$59.99! Rebuilt calipers! Why not for 911's?

[RallyJon]

Autozone has 911 calipers listed. Even the 964 4-pots.

Anyone know what a "loaded pair" means? Is that two calipers?

[RickM]

Originally posted by RallyJon
Autozone has 911 calipers listed. Even the 964 4-pots.

Anyone know what a "loaded pair" means? Is that two calipers?

Yes, with all hardware, including backets and hardware.

[MotoSook]

Dave, all your points are very valid, but I can't help but think that there is some mark-up just because it's going on a P-car. I've gotten rebuild kits (Ate) for two calipers for less than 20 bucks. That includes the piston seals and dust boots.

One other thing, between 1974-1076 to 1989, there were LOTS of 911's built with M and A calipers. And the seal kits are likely to be applicable to other Ate calipers, not used on 911's. And were the 911 calipers only used on 911's or did Ate sell them to other manufacturers too?

Just tossing things out for thoughts...I know it'll still be the same case tomorrow when I go looking for a rebuilt unit for overnight delivery so I can slip them into my car and rush off to the track

[azasadny]

Souk,
Your name means "market" in Arabic, I believe.... set yourself up in business and market these parts!!! Alot of folks would buy them from you, I know I would!

[MotoSook]

Yeah, it means market place in Arabic...but I'm SE Asian! Go figure

I wish I could drop everything and go into business for myself, 'sides the lady of the house won't let me quite my day job

[MotoSook]

Originally posted by RallyJon
Autozone has 911 calipers listed. Even the 964 4-pots.

Anyone know what a "loaded pair" means? Is that two calipers?

How much?

[Mike Bonkalski]

From your friendly neighborhood Autozone:

BRAKE CALIPER LOADED PAIR - FRONT for a
1987 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA
Normal Stock
Special Order
Not Available



Item Part
No.
Warranty Core
Value Unit
Price Availability
Store Web
MORSE P720 LLT $68.00 $121.99

ARI 13-371415 LLT $90.00 $98.99

[MotoSook]

I checked out the AutoZone site, and it looks like they even have Performance Friction pads! Unless "PFC" means something else on their site!

I wonder if the two choices for calipers are the rebuilders, Morse and ARI. Still, that's pretty damn expensive. I think I'll just rebuild the 911 calipers myself with 20 bucks worth of parts.

As for the Toyota! $39.99! + core charge. Shawn, your Toyo-Porsche brakes will be ready a few weeks

[TRE Cup]

loaded means that the calipers come with pads

[Zeke]

Originally posted by TRE Cup
.............add in the usual cost of doing business, shelf cost, and liability insurance gives you some understanding why a shop would charge 40-60% higher doing 10-20 Porsche calipers, rather than 200 toyotas at a time. Also i am sure seal kits cost more for the P cars as well

The key work in there is liability insurance. I'm sure Dave pays a lot, but if he changed the profile of his business to just caliper rebuilding, I bet his insurance goes even higher. At first, it looks good on paper, big profit margins. But once you legitimize the business and cover your ass, it's just another job. Nobody gettin' rich in CA with the workers' comp and liability costs.

Just so you know, I'm in business for myself. My house and vehicle ins co won't even write a business liability policy for me. I've long since stopped my WC and work alone. The way I see it, I'd have to hire 3 guys and work a lot more hours just to equal where I am right now. Look at it another way: If I hire just 1 or 2, I will make less than I do now hour for hour due to the extra costs that are affected by a point of diminishing returns.

When we think about these little cottage business, they really look great going in. But we better stick to such benign items such as knitted dead pedal warmers (and that could even get you in trouble if you think about it).

[masraum]

A loaded caliper is a caliper complete with pads and hardware.

[MotoSook]

Milt,

I see your point. I have friends with their own biz and yep..they wish they could just work for a salary from some corporation sometimes to get away from all the hassles.

[schleg79]

$62 Rebuilt ATE A Calipers with core exchange. Just installed them over the weekend. Look new, work perfectly..

Precision Auto Parts in Monterey, CA (831) 373-7781

[MotoSook]

AH HA! That's what I'm talking about! Thanks schleg!

[bairdc3]

Just called they don't have them anymore!

[Superman]

Rebuild your own darned calipers. I've posted recently on this issue, and Warren has done so repeatedly. Some of you are wasting money, IMHO. A caliper rebuild kit is something like $16.

[MotoSook]

Ah yes..Super. It's not that one can't, but rather one may want the convenience....I did the front calipers on my Carrera recently, but if I had the choice to send off my cores and get newly cleaned and rebuilt ones back for $59.99...I would do it! My hours are on a tight schedule theses days and I'd rather pay that...it's a whole lot less than my billing rate.

[ChrisBennet]

I can't find them at the moment but the seal kits for the 4 piston Porsche brakes (made by Brembo) were super expensive last time I looked. The Brembos also tend to corrode (in some climates) under the spring plates making the pads very hard to get out.
-Chris

[Superman]

Okay, I understand. And here's an interesting data point: I probably rebuilt my rear calipers recently in less time than it would have taken to change them out. This might be one of Superman's exaggerations, but not by much. I did not disconnect any brake lines at all when I rebuilt those rear calipers. I was finished in an hour.

[MotoSook]

Jim, I read comment about your rear caliper rebuild. I'll have to try that when I do the rears on both my cars. I do like to go over the bore/piston surfaces with 800 grit paper to clean off any oxidation and crud. It's easier to do it on my work bench, but then I never tried it with the calipers on the car.

...and of course Superman is going to do it better!