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My daily driver is a 77 Grand Prix with now 202K miles. I've had this car for 7 years and climbing into it to start my 52 mile round trip commute everyday, is like putting in an old pair of comfortable shoes or your favorite hooded sweatshirt. It is just an extension of me. I know its every nuance and creak and groan and consider those sounds "company" on my trip.
So yesterday on my ride in, I could "feel" that something was just not quite right. The car felt like it wanted to pull a bit to the left. Leaving a red light, it felt sluggish. I could also smell a faint burning smell reminiscent (sp?) of when I burnt the clutch in my dad's 75 Blazer, three-on-the-tree, while learning to drive "stick shift".
But since this car is an automatic, and there is no clutch to fry, my immediate guess was the brakes, particularly a dragging disc caliper.
Upon pulling in to my parking garage, I jumped out and felt each front wheel. The fact that the driver's front was hot enough to burn my hand while the passenger front was just pretty warm further gave evidence to my guess.
On my way home the problem persisted until I pulled the car into my home shop and jacked up the driver's front and could barely turn the wheel by hand.
Knowing a trip to the parts store was in order, I went inside and fed the boys and myself before we ventured out. We took the Hero since I didn't want to smoke the brake rotor too. We went to AutoZone because I'm currently running their Duralast semi-metallic brake pads on the front and they have a lifetime warranty. I figured at the very least the pads on that side would be worn thin and I was going to collect my 4th set of freebies since buying the first set. I average 12-15 months on a set of brake pads with trying to stop this tank in bumper to bumper downtown rush hour traffic.
As luck would have it and I shouldn't be too surprised, AutoZone didn't have the caliper in stock. I mean the car is 32 years old now, and my mom and pop Federated and Napa stores were already closed for the evening. So I ordered it and got the pads, some fluid and a few other misc. items to restock the shop shelves. The boys and I went for ice cream.
Later in the evening after the boys were asleep, I struck back out to the shop. I figured since I'm going to have to drive something else today, I might as well start tearing into the front end of the Grand Prix. I'll get as far as I can until the caliper comes in.
Pulling everything apart, the pads were paper thin on that bad side. I don't know why the little scraping sensor wasn't screeching. Luckily, the rotor was still in great shape. You gotta love those big huge OEM brake rotors from the 70s. I figured while I was at it, I might as well pull the rotors and repack the bearings.
That's when it hit me....
I HATE THAT JOB!!!! It is my least favorite car maintence job on the whole car. I'd rather change rearend gear lube, complete with the lovely smelling Ford friction addative, any day before I would want to pack wheel bearings.
So that got me to thinking... Those of you who do most or all of your own work on cars, what is your LEAST favorite job?
Post up and share with the rest of us.
So yesterday on my ride in, I could "feel" that something was just not quite right. The car felt like it wanted to pull a bit to the left. Leaving a red light, it felt sluggish. I could also smell a faint burning smell reminiscent (sp?) of when I burnt the clutch in my dad's 75 Blazer, three-on-the-tree, while learning to drive "stick shift".
But since this car is an automatic, and there is no clutch to fry, my immediate guess was the brakes, particularly a dragging disc caliper.
Upon pulling in to my parking garage, I jumped out and felt each front wheel. The fact that the driver's front was hot enough to burn my hand while the passenger front was just pretty warm further gave evidence to my guess.
On my way home the problem persisted until I pulled the car into my home shop and jacked up the driver's front and could barely turn the wheel by hand.
Knowing a trip to the parts store was in order, I went inside and fed the boys and myself before we ventured out. We took the Hero since I didn't want to smoke the brake rotor too. We went to AutoZone because I'm currently running their Duralast semi-metallic brake pads on the front and they have a lifetime warranty. I figured at the very least the pads on that side would be worn thin and I was going to collect my 4th set of freebies since buying the first set. I average 12-15 months on a set of brake pads with trying to stop this tank in bumper to bumper downtown rush hour traffic.
As luck would have it and I shouldn't be too surprised, AutoZone didn't have the caliper in stock. I mean the car is 32 years old now, and my mom and pop Federated and Napa stores were already closed for the evening. So I ordered it and got the pads, some fluid and a few other misc. items to restock the shop shelves. The boys and I went for ice cream.
Later in the evening after the boys were asleep, I struck back out to the shop. I figured since I'm going to have to drive something else today, I might as well start tearing into the front end of the Grand Prix. I'll get as far as I can until the caliper comes in.
Pulling everything apart, the pads were paper thin on that bad side. I don't know why the little scraping sensor wasn't screeching. Luckily, the rotor was still in great shape. You gotta love those big huge OEM brake rotors from the 70s. I figured while I was at it, I might as well pull the rotors and repack the bearings.
That's when it hit me....
I HATE THAT JOB!!!! It is my least favorite car maintence job on the whole car. I'd rather change rearend gear lube, complete with the lovely smelling Ford friction addative, any day before I would want to pack wheel bearings.
So that got me to thinking... Those of you who do most or all of your own work on cars, what is your LEAST favorite job?
Post up and share with the rest of us.