So I was scheduled to take my truck in the morning to have my front rotors and pads replaced. Simple enough. Yeah.

Turns out both of my calipers were seized, and the hold down spring on my right rear drum broke, making the right rear brake useless and completely wore down my left rear. Did I mention my rear brakes were just done 4 months ago?

So, 2 new calipers, 2 rotors, a set of pads, a set of rear shoes and a hold down kit and a couple hours labour and I'm $740 poorer.

That hurt. I knew my brakes were effed, cuz the rotors were warped, but the rear brakes were news to me until I saw it, and had no idea my calipers were seized. However, got over 250 000 miles out of those calipers, so can't complain really.

Now she's all good as new atleast, but I just spent ALL my money I had saved up to move. Now I have to start all over again, wait for my tax return and save atleast $100/wk to get back up to where I need to be.

FML.

 

damn man, thats a shame

 

why didnt you just do it yourself?

 

Autozone is your friend!!

 

I hate doing brake work and it's cold as hell out today and I'm not sitting in my driveway freezing my *** off for 2-3 hours doing my own brakes.

Oh yeah, and Canadian prices suck for everything.

 

Yeah but think of how much you could've saved!?

 

x2

doing it yourself always saves $$$$. Id rather sit in the cold for a few hours and save some $$$ than worry about trying to save it up again over a couple of monthes.

But at least its done now and you have a safe truck again.

 

damn that sucks the rear breaks are the reason i really wanted an explorer axle im sick of the drums wearing out. i have done my rear breaks 3 times in the last 2 years. and professionally done the first 2 times

 

i really do feel bad for you

 

$150. No big deal. Over $500 was my cost of the parts for everything to get replaced. Didn't take that long to re & re everything when you have a hoist and proper tools instead of busting your *** out in the driveway on your knees with the truck precariously mounted on a jack and a jack stand in freezing temps. No thanks, I'll pay a little extra to have the job done properly by a professional, especially for brake work.

It wasn't my fault that it ended up costing me so much more in parts because stuff wears out.

 

x a billion. shoulda done it yourself. it cant get much easier then brakes lol
shops usually RIP you off.

 

$740 for brakes? WTF? that better come with some sort of sexual favour.

i hope that price is justified some how or most is labour.

 

mikey were gonna have to do a fundraiser for you now.. Bikini Car wash

 

Over 500 was parts. Labour was nothing. I needed EVERYTHING replaced except my wheel cylinders and drums.

 

where are you trying to move?

 

Calgary from Toronto. So, a little over 2000 miles away.

 

calipers were seized? so are you saying the only thing stopping your truck was the left drum? sounds to me like they got you good.

 

Seized as in they didn't have full travel in and out. They only had about half travel, which was causing most of my weak braking problem. I would have to press the pedal almost to the floor before they'd begin to grab.

You should be able to push the piston in and out by hand and when he took them off and showed them to me, I tried to push the piston in and it would only go half way.

Basically, my brakes were effed bad. I had like 25% stopping power, and had been that way for over a month. My rotors were so warped that as I slowed down to a crawl, the pads would grab on the warped section and cause the truck to jerk while braking and the steering wheel shook as if it was going to fall off. Not to mention my pedal travel felt like I was stepping on a wet sponge.

And my mechanic doesnt screw me over. He's the only one in the area I will go to because he's a small shop, does good work and has the cheapest labour rate at $60/hr while all the others are $70-90/hr. Plus I've known him since he opened 6 years ago and his shop is next door to the fitness centre my mom owns and members at her fitness centre get discounts on oil changes and stuff.

 

there are some things that are worth paying other people to do, and this is one of them

 

Think safety...how much would an accident cost ?? That's why I replaced my tires.

 

man, you gotta make some friends in high places!

anytime i need, i can have my truck on a hoist and a journeyman mechanic under it. he'll do anything for cost of parts (at his jobber prices), and my gratuity is a bottle of smirnoff or something of the like.

tires are his cost too! hello new BFGs! i'm gonna need 'em soon too, the RT/S's are looking kinda lousy... and i've got a set of alcoas in the basement just waiting!

 

If I had a garage to work in I'd do it, but seriously, working out in the driveway while it's cold, snowing and raining really sucks.

 

QFT!!! Lol

 

That alone is enough to get someone else to do it. It's no fun working out in the cold and rain in the driveway.
Most of the responces so far have meade me laugh. Some have garages and workshops where it's warm and dry, and some have thier Dad's do it for them. Guess the spoiled ones just don't get it. Especially the ones who have others pay for thier repairs.....(ie: Mom and Dad).

As for the price, it's not that bad. Remember that he listed the Canadian price....so it'll seem higher, but in fact it's the same as down there. Just take the currency conversion into account.

Just have to hold the hands of the youngsters sometimes......LOL

All in all, it sounds like you got a nice safe braking system again...............always nice to be able to stop.

 

ten to one your calipers were fine and they ripped you off.. to have both front calipers frozen your truck would drive like someone was holding it back and you would have smelt it like burnt clutch.