Rear brake rebuild.
 

My 2002 WRX 5 door has failed its MOT on rear brakes. It needs new calipers, discs, pads etc. My garage has quoted me £960, inc VAT, and they will only fit new parts. I have had the car since new and would like to keep it but it is not worth a great deal more than that now. Any suggestions as to how I can get it repaired for less than that?

Try Stuart at East Sussex mobile - seal kits and new pistons are cheap enough for a full refurb of the existing Calipers and disks and pads shouldn’t be that much of going with OE spec rather than uprated.

Yeah, it'll be sticky pistons. Mine seized solid about 5 years ago and needed a refurb with pistons/seals.

The refurb kits are cheap enough from Alyn (AS Performance) and Stuart at East Sussex Mobile Services is a good bet if he's happy to refurb the calipers for you. He comes to you, which makes it handy if you haven't got another car to use whilst yours is being worked on.

New discs and pads aren't expensive for OEM quality, will be a lot less than £960 to sort!

As above - try Alyn at AS Performance for OEM discs and pads and seal kits :ok:

Will be less than £960

Or if your current calipers look grim or have stuck bleed nipples etc (they can snap on removal if seized) then just go for a refurbed pair of calipers like this:
https://scoobyworx.com/subaru-2-pot-...ipers-21-p.asp

Good as new then, just add discs and pads from Alyn, ICP etc. Even Eurocarparts will supply those cheap enough (if you can wait until the weekend for one of their discount codes....)

It's a DIY job if you have a little confidence, brakes will need a bleed afterwards, I would drop Alyn a call for a refurb kit and some oe discs and pads cheap as chips.


I think rear discs on a wrx are around £50 each from ecp.

Try giving Brent at SMD in Newhaven a shout, I'm sure he'll sort you out for cheaper than that...

01273 611746

I may be about to send a set of Calipers to Alyn to get the bleed screw removed - but have also considered BCS (Brake Caliper Specialists) for a full rebuild and paint.

Thanks everyone for your advice and I am sorry that I haven't replied earlier to your helpful comments but I was waiting to see how everything panned out and then was away for a few days. I spoke to John, Stuart's father, and they gave me a much more reasonable quote to fit pads, discs and refurbished calipers. So I went back to my regular mechanic, who is a good honest and reliable bloke, and told him that I wanted the car back and he said "Give me thirty minutes to stick everything back" and then twenty minutes later he 'phoned to say that he had left the calipers overnight in penetrating fluid and they had freed up even though he couldn't shift them the day before. So he is now refettling and refitting them along with new discs and pads, etc. I don't use the car much these days and only for local journeys so I am happy with that.
Thanks again for all your advice.

Unfortunately it's quite likely they'll seize again if your mechanic hasn't removed the pistons to clean them up, and then replaced the seals. The calipers on the WRX are known for it...