Daniel Mercer
Founder and workshop lead
Fifteen years under everything from a Corolla to a LandCruiser. Still does the brake bed-in runs himself because he does not trust anyone else to hear the difference.
About us
Apexsupplydirects: The People Behind the Parts
Apexsupplydirects started in a rented Brisbane bay in 2014 with one hoist, a borrowed torque wrench and a rule we work to: check fitment twice, quote once.
The short version
A parts shop that started under a car
The first eighteen months were brake pads ordered two sets at a time and dropped off in a ute boot. Daniel Mercer had come out of a dealership workshop where he had spent nine years watching the same thing happen: a customer buys a part online, it arrives, it does not fit, and nobody will answer the phone about it.
So the business grew the slow way. A shelf got added. Then another. By 2017 there were three bays, a proper press, and enough stock to stop apologising for lead times. What did not change is who picks your order. Someone who has had their knuckles against a caliper that morning still checks the box before it leaves.
Today we ship brake, suspension and exhaust parts across Australia and into Europe, and we still take phone calls from people who just want to know whether the noise is serious.
- Family owned, no investor pressure on stock decisions
- Three bays at Eagle Street, plus a parts counter
- Every order checked by someone who fits parts
The timeline
Eleven years, one step at a time
None of this happened in a straight line. There was a very quiet stretch in 2016 and a very loud one in 2021 when everyone suddenly wanted their exhausts done.
2014. A bay in Salisbury
One hoist, one bench, and a shelf of brake pads for the four most common utes in Queensland.
2016. The first exhaust
A customer wanted a cat-back for a Falcon. We said yes before we had a welder. That got sorted quickly.
2018. Moving to Eagle Street
Three bays, a proper counter and enough room to keep rotors for something other than a Hilux.
2020. Freight goes national
Same-day dispatch out of Brisbane, and a run of orders into northern NSW and Victoria that surprised us.
2023. European supply line
We started bringing in suspension components for the German and Swedish cars that kept turning up at the counter.
2025. Still here
Two services done properly, a blog that answers the phone questions, and a returns rate we are quietly proud of.
By the numbers
What eleven years actually looks like
We keep these figures because they tell you more about how we work than any brochure line ever could.
2,640
Brake overhauls completed
1,180
Exhaust systems fitted
1.8%
Return rate on shipped parts
94%
Customers who order again
Fitment checked, not assumed
We run the VIN against the parts diagram. Mid-year running changes are the reason a pad that fits a March build will not fit a September one.
Fitted by the same hands
The people picking your order have done the job on a hoist. That is why we can tell you which bolt will fight you and which one will not.
Phone answered by a person
No menu tree, no callback queue. It rings at Eagle Street and someone picks it up, usually with a spanner in the other hand.
Honest lead times
If a part is six weeks out, we say six weeks. A hopeful estimate costs you a booked bay and a wasted Saturday.
Philosophy
Three habits we refuse to break
These are the arguments that come up in the workshop every month, and the answer is always the same.
Sell the right thing
If a cheaper pad suits your driving, we will say so and lose the sale. A repeat customer is worth more than one upgraded invoice.
Finish the job in one go
Pads without rotors, or a cat-back without checking hangers, just means the car comes back. We price the whole job so it is done once.
Explain it in plain words
You do not need to know what runout means. You need to know the shudder is a warped rotor and it will cost this much to fix.
The team
Four people you will actually talk to
Small team, no call centre. Whoever answers your email is likely the same person who torqued the bolts.
Anna Oyelaran
Brake systems specialist
Came from a heavy vehicle workshop, which is why nothing on a passenger car intimidates her. Runs the rotor measurement bench and updates the wear notes on our blog.
Tom Vukovic
Exhaust fabrication and fitment
TIG welder by trade, exhaust fitter by circumstance. If a system needs a hanger moved five millimetres, Tom will move it and then check clearance on both sides.
Sophie Lindqvist
Parts desk and freight
Handles the VIN checks and the courier bookings. Also the person who will tell you, politely, that the part you asked for does not exist for your model year.
Recent projects
Some of what came through the doors
A handful of jobs from the past few months, with the details that made each one interesting.
What we do
Two services, both done in house
We are not trying to be a one-stop shop. These are the two jobs we have the tooling, the stock and the patience to do well.
Brake System Overhaul
Pads, rotors, fluid and caliper service as one job, with rotor thickness measured before anything is ordered. We bed the pads in on a set route and road test before the car goes back to you.
From $749 fitted
Read the full service page
Performance Exhaust Upgrade
Cat-back and axle-back systems supplied and fitted, with hangers checked against your underbody rather than a catalogue drawing. Stainless and mild steel, both with a written fitment guarantee.
From $1,290 supplied and fitted
See what is involvedIn their words
What long term customers say
Three people who have been coming back for years, which is the only review that really counts.
"Six years and four cars. They have talked me out of two purchases I did not need, which is why I keep ringing them instead of ordering online."
Gavin Truscott
Customer since 2019
"I know nothing about cars. They explained the difference between a worn pad and a warped rotor in a way I understood, then sent me the quote the same afternoon."
Lena Farrugia
Customer since 2021
"Exhaust was fabricated and fitted in one day. Two years on, no rattles, no drone at 110. That is a good sign."
Harold Nkemelu
Customer since 2022
From the blog
Where the longer answers live
We write these because the same three questions come up on the phone every week. Longer form, same plain language. Everything is on the blog index.
Brake Rotor Wear Signs Every Driver Should Know
Scoring, a lip on the outer edge and a blue tint each mean something different. We go through which ones let you drive home and which ones do not.
Read the article
Cat-Back vs Axle-Back Exhaust: What Actually Fits
One is cheaper, one sounds better at idle, and neither is automatically the right buy. How to pick based on your car and how steep your driveway is.
Read the articleWant to check a part before you buy?
Ring the workshop or send a message with your rego. We will confirm the fitment and give you a price that includes labour and freight, so there is no surprise on the invoice.