Had a customer in Toledo who refused to let me replace his brake pads

He said he saw a video online about filing them down to save cash, and he brought the worn pads into the shop to show me. I had to explain that the friction material was down to about 2mm and the metal backing plate was showing. Has anyone else had to talk a customer out of a really bad DIY fix they found on the internet?

4 comments

4 Comments

kevinallen1mo ago

Man, filing down brake pads? How do you even get that idea. I had a guy try to reuse his old rotors after sanding them with regular sandpaper, said a forum told him it would work. You just have to show them the parts side by side, a new pad next to their junk, and ask if they really trust their family in that car. It's like what johnson.betty said about wiper blades, some things are just made to be replaced, not revived. You can't argue with physics, the material is gone.

brian_hart4d ago

Hear you but I think it's kind of overblown. I've filed down brake pads before on an old beater just to get it through inspection and it worked fine for a month. If someone's broke and needs to get to work, some sandpaper and elbow grease beats a $200 brake job they can't afford. Not saying it's ideal, but acting like it's a death wish is a bit much.

kai_foster1mo ago

I mean, my cousin tried to sharpen his own wiper blades once.

johnson.betty1mo ago

Sharpening wiper blades sounds like a lot of effort for something you just replace.