I have a 2000 Ford Focus wagon. I took my car in because I was hearing some grinding in the rear right brake. They said I have a broken spindle. I won’t be able to get enough money together ($730 at one estimate!!) for a couple weeks. Is this such an issue that running errands around town will be dangerous? Also, if anyone knowns, is this estimate reasonable for this job? THANKS.
I hate to plead ignorance but I don’t know what a brake spindle is.
LEE
Your complaint is a bit hazy or either the diagnosis is wrong.
If the spindle is broken then what is holding the entire wheel assembly on the car?
Have the rear wheel bearings disentegrated and ruined the spindle? Is this what is meant by a broken spindle?
If this grinding is caused by brakes, wheel bearings, or this alleged broken spindle then the car does not need to even be driven around the block.
The price seems a bit high for a spindle but it’s unknown exactly how this amount is broken down.
Just not enough info available.
What I heard from the mechanic is that my breaks were really rusty. Because they were so rusty, one of the bolts holding the spindle together (or attached?) was totally broken. They said there are four bolts and the other three are in place. They said at this time my break pads/drums look fine, but it’s a spindle problem. They did not give me much more information and I didn’t get a chance to ask many more questions. Hope this helps.
First off, I have no idea why a spindle bolt would be broken unless someone in the past has dinked with it or you reside in a northern rust belt state where iron oxide is eating everything up.
Ignore any “rusty brakes” diagnosis, as rust on brake drums, rotors, brake hardware, and even backing plates is entirely normal.
I can only assume the grinding was caused by the bolt head floating around in the brakes and getting wedged at times.
Rather than replace all of this stuff for 750 bucks why don’t they simply drill out the broken bolt, tap new threads (to an oversize if necessary) and be done with it?
It seems to me this entire repair could be done for a 100 bucks or less.
A broken bolt is no reason to replace a spindle unless it’s eaten alive by rust as I mentioned previously.
Hope that helps.
Have a second mechanic SHOW YOU exactly what is wrong. Perhaps USED parts from a salvage yard might lower your costs…
Absolutely get a second opinion. Do not tell the second shop that you have a “broken” spindle. Let them figure it out with your description of the grinding. Check out http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/ right here on this same website for a good independent shop near you.
Even if you DO have a spindle that needs replaced, one from a salvage yard that has never had a bad bearing will be just as good as a new one from Ford of Mexico. $750 is TOO MUCH to pay.