- Joined
- Aug 7, 2007
- Messages
- 4,634
- Points
- 3,101
- Vehicle Year
- 1991
- Transmission
- Manual
So, I decided to take the kid town to San Diego for the long weekend. That's right around 500 miles. I drive old vehicles, so every road trip is preceded by an inspection. I checked out all the belts and hoses, gave it an oil change, inspected and regapped spark plugs, and checked the front end and tire pressure. Everything looks good.
What's missing from this list? You guessed it -- brakes. So, right in downtown San Diego, 500 miles from home, I start getting a nice grumbling sound on braking, from the front left. I swear a bit (oops -- not a good thing in front of a strongly verbal 2 year old), and remove the front wheels for a brake inspection. All four pads are nice-and-evenly worn down to paper thin. The inner driver's side pad is completely gone, and I can feel roughness in the rotor surface.
So, it's really obvious what the problem is. It's a Sunday, so no shop can do it that day, so I drive home the next morning (on the highway, at least), plan a route that minimizes stopping, and perform an emergency brake job in the driveway. Except the shop gives me Dana 28 rotors, and the don't fit. Swear some more (this time, NOT in front of the 2 year old), then take the 45 minute round trip back to the shop for correct rotors, and perform the brake job in the DARK. Now, it stops firmly, quietly, and straight.
The lesson is, don't skip steps on the inspection!
Scheisse.
What's missing from this list? You guessed it -- brakes. So, right in downtown San Diego, 500 miles from home, I start getting a nice grumbling sound on braking, from the front left. I swear a bit (oops -- not a good thing in front of a strongly verbal 2 year old), and remove the front wheels for a brake inspection. All four pads are nice-and-evenly worn down to paper thin. The inner driver's side pad is completely gone, and I can feel roughness in the rotor surface.
So, it's really obvious what the problem is. It's a Sunday, so no shop can do it that day, so I drive home the next morning (on the highway, at least), plan a route that minimizes stopping, and perform an emergency brake job in the driveway. Except the shop gives me Dana 28 rotors, and the don't fit. Swear some more (this time, NOT in front of the 2 year old), then take the 45 minute round trip back to the shop for correct rotors, and perform the brake job in the DARK. Now, it stops firmly, quietly, and straight.
The lesson is, don't skip steps on the inspection!
Scheisse.
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