Resident Mechanics - Would me doing this offend you?

[dlockers]

Proper cars have the hand brake and caliper separate. Handbrake is done by shoes inside the disc whereas the caliper just does normal breaking by itself.

Has it had third party shoes put on before? I have found before that these can be too thick and even in the lowest adjustment setting can scrape. A solution is to grind the shoes back a bit where they meet the adjuster giving a little more adjustment. You only need to shave a couple of mm off each one.

Gotcha. I'm more familiar with the old Ford setup where the handbrake attached to the caliper with a lever arm

 

[adam cool dude]

If you watch the above video you can see how the brakes work on the Leaf. I am not sure what has been done to the brakes on the car as we only got it in September.

I know what the video is I have done dozens of hand brakes like those on the leaf. If it has had its shoes changed in the past it could have non genuine items. They end up having too much pad material which means then end up scraping on the barrel. To fix this you need to take off a little metal on the shoes themselves where they meet the adjuster clasp on either side. This in turn allows the shoes to sit that little bit more inwards. Any slack can be taken up with the adjuster.

Normally when I adjust them I will click the handbrake 3-4 times then adjust until they hold on. Then when you release you should have a nice solid handbrake.

 

[lovelyhead]

Just got the car back and would you believe it, it seems to be working! Drove it around the block a couple of times and the disc was only a tiny bit warm. The last time I drove around the block I couldn't touch the disc because of the heat so the garage has definitely improved the situation.

You are probably wondering what the garage has done to the car. Here you go:



How can it be that it took 5 attempts and three different garages to fix this problem? It is insane.

Hopefully it is fixed now but time will tell. I think I will drive the car about for a few days before cancelling the appointment at the other garage to make sure it is OK.

 

[Diagro]

I've done it before.

Given a list of jobs I want doing. Inc installation instructions.

I'm paying for the labour... they will do as I ask.

 

[Rroff]

How can it be that it took 5 attempts and three different garages to fix this problem? It is insane.

It took 4 garages and a second visit to the dealer before anyone noticed play, and not trivial amount, in the universal joint on the intermediate shaft when I took my truck in with the symptoms of sloppiness in the steering despite claims of having been over the suspension and steering components in detail. I had actually already noticed it but lacked experience as to how much if any play was normal and didn't mention it as I assumed it was so obvious they'd pick up on it if it was the problem.

Most garages seem to lack for any real inclination for doing a proper diagnostic job these days.

 

[Scania]

If I trusted the garage in question that's what I would ask for. That is basically what my list in the original post asked for. However the garage could simply tell me that they have done the work when they might not have. If I have in my possession at the end of the repair some worn brake shoes then I will know they have done it.

I think the problem lies in the fact you have no trust in the garage, which we’re it me, I’d find a different garage with a good reputation.

Asking for the replaced parts back isn’t always a cast iron way of knowing the works been done, I had work done on an old Escort years back and got some Vauxhall bits left in a box in my boot!

As for leaving a list then why not? It’s clear instruction for the work you want so long as you accept they may well find it’s something completely different but charge you for what turns out to be something unnecessary….

 

[dlockers]

I've done it before.

Given a list of jobs I want doing. Inc installation instructions.

I'm paying for the labour... they will do as I ask.

You're paying for a "service", not indentured labour. The labour is just the universally accepted billing mechanism. They are well within their right to tell you to p*** off.

 

[Diagro]

You're paying for a "service", not indentured labour. The labour is just the universally accepted billing mechanism. They are well within their right to tell you to p*** off.

Sure they are.

But, when I call a garage and specifically say I need someone to do the labour. They know what I want.

I want a skilled person to do a job, a job I specified.

It's up to them if they want to use the booklet of info.

As it happens, last time, the guy was pleased I had the Information. He actually used it. Even called me asking about a bit he wasn't sure on.

Was the first time doing the job, and I didn't have to do it myself.

 

[Feek]

Yep. It is a local independent garage which is at the bottom of my street

I had the brakes done on my Focus by a local independent garage about ten minutes walk away. After a few months, they were vibrating dreadfully so they did them again under warranty. Same thing happened a few months later so I went somewhere else.

After the chap had a look, he said that the previous place must be really good. I asked why and he told me that they'd managed to get the wrong parts to fit into my car, which "took some skill with a hammer". Seems like they'd managed it twice! He put the correct ones in, I took the wrong ones back to the original place and got a full refund.