Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: thelazyjays on July 07, 2024, 08:56:15 pm
Title: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: thelazyjays on July 07, 2024, 08:56:15 pm
Hello All!
Does anyone have any recommendations for an honest, reliable and reasonably priced repair shop here in the Pacific Northwest? My brother generally does most of the work on Fritz- but on our last pass through Utah he was recovering from hernia surgery and doing brake work is out of the question.
Seems like there's been heavier wear on the brakes on the driver's side of the bus and we're going to need to have some corrective work done to get us ready for our fall trek south. We may need to have machining done..
There are only a handful of places that seem willing to undertake this issue, and as full-timers this may get a little awkward..
We've got an appointment on Wednesday morning with a shop in Tacoma. They've been upfront about the charges just to get a handle on what exactly it is that we're going to need moving forward.
We've been quoted $750.00 for the cost of disassembly and assessment. This is something that this shop does not have a large enough machine shop to correct and we will also have to order parts, I'm sure.
We've been so fortunate to have been able to have all the work done since Fritz came to us at the shop in SLC, and having been able to stay in the bus while work was being performed has spoiled us to a degree.
I keep reading horror stories about shops holding on to RV's for months at a time. Or not completing work as stated.. or price gouging. Don't get me wrong, this isn't an area where we want to penny pinch. Mike (my bro) said he expected that the work would cost around $1200, and I have no point of reference for the kind of work that needs to be done- except his professional opinion. And he's been in the biz for 30 years so I figure he's pretty dialed in.
Still- I thought I'd ask and see if any of y'all wonderful Foretravelers had any advice or recommendations before we take it to a complete stranger.
This shop has pretty mixed reviews and most of the recent ones are not too favorable. I do know that people are far more likely to leave negative reviews than positive ones..
We were ripped off in Utah- had a mobile tech replace the compressor on the Dometic 2 way refrigerator and not only was he way out of his depth but he never completed the job..
So there's that recent trauma haunting me.
Any advice, recommendations or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
I realize that we got off to a rocky start here on the forum. Not knowing the grey from the black tanks was rather embarrassing.. as was the amount of time it took to even figure it out..
It was a learning experience and I am not sure I'm ready for another just yet!
Thanks in advance. I'll probably have James do the back and forth communication for this particular topic since my memory is a bit spotty regarding what Mikes findings were exactly and what he believed needed to be done.
Cheers! Julie
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: Pamela & Mike on July 07, 2024, 09:03:27 pm
Julie,
The first thing you need to do is go over to the Wiki section of the Forum and download a copy of the 4M disc brake book. I don't care how many log trucks these folks have done as these disc brakes are an animal all to themselves. Look for a truck shop that works on fire trucks as a lot of them have these brakes.
Don't get tooo hard on yourself over the grey/black tanks. We have all made some pretty good goof ups.
Mike
Here this will save you some hunting https://www.foreforums.com/MGalleryItem.php?id=1701
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: thelazyjays on July 07, 2024, 11:23:30 pm
The first thing you need to do is go over to the Wiki section of the Forum and download a copy of the 4M disc brake book. I don't care how many log trucks these folks have done as these disc brakes are an animal all to themselves. Look for a truck shop that works on fire trucks as a lot of them have these brakes.
Don't get tooo hard on yourself over the grey/black tanks. We have all made some pretty good goof ups.
Mike
Here this will save you some hunting https://www.foreforums.com/MGalleryItem.php?id=1701
Mike- from the very depths of my heart I thank you. This straightforward and direct response has deprived my brain wiggies of sustenance. I will immediately take a look at this information. Again- my gratitude is immeasurable.
