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OK, so while dropping the daughter off at uni yesterday, the brakes on my truck started grinding.

Ugh. What timing. No way to get it into the shop before next week. I have to be on a jobsite first thing Tuesday. My wife has to go to the office that morning.

I'm not really a mechanic type. I take my vehicles to a local garage. Support local and all that.

So today, after some procrastination, then YouTube, off came the wheel and the caliper. One rear brake pad is down to the metal. The other ones are fine, but due for replacement. I was hoping some lubrication of the sliders would do the trick. Nope.

Off to Canadian Tire. Got an overpriced set of pads. No rotors in stock.

Tomorrow, I'll do my first brake job. A partial one, because I don't have rotors. I'll get those as soon as I can to complete the job, but so far, everything looks pretty easy. I think I'll give a rear brake job a try. If that goes well, I'll do the fronts.

Engineers. We think we can do anything. And then when it works, we become even more insufferable.

For example, I just helped my son cannibalize his crazy huge Lego truck for the motors to use in a future robot. He needed extra finger strength to take it apart, and was quite pleased when I managed it and got two motors out.

A few minutes later, he started exclaiming, "Yes!" Repeatedly.

I asked if I made him happy by helping him get those motors?

"No, I made *myself* happy!" He didn't tell me about the third motor. He managed to get it out himself. Now he has everything he needs to MacGyver a new robot.

I should add, he was with us when we dropped off his sister. He knows Waterloo is a good engineering school. We explained that you need low-90s to get into engineering at Waterloo, or McMaster. I expected him to complain. This kid has an Individual Education Plan, mostly for English now. His marks are only decent in Science and Math, and these days your English mark is part of your university admission average (and he knows that). He didn't look happy for a moment, but he just said, "I'll do it."

In such a way that I think he might just pull it off.
 
Wow. We've been treated to quite the sound and light show. The power went off for a minute or so. There's been a bit of rain. Hopefully no new fires started.
 
I had a long video call with my oldest sister yesterday. She is nine years older than me. Her husband and son are in Japan for 5 weeks, having organized all travel routes and reservations themselves. She didn’t go with them because she wouldn’t be able to keep up with their pace for health reasons. My other sister is done her radiation and hanging in there.
I was a bit shocked to see how old we all are getting. And we start looking like our mother ( who was very pretty as a young woman, not so much when she was older).
I am off this week, working on stuff around the house, mostly a big painting job- the roof of my gazebo, though I am starting to question if it is worth it or if I should just let it rust and then buy a new one…
 
Good morning! Happy Labour Day to those who observe it! Moving the sewing room, moving the office (both into sons' old rooms), carpets to be cleaned, moving the daughter into res, dealing with family who bring their menagerie with them, brakes and tires and things, Lego with motors, storms and all the other things that arise that come with us into the room Thanks to P3 for the early pot of coffee. We gather for our daily chat and support round the Coffee Cart, celebrating the day with tea and coffee and cinnamon buns. The tea water is ready, another batch of coffee is brewing, and the buns are fresh from the bakery. All is ready, everyone is welcome. Come join the conversations!

C(_)/ c(_) c\_/ c[_]
 
chansen said:
Tomorrow, I'll do my first brake job.
Click to expand...
Today, I did my first brake job. First wheel took two hours while I figured everything out. Test drive successful, I did the other back wheel. That took 30 minutes.

I'm back in business. One pad got stuck and wore right down to the metal plate. The other side had one pad down to 1/8". The other pads were at 1/4", which is fine.

They're all replaced now and everything slides nice. I think my fronts are fine. I'll service them myself now that I know how. Pretty sure I can delay full replacement for another year or more. Not too shabby considering the truck has 137k on it over 4 years and the brakes haven't been touched until now.

A lot of highway miles and I leave lots of space, so I hardly touch my brakes most stops.
 
I'm easy on brakes, as well, although I do most of my miles in town. I watch for changing lights, keep my distance, gear down instead of braking.
 
In my childhood circle, a "car guy" could change over tires, do an oil change, replace filters, do a brake job, simple body work, etc. There's a kid at the end of the street who does basic maintenance on all of the family cars
 
Good Tuesday morning! Brake jobs done successfully, for those dealing with morning smoke, establishing a tabernacle to remember a braking miracle, and all the other stuff that comes up, we're here for it. Around the Coffee Cart, over tea and coffee, we will chat, support, connect, and remember. Today with our caffeine drinks, we have apple crisp to enjoy, with vanilla ice cream available. The tea water is boiling, coffee is freshbrewed, and the apple crisp is delightfully warm from the Wonderbakery. All is ready, all are welcome. Come in and join the conversations!

C(_)/ c(_) c\_/ c[_]
 
Salient and Solent give a gap for rest between rubbing tribes ... not acronym but has a sense of rendering ... just, more words to allow confusing issues for those that prefer not to know about gross issues ... like the cerebral nature of mental applications ... I understand there are steroids that assist storage there ... funny label that associates with sharks and thus that bite when a memory come back hard ... PTSD? The braking ... always take it easy on throttle and brake ... moderators needed? Even for atomic stuff ... small items turning energetic?

There is a thought mote hidden there ... meme?
 
chansen said:
A lot of highway miles and I leave lots of space, so I hardly touch my brakes most stops.
Click to expand...
Yeah, a mechanic at the shop I use was pretty impressed by how long mine last. I don't drive highway much anymore, but I have a pretty light touch and keep good distance so I'm not having to slam them on. I always wonder about the drivers who drive fast and then slam on their brakes at the last possible second even when the car ahead of them has been very obviously using their brakes to slow to a stop for minutes before. That must really burn through the pads.

Congrats on the brake job. I get too frustrated at even minor car maintenance tasks to both learning something like that. There's pros for a reason, eh.
 
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