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Cars and Stupid People
I ran across this little query on another forum recently. This guy is having trouble with one of his rear brakes on an old beater and says he has rebuilt them and cannot figure out why they are binding. So he thinks he might just disconnect them to solve his problem.
Here is his post……………
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[i]” 1991 Buick CenturyQuestion Re my brakes.
The right rear brake locks up so badly that it even pulls the rear of the car down. I have completely rebuilt them and bled the entire system.
The brakes even stay locked temporarily after releasing the brake pedal. There is a significant POP when they do release. Going in to winter and I am at the point of just disconnecting the brakes on that side”. [/i]
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Who needs full braking power, huh……
Unfortunately, that guy has a lot of mechanically similar kinfolks running around out there and there’s no limit to the way something can be halfxxxxx no matter how dangerous it is to themselves or anyone else.
I’ve seen a few cars that had leaking wheel cylinders or calipers and someone would crimp the brake line flat with a pair of wire cutters rather than fix the problem.
We share the road with this guy……. I can only hope to never be stopped in front of him at an intersection.
The sad thing is, when you try to help people like this by talking sense to them, they get all uppity and offended.
It’s as if common sense is painful to some people.
[quote=”Evil-i” post=147902]The sad thing is, when you try to help people like this by talking sense to them, they get all uppity and offended.
It’s as if common sense is painful to some people.[/quote]
That is a slippery slope because to some, common sense is the disconnecting of the brakes, etc…
No need to actually remove lines, cutting them will work… etc etc.
I up till last winter, I drove a 89 BMW 3 series through the previous four winters with no rear brakes and the ABS disabled. It sounds really bad, but it’s actually not that bad. Having one working brake like this guy wants is probably worse for overall stability and predictable behavior. I have to admit though that he’s probably right in the idea that having a brake locking up and dragging uncontrollably in the snow is worse than having it not work at all.
I was pretty skeptical about it at first, but I found it to be pretty reasonable in all normal winter driving situations once I got more experience. I do need to stop to point out that I drove on a new set of Winterforce tires each season, which is one of the most aggressive snow tires available. I found that I could still stop better than the average car, and certainly every time there was a series of cars in front of me suddenly brake diving. Another thing I didn’t mind is that my back end never slid out during braking, making it more stable. In situations where I did want some braking from the rear wheels, I would let the engine RPM drop to idle and let the clutch out with it in a low gear to get some very effective engine braking.
Of course the chances are pretty good that I’m a more thoroughly trained driver than the Buick guy and I was certainly driving a better car, and I wouldn’t recommend him or anybody else go down that road. Just because one can drive a handicapped car better and safer than the average driver can drive a normal car certainly doesn’t mean it should be done.
[quote=”Evil-i” post=147902]The sad thing is, when you try to help people like this by talking sense to them, they get all uppity and offended.
It’s as if common sense is painful to some people.[/quote]
lol.
As I always say, there is a difference between being a cheapskate and being frugal. There is also a difference between someone who doesn’t know any better and someone who is just purely stupid.
In any case, these people exist and we must avoid them(and in some cases fix their mistakes as techs)
No different than the guy who refuses to buy a new tire with a tear in his current one’s sidewall.
[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=148018]As I always say, there is a difference between being a cheapskate and being frugal. There is also a difference between someone who doesn’t know any better and someone who is just purely stupid.
In any case, these people exist and we must avoid them(and in some cases fix their mistakes as techs)
No different than the guy who refuses to buy a new tire with a tear in his current one’s sidewall.[/quote]
Mechanic “You are due for a new timing belt…”
Customer “Nah…. i don’t need a timing belt.”
Mechanic “But if the timing belt breaks then you will ruin your engine.”
Customer “No, ill pass on the timing belt replacement.”
a month later
Mechanic “So whats it in for?”
Customer “Car made loud noises and then stopped running…”
Mechanic “Yep….”
[quote=”13aceofspades13″ post=148078][quote=”Chevyman21″ post=148018]As I always say, there is a difference between being a cheapskate and being frugal. There is also a difference between someone who doesn’t know any better and someone who is just purely stupid.
In any case, these people exist and we must avoid them(and in some cases fix their mistakes as techs)
No different than the guy who refuses to buy a new tire with a tear in his current one’s sidewall.[/quote]
Mechanic “You are due for a new timing belt…”
Customer “Nah…. i don’t need a timing belt.”
Mechanic “But if the timing belt breaks then you will ruin your engine.”
Customer “No, ill pass on the timing belt replacement.”
a month later
Mechanic “So whats it in for?”
Customer “Car made loud noises and then stopped running…”
Mechanic “Yep….”[/quote]
That’s pretty much how it goes sadly. Congrats on moderator btw Ace!
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