The other day I posted about a strange sound coming from my rear differential. I took a look at it this morning starting around 8:00 am. I started off by pulling the left rear drum and thinking I need new brakes. Then I went around to check out the right rear and the drum would not come off. I tried backing the adjustment screw off and still couldnt get it (I couldnt tell if I was even moving the screw, didnt feel like it though. So my neighbor comes over and we end up beating the drum and cracking the edge of it. Finally around 11:00 its off. Off to AutoZone for new shoes and drums. Then AutoZone doesnt have the hardware kit, so off to Checker for that. By 12:00 Im back and my neighbor comes over again. My adjustment screw was rusted solid, so he took it to his place and worked on it for awhile, now it moves like butter. Then I go ahead and put everything back together. Ooops whats this piece? Oh **** its one of the pins that comes out of the wheel cylinder. By this time its getting time for me to shower and get to work. So forget the rears for now (the lines have been off for several months now anyways) After work I get home, pull the truck back in and fix up the right rear. Now the left. Well before I left for work I didnt want any half loose parts on the left side so I took that side apart. Well dumbarse here must have misplaced the lever for the adjustment screw (which is also frozen solid, soaking in WD right now)

Now I am done for the night. My truck isnt making that weird noise anymore, but Tuesday night I have to go finish the brake shoes and then work on getting the old lines off and new ones bent up. IIRC there is one bad steel line and the other bad line is a flex line. Getting things apart though without breaking more is going to be the challenge though.

 

I can't believe it took that long to fix your rear brakes!!!

 

Yeah, it sucks. I had to work a 4 hour shift from 2-6 but that was pretty much the only time I wasnt in the garage today.

Things like this really make my wonder. Over the years I have done some major projects to various vehicles without incident (major forn suspension work, swapping out my tranny) but little things sometimes blow up in my face. I once did an oil change on my 95 Ranger, that turned into a 4 hour job, with the towtruck having to come pick it up the next morning so I could get someone else to do it. On that one I ended up ripping the entire sheetmetal cover from the filter and only having the base attached to the engine. I couldnt get a grip on the filter and ended up calling someone to come get it, that was a $100 oil change. I never learn though, I sitll prefer to DIY it whenever possible

 

I've learned lots from my simple mistakes in the garage. Luckily I've never lost a foot, and I have never and will never have a tow truck show up to haul off a vehicle.