Julie
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: rbark on July 08, 2024, 12:56:59 am
Julie, Call Oregon Motorcoach Center in Eugene Oregon.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: Dennis H on July 08, 2024, 06:30:52 am
Or Preiner RV Services. Service | Premier RV (https://www.premierrvservices.com/service/)
I purchased my 2008 Nimbus through them.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: John44 on July 08, 2024, 09:01:05 am
My 2 cents worth,no expert but I have rebuilt calipers,how do you know one side is working more then the other?,as far as I know there is no "machnine shop" work on brakes,you pull a tire off and look at the pads,rotor and check the slide pins and make a diagnosis from there,$750 sounds a little hi to me just to tell you what's wrong,if the rotors and pads are good as well as the slide pins you can have the helper springs installed and you will probably be good,like the above poster said a logging truck is not a Foretravel.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: Doug W. on July 08, 2024, 10:52:54 am
This company in Tacoma say they have a tech very familiar with the Meritor air disc brakes, might give them a call.
Auto Repair in Tacoma, WA – Certified Auto Care Experts (https://genesisautorv.com/)
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: thelazyjays on July 08, 2024, 06:16:15 pm
This company in Tacoma say they have a tech very familiar with the Meritor air disc brakes, might give them a call.
Auto Repair in Tacoma, WA – Certified Auto Care Experts (https://genesisautorv.com/)
Yeah. These are the folks that we had the appointment with. Have/did you his business with them? Or did the recommendation come from someone who has? James just now postponed the appointment so I could do a little more research.. Much thanks!
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: Doug W. on July 08, 2024, 07:13:57 pm
Yeah. These are the folks that we had the appointment with. Have/did you his business with them? Or did the recommendation come from someone who has? James just now postponed the appointment so I could do a little more research.. Much thanks!
No, I called a distributor of Meritor brake components in Tacoma and asked if they could recommend a local shop that they do business with.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: John44 on July 08, 2024, 07:55:23 pm
Got to know,what's a Nyingmapa? ? ? ? ?
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: master2301 on July 08, 2024, 08:42:40 pm
Nyingma Pa is the oldest sect of Tibetan Buddhism
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: thelazyjays on September 03, 2024, 05:19:43 pm
Yup. Thanks for answering master2301, as much as I hate to admit it that's just about the most direct answer there is. And knowing that I wouldn't have answered so concisely, you can imagine my struggles as a practitioner 😂😉🫠
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: thelazyjays on September 03, 2024, 05:46:57 pm
So- an update and a couple of questions.. we found a great place here in Kent, WA. We've been given the opportunity to save some serious $$$ by ordering the parts ourselves as the repair shop is also a Volvo Tractor dealership.
Is ordering the parts from FT in Nagadoches and having them shipped to the Seattle area really the best way to save $$?
I believe my brother could order them in UT, and as a *well connected* master diesel mechanic, he may be able to save us money on shipping.
It seems a last minute funerary roadtrip to Utah with a friend of mine is in the cards for this weekend. Her car, of course.
And lastly- just how difficult/tedious/time consuming is it to do it ourselves??
It's not that we don't trust the folks who checked it out last week- they're awesome and a warranty is always welcome. I have a tiny reservation in that.. at the time of the inspection/estimate it was just the one caliper (drivers side), but since they're doing the work I believe they would like to do both sides.. I understand the philosophy and the necessity to have both sides done. I think.
**The only brake work I have done myself was on my first car, a 1964 Ford Falcon. 2 door, with a pithy 160 engine and a single barrel Holly carb. And that's the scope of my experience. James likely has much more, but never heavy duty air brakes.
Anyway... I have a list of parts that they've asked us to order:
2 x Rear Rotors 2 sets of Rear Brake Pads 1 Rear Caliper, driver side 1 Rear Caliper, passenger side 2 Rear Wheel Seals 2 Rear Axel Gaskets Caliper Mounting Bolts, both sides Pin and Slide Kits
No mention of helper springs- and I understand that we would need special grease, lubricant and perhaps a grease gun.
We travel with an Un-Godly amount of tools- metric and standard.
The only thing that might present a problem is doing it on State Park Land. Actually, the land belongs to the Puyallup tribe.. but that's not relevant to this discussion.
I do have a friend who has a home and land in Auburn and we would be able to do the work there, since it seems that disassembly is required.
