Looking for a little advice on a brake problem. I just bought my '99 626 thanks to Katrina, and have begun to realize the previous owner must have been very rough on this car. The body looks good, but I have spent more money on mechanical problems than I ever intended.

Anyway, I took the car to the shop the other day to have the brakes changed and got a surprise... I was told the shims on the front brakes are damaged, the front rotors need to be replaced, the actuator (don't know if this is right, has something to do with the emergency brake) needs servicing and the rear rotors need to be replaced. Well, I knew the brakes needed to be replaced, but I was very surprised to hear about the rotors because when I took the tire off to inspect the brakes, the rotors looked fine. And I didn't run the brakes down to the metal, so why would the rotors be in bad shape? Do they automatically turn the rotors when they change brakes?
Any advice would be helpful.
Thanks,
Dawn

 

It is common practice to resurface or "turn" the rotors when doing a brake job at about any shop, but not replace them unless they are below minimum thickness specs. If your brake pedal is not pulsating when coming to a stop, the rotors are not warped. If you replace the pads at home you do not necessarily need to turn the rotors.

I have not heard of an actuator on front brakes before, unless this shop is trying to sell you calipers. The emergency brake system uses only the rear brakes.

The only shims I have ever seen are between the brake pads and calipers. They act as "cushions" for the pads to help reduce noise. These are normally replaced with pads.

If I was you it would be best to get a second opinion on your brakes. If you are going to a shop that specializes in brake repair, I WOULD RUN THE OTHER DIRECTION! It sounds like they are trying to take you to the cleaners.

 

I think I would have to agree with bkey on getting a second opinion on those rotors. Did they give a reason why replacement is needed. The minimum thickness specs for your rotors is : Front rotors...22mm or .870 inches. Rear rotors...8mm or .310 inches.
A lot of older cars that come in after having brakes replaced no longer have shims on them. They do act as a cushion as bkey mentioned but also help to reduce some brake noise. Not an absolutely essential part of the brake system. Mazda has 'value line' brake pads for your 99 626 available at a price of $36.95 for fronts and $29.45 for set of rear pads as opposed to around $75 per set for OE pads. The value line pads do not come with the shims but are available separately for $4.55 per set.