forget the paycheck.....lol

[BJ Laster]

Well forget using part of my paycheck at Bass Pro in a few weeks......



This past weekend on the boat ramp when I backed down and stopped. When I went to put the parking break on...I pushed it in and POP!...it felt like the thng broke. SO i took the truck in and its has a broken Parking cable..soemthing like that. plus a couple of other things I am having done to it the total will come to like $350+.....

 

[Rich D]

BJ



One of life's lessons, in your circle of friends make sure you have a mechanic, a carpenter, a plumber and an electrician. Not to be abused for major expenditures/jobs, but there for the case of beer (when you are older) jobs and advice.



Rich D

 

[Bryan McDonough]

Sounds like your vehicle is on its last wheel....



Time to go out and buy a new Chevy Crew Cab 2500 HD with the duramax diesel. Oh and the leather option too. Once the parking cable breaks everything else is right behind it. I am amazed it has not fallen apart yet.

 

[Staci Matheis]

uh.....BJ.....with far fewer buxs.....and a little bit of your time.....and a little bit of patience.....and maybe the help of a buddy who has some idea as the the difference between a socket and a box end wrench.....



You could do it yourself!

 

[Texas Transplant]

BJ,



One of 'life's lessons' that you will soon understand is that you are basically a 'financial transfer agent'. You work; get paid; and then transfer it to someone else.



I'm with Staci on this. You are young and have the time. You can change out a broken parking brake cable. Just get under and get your hands dirty.



Tex

 

[Staci Matheis]

The thing about that "transfer agent" job.....

It's one time when you want to do as LITTLE work as possible!

 

[Rich D]

Just make sure you have a good metric crescent wrench...

 

[BJ Laster]

ummm cars=I have no clue about them...i'l leave it to my mechanic who I know very well.



BMCD-its a 2000 Chevy 2500!!! Its not falling apart!!! This is the first thing I have ever had a problem with.



BJ

 

[Staci Matheis]

I got my first car when I was 18 - a 1963 red VW Beetle!

(That was in 1968; the summer I graduated high school.)



I hadn't had it but about a month when the alternator went out. I had very little money but it had to get repaired so I took it to a shop.....



While they worked on it, I watched. I had never watched anyone work on a car before. "I can do that!" I though.....



So I went out and bought a manual and a starter tool kit - metric of course! Came home and the first thing I did was change spark plugs. Then adjusted the valves.....



I discovered I liked messing around with cars!



Six years later, in 1975, I took an SCCA National Championship in my MGB in what they called "Solo II" or most people call "autocrossing". (It's running cars around a course against the clock rather than wheel-to-wheel.)



You never know what talents you may have until you try!



me!

 

[BJ Laster]

My dad made me once change the oil in my truck so I would know how to do it.....I hated it...Working underneath a car isn't fun to me.....well it kinda is...i was just in one of those moods i guess and had already had an opinion about something i had never done....lol



Now working with wood or fixing things...like around the house...THATS FUN!!!!



BJ

 

[Staci Matheis]

LOL! I can't hammer a nail straight!

 

[Bryan McDonough]

Its how i rationalize buying a new truck. I thought it sounded good. Now if i could just come up with a good one to tell my wife why i need a new boat....

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I'll trade ya! I am putting new brakes on the wife's van tonight = new drums, cylinders, shoes, spring kits, etc.

THEN...

My truck goes BACK into the shop for a complete valve job with new lifters, and to have the intake manifold gasket fixed so I stopped leaking antifreeze. THEN, I can flush it and try that new hi performance summer coolant and change my tranny cooler.

THEN I get to replace my front brakes on the truck AGAIN! 3rd pair in as many years, but never fear, under warranty. but they don't warranty my time! LOL



That ought to hold me until July!

 

[Larry Harp]

JUST SHOOT ME!!!



$350 for a parking brake cable??? That's outragous!!The wheels are coming off the world. Really BJ that should be an easy fix. At your age you are not expected to know anything about working on cars...this is when you learn. Another thing: your truck is an automatic transmission isn't it? What do you need a parking brake for?



