‘Bros rotors looked fine’: Mechanic shows how to change your own brakes with an AutoZone run. Is it worth it?

A mechanic shows users how to change their own brakes. But is it worth it to do at home?

TikTok user Ovet Reynoso (@ovet_reynoso) is a mechanic and content creator. He posted a video on March 2 as part of a brand partnership with AutoZone that shows how to complete a “Duralast brake and rotor change” at home. "Your brakes started squeaking or it's just time to change them? Well, this is how," he says to start the video.

He starts the video at AutoZone. "Go to your nearest AutoZone and ask for the rotors and brake pads for the make and model of your vehicle," he says. Next, he says you lift up the car and remove the lug nuts from the tire. He then demonstrates pulling the tire off.

Ovet then shows the viewer how to take off the brake caliper after removing two bolts. He then pulls off the old rotor and replaces it with the new one. He then replaces the caliper but keeps the bolts loose. That allows him to raise the brake caliper and replace the brake pad. 

He then demonstrates how he pops the new brake pads into place. "We're going to need to put these brake pistons back in," he says. "In order to do that, we're going to use this brake caliper tool. They have it at AutoZone. You can rent it out for free. It's basically this tools that helps you ... I'll show you how to use it."

After using the brake caliper tool, Ovet then puts the brake caliper back into place and replaces the bolts. "Make sure you tighten everything back up super tight, because otherwise it's going to become loose over time and you don't want that," he says.

@ovet_reynoso And that’s how you change brakes and rotors with Duralast #AutoZonePartner ♬ original sound - Ovet Reynoso

So, is it worth it to replace your brakes at AutoZone?

It's difficult to say because it depends on the make and model that you drive, while every mechanic will charge different hourly rates. A caliper can cost about $130, per AutoZone's website, and cars have 2-4 of them. For brake pads only, AutoZone says you'll spend up to $150 in parts. Rotors are $30-$75 apiece, per AutoZone.com also, and your car needs four of them. A complete brake repair is estimated online then as $300-$800. So the big variable is labor which can easily get to $500 per axle (your car has two axles), according to AutoZone.

In the caption, Ovet writes, “And that’s how you change brakes and rotors with Duralast #AutoZonePartner.” The video has amassed 248,000 views as of Friday afternoon. In the comments, viewers offered constructive criticism.

One user wrote, “Save money and buy from rock auto!!”

A second user wrote, “Failed to grease the pads and caliper pin.”

A third user wrote, “I did this and now my car and I are in a ditch off the freeway.”

Another user suggested, “Don’t forget to slowly pump your brakes until it’s firm. Do NOT press the brake pedal all the way to the floor. This may cause internal damage to the brake master cylinder assembly.”

Every time someone does a how-to on TikTok it gets critiqued. A man showed a hack for changing tires back in November, and plenty of users had different ideas about how to do the job properly.

The Daily Dot reached out to Ovet via email for comment.

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