Can I Get Away With a Quick Brake Job in a Campground?

[HadEnough]

I’m driving around right now with brakes that actually don’t really work. They just barely stop the vehicle. I am using my exhaust brake mostly to stop it, and then it just barely will stop the last bit with the regular brakes.

It has been a logistical nightmare trying to get this fixed on the road as a full timer. Either nobody wants to do it, because they are too lazy to use a floor jack, or they want me to remove the truck camper which means I have to dump all of my water and take all of that time. ( I am very busy working not retired.) Or, they are charging me $300 for an everyday caliper.

Every time I have someone work on this truck, they break something. I am sick and tired of letting other people do the work on it just because I am full timing and traveling.

What I would like to do is stop into a campground and do a quick brake job.

What are the odds I could do this? I am currently in upstate New York. Would a campground let me do it if I ask them? Or would that be an automatic no? Should I just try to do it quietly?

Any other thoughts? The Walmart parking lot option does not seem good to me because it is dangerous to do that. I’m not cheap. I’m happy to pay. But I don’t like the quality of work that people do on my truck.

[time2roll]

My last road repair was in the parking lot of the autoparts store. At least if you need something extra it should be handy. Sometimes it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Worst case you get a tow to a shop. Now get busy... could have been done by now.

[jfkmk]

HadEnough wrote:

jfkmk wrote:
Doesn’t want to bring it to a shop, feels mechanics that don’t want to use a floor jack are “lazy”, doesn’t want to do the job in a Walmart parking lot, doesn’t stay at campgrounds. What do you want the mechanic to do, come to the someplace to fix your brakes? Are you joking?

Brake fluid gone, parking brake (btw, is NO substitute for brakes) doesn’t work. Dude, you need more than just replacement pads! You’re a mess who needs to be removed from the road until the truck works correctly.

And the best part of all? I’ll be in New Jersey tomorrow. Maybe I’ll crash into you. LOL

Now THERES the voice of someone we’d like to see on the road!

[agesilaus]

BTW, is there any such thing as a "quick" brake job?
-------------------------------------------------------

Yes after you've acquired painfully obtained experience. On my F-350 you can pull out the cage holding the pads, replace the pads, and reinstall the cage with the pads preinstalled. That was always the big PITA for me especially those clips, until I discovered this via Youtube. Assuming you have an impact wrench and the correct sockets and parts. All this pretty quick after you have the truck jacked up with the wheel off.

[HadEnough]

George3037 wrote:
Not sure where you are in upstate NY but if you are near me you are more than welcome to use my driveway to do your brakes. I have a garage full of tools, jacks, stands and air tools to use and I'll help if you like.

Thank you. That is a very gracious and generous offer. I do have to be in New Jersey tomorrow. And then in the city for a meeting on Saturday. And I’ve already gone about 100 miles past you. But thank you very much for that offer. That is extremely kind of you. I’ll find a way around it. The RV will be parked for the weekend in New Jersey anyway. And probably for most of next week while I am working. Then, I’ll tackle this problem late next week.

Mostly I had started this thread just to ask the question of if you can do a brake job in a campground because I was not familiar with how that might go.

[midnightsadie]

wow! can,t beat that a guy will help,and use his tools. get his number fast.thank you stranger,I new there was one nice guy out there.

[George3037]

Not sure where you are in upstate NY but if you are near me you are more than welcome to use my driveway to do your brakes. I have a garage full of tools, jacks, stands and air tools to use and I'll help if you like.

[HadEnough]

Honestly, I think a lot of you are inexperienced and don’t know what you’re talking about. You have never owned a vehicle with an exhaust brake, manual transmission and a diesel engine. I don’t think you understand how to even drive one. These brakes have lasted many tens of thousands of miles because you don’t really use them when you have an exhaust brake.

I can drive all day. 400 miles. And never use my brakes except for when I am in town. I don’t use them even a little bit on the highway.I just drove from Ottawa to Toronto to upstate New York around the lake, no problem. Hundreds of miles. I never touch the brake pedal. I barely touch the brake pedal on secondary roads. The only time I really need it is coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or light.



So wake up. Stop posting stupid stuff.

[HadEnough]

jfkmk wrote:
Doesn’t want to bring it to a shop, feels mechanics that don’t want to use a floor jack are “lazy”, doesn’t want to do the job in a Walmart parking lot, doesn’t stay at campgrounds. What do you want the mechanic to do, come to the someplace to fix your brakes? Are you joking?

Brake fluid gone, parking brake (btw, is NO substitute for brakes) doesn’t work. Dude, you need more than just replacement pads! You’re a mess who needs to be removed from the road until the truck works correctly.

And the best part of all? I’ll be in New Jersey tomorrow. Maybe I’ll crash into you. LOL

[HadEnough]

You guys are weird. I don’t see this as that big of a problem. I can control the vehicle. Pretty much. Enough to get it somewhere to fix the brakes. None of the other posters had a problem. They offered some constructive good advice.

I guess like anything on the Internet, now it’s the time for the haters after the good advice is done.

[jfkmk]

Doesn’t want to bring it to a shop, feels mechanics that don’t want to use a floor jack are “lazy”, doesn’t want to do the job in a Walmart parking lot, doesn’t stay at campgrounds. What do you want the mechanic to do, come to the someplace to fix your brakes? Are you joking?

Brake fluid gone, parking brake (btw, is NO substitute for brakes) doesn’t work. Dude, you need more than just replacement pads! You’re a mess who needs to be removed from the road until the truck works correctly.

[BarabooBob]

I hope that this post is some kind of sick joke. What kind of selfish person would drive around without fully functioning brakes? Especially with a TC on top of the truck. I would never put others in danger like that, I could not live with myself if I injured or killed someone.

If you caused an accident and it could be proven that you knew about the problem, your insurance company may get away without paying any claims.

[HadEnough]

Take it easy there guys. I have an exhaust brake. And a granny gear. I can get down to 10 or 5 mph. It’s coming to a complete stop that is proving to be very difficult. It works, just not well.

[Tyler0215]

QUIT DRIVING AROUND WITH NO BRAKES! Park on the side of the road and do it.Or find a Walmart lot or Autozone lot.

[winnietrey]

Good lord.

Your brakes did not fail yesterday, From your post, yet you have no problem driving around, with an inability to stop? And risk hitting and killing people? And you think only of how it would inconvenience you to get them fixed?

What on Gods green earth is wrong with you!

[HadEnough]

soren wrote:
I would just pull into a NAPA, or similar, buy the parts, park the truck off to the side, and have at it. If there is any question, tell anybody that's bothering you that it's an emergency, you nearly went through the last light, and found fluid flowing out of the caliper.

I was towing a travel trailer through Bangor Maine one summer, when a front brake pad decided to separate from the backer, and leave the scene. I did exactly what I suggest, and nobody cared. The other good part of that plan is that you are right there when you discover that you need some additional part to get the job done.

This is definitely something I have been thinking of. I have seen a lot of people at Napa or AutoZone doing things on their car. Long as I was off to the side I don’t think anybody would bother me.