My advice is fix it yourself and call Brad Edwards on your mechanic.



Harpo

 

[BJ Laster]

Ok it was a total of $320.



OK OK I will try to learn a little about vehicles....



Harpo-Try telling my dad I don't need it. He makes me put it on in the drive way, parking lot, boat ramp, etc.....EVERYWHERE!!!



BJ

 

[Larry Harp]

Does you dad wear both a belt and suspenders? If so don't even try to argue with him just fix it.



It just doesn't seem like a +$300 job to me. Marty what do you think?



Harpo

 

[mike chip]

i wish the parking brake went in my car. I pulled my motor, which means the rear end and exaust and trans has to come out first and almost the whole front end before i could pull the engine. and for what? i just had to have more HP! oh well it will be done before i go to florida next week. by a set of tools and start tinkering

mike

 

[BJ Laster]

I would LOVE to do outboard engines....now where talking...lol.



Tomorrow I think I'll take the truck in to have three bulbs put in...one running light, one yellow light, and the one that goes by the license plate...lol



nahhh...i'll just do it myself i guess...



BJ

 

[Michael Snow]

BJ, I'm going from OLD cars here, but hey, what can have changed?



You have a cable that goes from one back wheel to the other... you have a cable that goes from there to another cable and one that goes from there to the pedal. Which one is broken? If it's the middle one, it's simplistic to fix.



You aren't having a DEALER do this, right? At the very least, let Firestone do it. The dealer charges WAY too much for their parts. Firestone isn't a whole lot better, but they save a little.

 

[BJ Laster]

Hibdons Tires did it. I am not sure which on broke.



BJ

 

[Larry Harp]

Hibdon!!!!

Have you got the work done yet? Letting those chain places work on your car is like walking through a bad neighborhood with a "CARRYING LARGE AMOUNT OF CASH" sign on your back.

Do us both a favor and call my mechanic and let them tell you how much they would do this job for. Talk to Jr. at Jerry's Automotive in Edmond 341-7551 or if you want I'll call him for you. I have used them for 15 years without one complaint. Hibdons is too high, I've shopped them many times for tires and they are ALWAYS higher than anybody.



A lot of times those broken brake cables are only a bracket or a adjustment nut that has come loose.



Harpo

 

[Texas Transplant]

Using the parking brake, is a good thing.



And BJ, regardless of the circumstances, Father usually knows best.



Tex

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I can tell you the Chevy's...You either use it most all the time or hardly at all...and if use it hardly at all...They'll break! Lube it then use it quite often to keep it freed up. I learned the hard way too.

 

[Donald Fruge]

Sounds like its done already....



BJ, if you don't use it so much (driveways and parking lots) it will work when you need it on the boat ramp.



Just my take,

Wolf

 

[Larry Harp]

Somebody please explain to me why you need a parking brake with an automatic transmission. Unless you lose all engine compression that car ain't going nowhere when it's in Park.



Harpo

 

[Staci Matheis]

I often use my parking break when on a hill - especially on a hill like a boat ramp with a boat and trailer behind.



It takes some of the strain off the transmission.

 

[Donald Fruge]

The only time I use mine is on a boat ramp. The parking break is insurance against raming the boat onto the trailer which in turn gives the tow vehicle a jolt which could knock the shifter out of park. That would cause your vehicle to start moving backwards into the drink with you sitting in the best seat in the house for the show. (in your boat just above your sinking truck!!!!



Wolf

 

[Donald Fruge]

I think the problem I mentioned above is more prevelant with small/medium SUVs. I guess because of the short wheel base the vehicle is jolted around more than a long wheel base vehicle.



Wolf

 

[Rich D]

I can't believe no one picked up on the metric crescent wrench joke...



At least get a good left handed hammer.



Rich D

 

[Staci Matheis]

Oh, I did, Rich..... But I just figured the squeeky "period" violins had effected your thinking!

 

[Larry Harp]

Went over my head like a missed strike jig.



I have to admit that I do set the parking brake on the ramp. I have heard stories.



Harpo