Is there any reason I should not take my Cooper to the local Goodyear for a brake job instead of trying to get it to the nearest MINI dealer? Thanks

 

Well I'd guess that they may not have ever done brakes on a MINI before. I'd be pretty shy about having them work on my car. The dealer won't be cheap, but most likely the job will be done correctly. There are some good MINI shops in Cali. Maybe someone here will chime in with the name of one.

 

Having done it once for a buddy, I can tell you that it's a fairly straightforward brake job. If you choose to DIY, here are some tips.

Loosen the torx bolt holding the rotor before removing the caliper. (Have someone stomp the brake pedal to hold the rotor still while you loosen the screw) If you're not removing the rotor, skip this step.

Go to Harbor Freight and buy the boxed set of caliper piston retracting tools for $20. Saves a lot of headaches. This is a cheap tool that is virtually identical to the one the dealership uses.

Use a torque wrench to tighten your wheel lug bolts to 85 foot pounds. Overtightening these lugs WILL warp your rotors.

Rawhyde

 

If you've done brakes before, you can do these. The above tips are spot on.

...Les