Cover Story: Going Soft on Hardware? The Cost of the Incomplete Brake Job Cover Story

He says that while DIY sales are more prone to questionable maintenance practices, the installed brake business is not immune to problems.

“When you’re matching formulations as much as we do, that can maybe compensate for some shortcomings in the brake job–such as installing shims even when the OE hasn’t–but beyond that, you have to go on faith that the installer is doing a proper job.”

Increasingly, it is becoming clear that brake hardware (clips, sliders, pins), and the other hydraulic components that can potentially cause problems, are not being replaced.

Pete Murnen, group manager, friction products marketing at Federal-Mogul Corporation, says that hardware unit sales are only about 10% to 15% of friction sales. This means that some 85% to 90% of cars in for brake service are going out the door with the same hardware they came in with.

“We tout our ThermoQuiet friction as the quietest,” he offers, ” but if you don’t replace the hardware, you’re going to have a noisy brake job anyway because the friction isn’t going to sit in the caliper right and the shoes are not going to be sitting in the drum correctly.

“Some people reuse the hardware and to be honest, you can get away with it to some extent, but it is not the way to go.”

The simple fact is that the continued downsizing of brake systems results in heat buildup unheard of only a couple of decades ago. As consumers continue to use their brakes in stop-and-go traffic, they’re imparting this heat and wear into more than just the friction.

A brake system is, after all, a system, not a single component. If any of those components is not operating as it should, a brake job will not perform as well as it should.

This fact has even caused Federal-Mogul to realign the way it views the brake parts it sells. “In the past, hardware was jumbled in with the cylinders and rotors etc.,” says Murnen. Now, he says, it’s viewed as part of the friction program. “That’s the way the products work together. They have to work together.”

The search for reliable, repeatable brake service has been one of the driving forces behind the move to loaded and semi-loaded calipers.

“The reliability has been a big plus in the industry,” says Greg Meleca, marketing manager for Canamotive Remanufacturing. “It has definitely reduced our rate of comebacks and problems with warranty.” Meleca says that while the company’s loaded caliper program hasn’t seen rapid growth, the semi-loaded caliper offering has done much better, because it provides technicians with the ability to install their friction of choice.

“I’m trying to discourage the sales of bare calipers,” says Meleca, “because when a bare caliper is installed, they’re reusing the old hardware. That hardware will lessen the life of a caliper,” and the friction, of course.

Probably the most persistent barrier to hardware installation, and the semi-loaded caliper option for that matter, is money.

“Sometimes you have stubborn customers that hear ‘extra money’ and what they don’t do is break it down. You’ll spend a lot less money buying a semi-loaded versus buying a caliper and the hardware separately,”–perhaps $10 for the semi-loaded over the bare caliper, he says. “And it’s all assembled. It is a big advantage and I do see the Canadian market shifting in this direction.”

One day, he says, this option will dominate the Canadian marketplace, the way it does in some regions of the U.S., but that day is not today. In the meantime, counterpeople would be wise to make themselves aware of some of the issues surrounding hardware reuse.

“What happens on rear drums,” says Pierre Lalonde, technical representative, Dana Brake & Chassis, “is the hardware becomes less effective; it doesn’t have the strength to pull back the shoes.” On the front brakes, he says, rubber can break down and corrosion on sliders and other components can cause pads to be slow to retract after brake application, the so-called “lazy caliper.”

“Some people replace hardware every time, some every second time,” he says–this of course begs the question, “How do they know?”

“Bad hardware can cause a pull, overheated rotors, premature pad wear, noise.” A whole host of little evils. “And for a cost that’s often less than $20. It’s just part of doing a proper job. I don’t even know why people would hesitate.”

It’s not a completely new situation, but in the past few years, the emphasis has gone away from hardware. It quite simply hasn’t been talked about as much as it should have been, and that reality has come home to roost. In the last year or so, things have started to turn around.

Some 40-plus problem applications are currently being served, at least in the premium friction offerings from major companies, with hardware in the box. Beyond this, hardware kits are beginning to be promoted by a variety of suppliers.

“It’s almost like it’s coming full circle,” says Murnen. “We need to do more than we are doing (as an industry). It’s only going to help us in the end because the customer is going to be more satisfied with the brake job. Hardware is one thing that really helps reduce noise.”

Bill Sykes, technical director for Satisfied Brake Products, speaks to hundreds of technicians a year, and continually beats the drum on hardware replacement with every brake job.

“Typically, I would say that 90% of the installers are in total agreement. The big hang-up is the cost factor.” Some caliper kits are $20, but some, particularly those for import applications, can be in the region of $50. This is beyond the comfort level of many technicians when it comes to discussing the matter with the customer.

“Some customers simply can’t afford it,” says Sykes. “A good majority of installers feel that the hardware should be changed, but they shy away from it.”

Sykes admits that it’s an area that needs to be addressed better. Currently, he says, a customer faced with whether to buy new sneakers or brake hardware will choose the shoes. It is something that the whole brake industry should be addressing, says Sykes.

“The industry as a whole needs to do a public awareness campaign. When was the last time you saw an ad in a trade magazine that talked about pads and hardware on the same sheet?

“The jobber store can definitely promote the hardware, and a lot of parts stores do try to sell the hardware. They’re trying, but I would love to see the industry as a whole doing a better job.

“Let’s make everybody more aware of what’s needed for a complete brake job.”

See “12 Reasons to Replace Hardware”

Tip for Counterpeople

Only one or two out of every 10 brake jobs currently receive new hardware. This is a major cause of comebacks due to noise and premature pad wear. Make sure all your customers understand this.

Beyond price, awareness is the major barrier to the complete brake job.

Whenever you quote on brake parts, provide a price on the hardware. If it’s for a walk-in customer, lay it out on the counter and talk about it. If it’s for a delivery to a professional customer, talk about it on the phone and emphasize its importance.

12 Reasons to Replace Hardware

On Disc Brakes

1. Caliper bolts corrode and hamper caliper movement which would cause excessive and uneven pad wear.

2. Worn grommets or bushings cracked from heat will cause pad failure by allowing excessive movement of the guide pins or caliper bolts.

3. Caliper seal should be replaced because of the high working temperature which would lead to leakage, excessive pedal travel or a hard pedal (sticking position).

4. Anti-rattle clips that are broken or weak will cause excessive noise and allow excessive lining travel.

On Drum Brakes

5. A worn self-adjusting lever will not allow shoes to be adjusted properly, resulting in a low brake pedal.

6. Worn, weak return springs will cause the brake linings to drag against the drum and cause premature brake failure.

7. Parking brake springs spend most of their time in a collapsed position and, therefore, lose tension causing the strut bar to rattle.

8. Hold down springs will
lose their tension and allow the brake shoes to wobble or ride up against the face of the brake drum, causing premature lining failure.

9. A frozen adjusting screw will not allow shoes to be adjusted properly, resulting in a low brake pedal.

10. Rubber dust plugs will crack with age and allow dirt to contaminate linings.

11. A stretched self-adjusting cable prevents the self-adjusting lever from properly aligning the shoes, which may result in low brake pedal.

12. Replacing brake hardware will assist in keeping ABS systems in peak performance.

Source: Wagner Brake, Federal-Mogul Corporation