Much, much gratitude. For your time, your knowledge and for sharing your experiences with us.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: red tractor on September 03, 2024, 08:06:40 pm
I would have my doubts if you need all of those parts. I understand a shop wanting to replace all of the parts , you probably don't need all of them. There is a member on here that rebuilt the calipers and repaired what ever else it needed. I can't remember his handle on here but journey and roam is part of it.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: craneman on September 03, 2024, 08:18:21 pm
I would have my doubts if you need all of those parts. I understand a shop wanting to replace all of the parts , you probably don't need all of them. There is a member on here that rebuilt the calipers and repaired what ever else it needed. I can't remember his handle on here but journey and roam is part of it.
That would have been John44 AKA David.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: John44 on September 03, 2024, 08:35:11 pm
Journy roam explore ordered his parts from Find it parts,I seriously doubt that you need new calipers and/or a rebuild,but if the shop rebuilds your calipers it may be cheaper to put new ones on,make sure you get your old ones back,someone could use them.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: dsd on September 04, 2024, 12:32:09 am
So- an update and a couple of questions.. we found a great place here in Kent, WA. We've been given the opportunity to save some serious $$$ by ordering the parts ourselves as the repair shop is also a Volvo Tractor dealership.
Is ordering the parts from FT in Nagadoches and having them shipped to the Seattle area really the best way to save $$?
I believe my brother could order them in UT, and as a *well connected* master diesel mechanic, he may be able to save us money on shipping.
It seems a last minute funerary roadtrip to Utah with a friend of mine is in the cards for this weekend. Her car, of course.
And lastly- just how difficult/tedious/time consuming is it to do it ourselves??
It's not that we don't trust the folks who checked it out last week- they're awesome and a warranty is always welcome. I have a tiny reservation in that.. at the time of the inspection/estimate it was just the one caliper (drivers side), but since they're doing the work I believe they would like to do both sides.. I understand the philosophy and the necessity to have both sides done. I think.
**The only brake work I have done myself was on my first car, a 1964 Ford Falcon. 2 door, with a pithy 160 engine and a single barrel Holly carb. And that's the scope of my experience. James likely has much more, but never heavy duty air brakes.
Anyway... I have a list of parts that they've asked us to order:
2 x Rear Rotors 2 sets of Rear Brake Pads 1 Rear Caliper, driver side 1 Rear Caliper, passenger side 2 Rear Wheel Seals 2 Rear Axel Gaskets Caliper Mounting Bolts, both sides Pin and Slide Kits
No mention of helper springs- and I understand that we would need special grease, lubricant and perhaps a grease gun.
We travel with an Un-Godly amount of tools- metric and standard.
The only thing that might present a problem is doing it on State Park Land. Actually, the land belongs to the Puyallup tribe.. but that's not relevant to this discussion.
I do have a friend who has a home and land in Auburn and we would be able to do the work there, since it seems that disassembly is required.
Much, much gratitude. For your time, your knowledge and for sharing your experiences with us.
Yep I'm not going to that place. I'm guessing your past 4k in repairs. They are selling you alot
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: Pamela & Mike on September 04, 2024, 12:01:52 pm
By the list of parts you got from this shop I don't think that they have ever had a set of these disc brakes apart. They are selling you a pig in a poke. Those calipers are made to be rebuilt not replaced. To replace one may take 6 months to get a new one much less both sides. I hope you can pack up and get on down the road to a better shop or DIY (right now this may be your best option) If you have ever done an older front brake job on a 3/4 or 1 ton GM pickup you have the skill to do these they are just bigger. If you decide to DIY several of us here that do these can talk you through the job. With the tools you have all you need is a hydraulic jack and a couple of jack stands to get started. When you really need part numbers let me know and I will repost them for you as these are not FT specific parts and a truck parts store is your best bet for what you are really going to need.
