I shouldn’t complain. Really I shouldn’t.
I’m going to anyway, of course, because… 
…and a day without bitching and moaning is like a day without sunshine.
I shouldn’t complain because the one piece of worn out, neglected equipment around here that owes me exactly NOTHING is Landlady’s Jeep. Except for an occasional dead battery, LJ the CJ has been the rock on which I have leaned since April 2008 when the cops stole my truck.
And I’ve known I was on borrowed time. The front brake pads have been metal-to-metal for a week or more. I can fix that easily, but paying for it is another matter. I figured I’d put it off until I saw how this eye thing finished up. The eye thing is all I can afford to worry about right now. The eye thing is the only thing on my…
What’s this?
Pedal went to the floor. Small junipers becoming big junipers with indecent speed. GOT NO BRAKES! AHHHH!
Inside of the driver’s front wheel painted with brake fluid. Blew a caliper seal, puked all the fluid.
NOW I get to spend money, and putting it off is not an option.
Grumble. Neighbor J is trying to find out if I can get a buddy deal at the only (and extremely expensive) auto shop in the whole frickin’ geologic zone. Because I could have done the pads myself, if I hadn’t put it off. Caliper seals, not so much.
ETA: Just got back from town. I can get a reman caliper for $30ish after core charge. I COULD install it myself but laying on the cold winter ground trying to bleed the thing by myself…meh. I can get the whole thing done in town for $80 if I call upon the mighty power of my frequent-customer neighbor J, and I can make that money back with a paying gig I’ve got coming later this month – I hope. Getting to be an old man, I believe that’s what I’m going to do.
Damn, Joel… if it wasn’t for bad luck, you’d hardly have any at all!
I’ve been between that rock and hard place so many times I don’t even want to think about it. sigh
Watch for an envelope from Wyoming. 🙂
The seals for calipers are about $6, & installation is pretty easy w/hand tools & maybe a big c-clamp. Google it.
If you can do brake pads, you can do caliper seals.
Ask for the jobber rate when you buy the parts. If they question it, swear up and down that you do this for a living. Most of the time there’s no argument though. Also, see what a fully loaded caliper costs, versus just pads and a rebuild kit. Sometimes the cost difference is very minimal, and unless you have a hone too…..you might be better off just replacing the entire damned thing.
Of course, you could always just crimp the little bastard off, and survive on three brakes 😀
You can also bleed the brakes with a piece of rubber tubing and a pop bottle.
Google it.
I would imagine the rotors are shot if it got bad enough to puke the piston out of the bore though.
If they are destroyed you are looking at some serious money.
Not trying to piss in your Cheerio’s, just looking from a safety standpoint.
I’ve thrown cheap pads at really bad rotors before on my own rigs just to get me by until I could afford the new parts but it is a huge No No.
At the very least you are going to ruin the new pads. At the very worst the rotors will actually break apart and you will have zero brakes, again.
Hey Joel,
I’m sure that you will do the right thing for you so I have but two things to add to this discussion… First, inertial can be a nasty bitch so be careful. And second, stop it with the old man crap. You may look like a pirate and act like a pirate but… ah hell I forgot where I was going with this so just stop it with the old man crap.
MJR
“Getting to be an old man, I believe that’s what I’m going to do.”
Don’t think of it as getting old, think of it as having achieved mastery of the fine art of delegation. 😉
I’m with coloradohermit on this one… apart from the HOLY SHIT -glad you’re ok!!! bit.
Read your update re: eyes – you’ve had SURGERY. Relax and don’t be so damn hard on yourself! These things take time to heal and you should be able to express your concerns to your doc. All the best. xxx.