It’s as dreaded as a visit to the dentist or a letter from Revenue Canada — that call from your service centre after you dropped off your vehicle for an oil change and check over.
Your day might have been humming along nicely when suddenly it’s interrupted with the news your ride needs brakes, struts, new spark plugs, exhaust work, a wheel alignment, or has some other mechanical malady that you’ve little or no idea about.
Most of us just get out the credit card, brace for the worst and give an authorization to proceed. But a few questions asked and a little knowledge can save you a tank of cash while still keeping things rolling safely along.
Do I need to pair up?
Brake sounds are one of the biggest noise complaints at any service counter, but certain noises are unavoidable.
Handout, Fotolia
Many routine service and repairs involve left/right pairs of components and systems. If your vehicle needs brake pads or shoes, the parts kits are sold in pairs, enough to do the left and right wheel brake units, either front or rear. While brake rotors and drums are sold individually, it’s seldom wise to replace only one. But what about brake calipers or wheel cylinders?
These hydraulic units, which apply the brakes when you hit the pedal, don’t necessarily have to be replaced in pairs. If your shop is recommending replacement of these components, you need to ask why. The most common reasons for swapping these parts out are leaks and seizures. Many shops will suggest replacing both sides to avoid a disappointed customer who returns shortly after just changing one caliper because the other one failed, and sometimes Murphy’s Law backs them up. But just because one side is acting up, doesn’t mean they both need to be changed.
This may also apply to steering and suspension components such as tie rod ends, struts or shock, wheel hub/bearing assemblies and park-brake cables, just to name some common items. Coil springs are an exception, unless the vehicle is very new and has been on the road for less than three months. Springs are subjected to continuous compression forces and they quickly begin to “settle” once a vehicle is built. Replacing only one spring can cause uneven ride heights and may lead to a steering pull or other alignment problems.
Why should my brakes be cleaned?
Almost all automakers and repair shops suggest annual brake-system inspections and it’s not unusual to receive a recommendation to “clean and service” the wheel units on a yearly basis as well. If this service is done correctly, it involves removing the brake pads or linings and rotors or drums to remove any grit, grime, and rust on moving parts and applying heat-proof lubricant to the brake slider frames.
In our climate, this is a proven way to extend brake life but you have to consider the overall costs. For example, if annual clean/service treatments are costing around $100 per axle and only extend the lifespan 25 per cent, and replacing the linings and rotors run $400 (average competitive prices for mainstream passenger vehicles), you might want to forgo the maintenance fees once every two years. Be warned, though – some interpretations of various warranties will void coverage on caliper or wheel cylinder units if the recommended maintenance isn’t completed.
Straight talk on alignments
If your car’s tires don’t exhibit any excessive wear, or if the vehicle isn’t pulling to one side or wandering on the road, then you might save yourself $100 or more by forgoing the annual wheel alignment.
Handout, Fotolia
It’s common to get the call suggesting a wheel alignment be done on either an annual, bi-annual, or tire replacement basis. For the latter, shops are interested in protecting their derrieres by avoiding the risk of new tires becoming prematurely or unevenly worn. With component materials getting lighter, it is very easy to “knock” wheel geometry out of whack. A gentle wheel kiss on a curb on an icy day or a slightly hard drop into a pothole can bend control arms and linkages out of their very tight tolerances (measured in fractions of an inch or degrees).
But if your chariot’s tires don’t exhibit any excessive wear (on one side or edge of the tread-face), or if the vehicle isn’t pulling to one side or wandering on the road, then you might save yourself $100 or more by forgoing the wheel alignment. A less expensive option to having a wheel alignment completed is to have a tech simply check all the steering and suspension components for wear or excessive play. Most shops include this in seasonal inspection specials.
If one side of our vehicles sees worse wear than the other (which is quite common), it will be the right, or passenger, side. The right-hand lane of our highways and streets is where our vehicles spend most of their lives, and it’s the side with the most and deepest potholes, the worst broken pavement/concrete as well as being the closest to the curb.