Mike
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: Elliott on September 04, 2024, 12:21:01 pm
And probably a torque multiplier to get the wheels off and back on
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: John44 on September 04, 2024, 01:52:50 pm
Wheels are the easy part,wait till you get to the rotors!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: thelazyjays on September 04, 2024, 06:51:09 pm
y'all rock. its so difficult to know who to trust these days. we haven't heard back from the shop as expected today. this after serious questions were raised by James, regarding the necessity of new parts and the condition of the old parts and exactly why they needed to be replaced.. also, a query as to why replace vs. rebuild. hmm.
seems like maybe we have been too curious. either that or they are very busy. highly probable as it was a four day weekend for them.
the forum and it's members have been of tremendous support, and an invaluable resource. we have much to ponder now. and not a ton of time before we're supposed to head south...
again, so. much. gratitude.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: John44 on September 04, 2024, 07:52:34 pm
Look at the rotors and see if they look bad,maybe take some pictures and post them,still trying to figure out how they know you need a new caliper,when Bob got his diagnosis from a shop in Okahoma it was $8k and that was for one side.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: floridarandy on September 05, 2024, 09:49:30 am
We had brakes checked on our 2000 model year coach early in our ownership (2020). What we found were pads that still had meat on them but were deteriorating. A review of records indicated the brakes may have been original (about 170k miles at that point).
We chose to have Paul Yasbeck do a complete overhaul of the brake system...about a $6k job the time. New pads, rotors turned, new slide pins and while the wheel's were off new bearings and bushings, etc.
Maybe more than what was "needed" at the moment but "insurance" and "assurance" not only for ourselves but for a future owner someday.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: FourTravelers on September 05, 2024, 10:12:09 am
Randy We had Paul Yasbeck do the same thing to ours in 2021. New pads, turned rotors, new slide pins, bearings and seals. Expensive, but it's done now, good for many, many miles.
I've got miles and miles ahead of me, Up ahead the road is bending, wonder what's around the bend? 🙂
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: thelazyjays on September 15, 2024, 02:29:15 pm
I truly appreciate the newest feedback.. We ultimately decided to hand Fritz over to the shop here in Kent. Parts arrived (I believe) from Nagadoches late last week. Our thinking being that this is a) our home, and b) should WE really try and tackle such a labor intensive job that decides the safety of not just ourselves but our fellow motorists? The resounding answer was to have a pro do it. They'll be replacing some parts, and rebuilding others. It's not gonna be cheap and it's not going to be exorbitant. Somewhere between 3-4K. Judging by the latest feedback, we may be getting a deal..
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: Ldillow on September 16, 2024, 10:48:13 am
Let us know how it works out, i need mine looked at too, may go there as well.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: thelazyjays on September 27, 2024, 04:34:58 pm
Hey All—
Well we bit the bullet and left Fritz with TEC in Kent, WA.
What a phenomenal group of people they are..
I'll update fully later as we're stuck here in the parking lot with a front door that won't close.
Gonna create a new post for that one 😂
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: thelazyjays on September 27, 2024, 07:04:31 pm
I'm not being glib when I say that we're lucky to be alive. The folks at TEC were floored that we managed to make it from the campground to the shop. The rotor was sheared clean in half. And the pads...
Just wow.
More updates to come..
Parts from Foretravel incl. shipping was $1200. Parts and labor from TEC was just under $2500.
I'm floored. These folks are likely the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met.
So to break it down we got new rotors, pads, gaskets and slide pins. The caliper was rebuilt. The invoice isn't in front of me at the moment.
All I can say is that these folks are going to be our new mechanic's. We'll be using them for ongoing maintenance and all the repair work for the foreseeable future.
[ My brother is taking a break from work as he's moved home to look after our mom, who has early onset dementia and Alzheimer's. She had a stroke in early 2022, and a bleed on her brain a year later. She's in good spirits and he's doing more than anyone could ask in this situation. I refuse to heap any more weight on him than is necessary. His gf is staying with them as well. She's a caregiver— trained specifically to help look after people like my mom. I don't know how I, actually we are so fortunate.]
And the only way I know how to repay TEC for their hard work and dedication is to tell EVERYONE that these are the best people in the PNW to help repair and maintain Foretravel's.
TEC is actually in Des Moines. 25619 Pacific Highway South Des Moines, WA 98198 206.764.3833
Linda Shine is the most radiant and patient of all Service Advisors. Jon Noyes is the most sincere and honest Service Manager. Ever.
Title: Re: Brake Work in the PNW
Post by: kimosabe99 on September 28, 2024, 01:53:36 pm