Showerthought: The day a 'simple' brake job on a 2008 F-150 turned into a full axle rebuild.

Customer came in for new pads and rotors, but the caliper bracket bolts were so seized we had to torch them out, which led to finding a cracked caliper mount on the axle itself. The whole thing snowballed into a 6 hour, $900 repair instead of the quoted $300. When do you guys decide to stop a 'simple' job and call the customer with the bad news?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryanf6616d ago

My buddy Dan had a 2012 Silverado come in last year for what he thought was just a rear brake job. He got the drum off and found the wheel cylinder had been leaking so bad it rusted the entire backing plate into one solid chunk of corrosion. He had to torch and hammer that thing for about 45 minutes just to get it free. @masontorres is right, once you see that level of damage you're past the point of choice, it's either fix it or send them home in a deathtrap. Dan ended up having to replace both backing plates, the wheel cylinders, all the hardware, and the brake lines because they snapped when he tried to disconnect them. The customer was pissed at first, but Dan showed them a video of the rust chunks falling off and they finally understood why the $250 quote turned into $1100.

masontorres2mo ago

That exact scenario is the worst part of the job. You hit the point of no return the second you see something that's a real safety issue, like that crack. It's not even a choice anymore. The call is always awkward, but you just have to lay out the facts, show them the damage if you can, and give them the new number. Most people get it when you explain it's not just a fix, it's a must-do.

fionaw542mo ago

I once saw a crack so big you could fit a credit card in it sideways. That's when you know the conversation is going to be rough.