A few years ago, my Crazy Spinster Sister travelled to my place. She arrived after dark and was complaining about a noise coming from her Ford Explorer. I asked her to describe the noise. She failed miserably, so I got in her car and drove around the block to diagnose the problem. It was a nice metal on metal constant sound – which is never good. I informed her chances are the brake pads are worn. Her response: “It can’t be the brakes. The car still stops.”
Well, the next morning we were planning on piling into her Ford Explorer and drive for 8 hours. I was not about to do that until I pulled off her wheels and checked her brakes, which were all, thankfully, disc brakes. So, at the crack of dawn, I pulled out my 3 ton jack, and got to work pulling off the first wheel. My suspicions were confirmed – there was not a single bit of pad left on the brake pads. It was completely bare and only metal! I re-assembled everything and told her she was lucky to have survived the 6 hour drive the night before and there was no way I was getting in that car until she changed the brake pads. So, I was kind and offered to drive instead.
When we returned from our trip, I offered to change her brakes for her. It is a relatively easy fix and I’ve done it on my own vehicles without issue. We stopped and picked up some brake pads and rotors. The rotors might not have been necessary, but who knows how long she was driving with no brake pads and that just can’t be good on rotors. The cost: $110. Her reaction: “Oh my goodness. That is so much. I can pay a mechanic to do this for less.” My response: stunned silence.
The morning after we returned, I once again got up at the crack of dawn, pulled out my 3 ton jack and got to work changing her brakes. Did I mention it was December?
How did she express her gratitude. By asking for $13.16 I owed her.
crazy spinster sister 