In today's episode of Well There's Your Problem, we learn about disc brakes and the importance of buying the correct replacement parts.
The front brakes on my Neon had been squealing for a while, so it was time to replace the brake pads. No problem, especially since I found the lifetime warranty certificate and receipts for pads.
So I removed the pads and headed to CarQuest. The new pads listed for my car were much wider than the pads I just took off. After some head-scratching, I figured that whoever replaced the pads before me had used a set for four-lug hubs (for 13-inch wheels) instead of my five-lug hubs (14-inch wheels). I now suspected that the rotors would need replacement as well, since they had significant wear with the wrong, much narrower, pads.
I ended up with a new set of mid-grade brake pads (not covered under warranty, since these were now the different and correct part for my car) and new rotors. Today's lesson: always take the old part to the store with you, even if there's no core charge. And then make sure the new part looks something like the old one. If the previous mechanic had done so, it would've saved me a little bit of time and more than a little bit of money.
