So I have been watching Royalty Auto on YouTube, and came across this short video. It is for a 2020 Mercedes AMG GT53. Apparently the Merc dealer wanted around $9K for a four corner brake service. Royalty is doing it for a bargain price of $4.5K. It at least includes a fluid flush for that money, but the parts aren’t gold plated or encrusted with diamonds. They are still steel rotors. The rotors come to $700 on Rock Auto and Brembo pads may be $200. Fluid less than $100. How are these guys charging $3K+ for labor? Insane. I don’t have a fancy car, but I know who would be doing the brakes on it if I did.
Bargain brake job at $4.5K
- Thread starter xspeedy
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Risk of damaging something expensive.
Opportunity cost, could do 3x normal brake jobs in the same ammount of time
They know the customer is will to pay.
Can't use a impact wrench to save time for fear of being blasted on BITOG
Opportunity cost, could do 3x normal brake jobs in the same ammount of time
They know the customer is will to pay.
Can't use a impact wrench to save time for fear of being blasted on BITOG
They did four wheels , guessing your pricing is 1 axle?
And, we don't know what color the calipers are ... it matters for the rotors. The silver caliper equipped cars have cheaper rotors.
It's kind of odd that many assume they're just screwing the customer.
Both. RA has the front rotors at $250 ea and the rears at $100 ea. For Brembo. Didn't see Brembo pads there but some other premium ones are $100 for both axles. Parts for all Brembo shipped and with tax shouldn't exceed $1500. That means $3K just for labor. At $200/hr, that is fifteen hours.
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I watched that last night. They make a valid point that the extreme depreciation of a car like this, probably impacts the affordability of maintaining it the right way. That car was probably over $100k new. Current value for a clean '20 AMG GT53 is in the $52k area. So a $9k brake job represents almost 20% of the value.
Inspired by @xspeedy, I looked up brake parts for this car, on FCP Euro. They didn't list rear pads or rotors. Front pads are $387 for genuine MB. They didn't list Brembo. Brembo front rotors are $414 ea. Genuine MB are over $1800 each. Sensors are less than $10 each, unless you go genuine MB. Then the rear is $24 and front is $11. Genuine MB rotor set screws are $11 ea. Febi screws can be had for $2 ea.
Assuming rear rotors and pads would be no more than front, total for parts would be about $2500.
Beautiful car, and I'm sure it would be amazing to drive. So proper maintenance would be a labor of love.
Inspired by @xspeedy, I looked up brake parts for this car, on FCP Euro. They didn't list rear pads or rotors. Front pads are $387 for genuine MB. They didn't list Brembo. Brembo front rotors are $414 ea. Genuine MB are over $1800 each. Sensors are less than $10 each, unless you go genuine MB. Then the rear is $24 and front is $11. Genuine MB rotor set screws are $11 ea. Febi screws can be had for $2 ea.
Assuming rear rotors and pads would be no more than front, total for parts would be about $2500.
Beautiful car, and I'm sure it would be amazing to drive. So proper maintenance would be a labor of love.
Shops aren't going to buy from RA usually. They will use a local supplier or a jobber where there is a warranty offered with no hassle. You also can get same day delivery.
I get they need them right away, so they have limited options, but most anyone would take a whole set at $700 over a single steel rotor at $1200. I'm sure they are getting a wholesale price from wherever they source parts from.
NAPA 's wholesale prices lately have been disappointing, for us at least.
Makes me appreciate my Civics even more.
That you put Autozone pads on, and still has the same rotors after 3 brake pad slaps?
Yep. Guilty as charged, lol!
I suspect most every DIY guy has done it at some time in their life.
From what I have been reading, quality isn't great either for the NAPA branded stuff.
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If you can't pay cash for it, you can't afford it when it starts to eat. I've seen some nice clothes/jewelry wearing crybabies at the service writer's desk BEGGING for wear items to be covered under warranty because they couldn't afford the repair AND the monthly payment. 