rust belt, I'd suggest a new lower mounting bolt kit, and a sledgehammer to get the old bolts out. They have knurls on them, add rust= very hard to get out.
I also used to use a bar with a hub attachment to lever the hub back up to line the lower bolts up. I made it from an old slidehammer.

Front struts are cartridges which come out thru the top with a special tool to loosen the fastener, without even lifting the car off the ground. Very easy.

I rarely have problems with inexpensive rotors. Get good pads though. On those cars, I usually leave the rotors alone except for scotchbriteing them, unless they cause a vibration when stopping, are tapered, or are obviously badly corroded.
Last bulletin I checked on them, GM allows quite deep grooves in the discs before turning with on-car lathe only, or replace. They recommend sanding to remove traces of the old pads on them before installing new ones.

EDIT:
I just read thru some instructions and they use a leaf spring compressor for the rears. I never had one, which is probably why I had to support the rear knuckles and make that hub-lever I mentioned. I replaced scores of them that way back in the 90s.

So, then, maybe I can get a leaf spring compressor from AutoZone's Loan program? Or is that an item I'm going to need a shop for? If I can borrow that -- can the rear struts then be done without a lift?

Thanks!

- John...

I have a 95 SE with 150k and have done all my own work. Those cars are easy to work on. Rear struts are no problem. Jack it up in the center so both whells are off the ground.There is no spring in them.Just unbolt the the old ones and bolt in the new ones. Definatley buy the boot kit http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?mfrcode=MON&mfrpartnumber=63622&parttype=1377&ptset=A (http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?mfrcode=MON&mfrpartnumber=63622&parttype=1377&ptset=A) kit for the top of the strut because the replacements dont come with it and mine just fell apart when i removed the strut and the banging noise from a broken one will drive you crazy. I did my rear struts in under an hour.rear rakes are easy too Just remember the caliper piston turns in.Its not compressed with a c clamp like the old style. You should be able to rent the tool from Autozone but i have always turned it in with a pair of needle nose pliers. I have always bought the cheap rotors and pads from Advance auto and they should be good for at least 30k miles. I always bought the cheap ones because i never thought the car would last long enough to buy the expensive ones.You should be able to do all the work in an afternoon. BTW i never used a leaf spring compressor and no you dont need a lift.Just some jackstands and a jack.

Great info! Thanks very much!

Where did you buy your replacement struts from? Did you replace the mounts too or just the struts with the boot kit?

- John...

I bought Monroes from O'reilly or Advanced Auto Parts I forget. I didnt need to change the lower bolts and my car spent its whole life in the rustbelt (NJ/PA) You may want to buy them ahead of time just in case.You can always return them if you dont need them.