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Topic: Sticky Calipers (Read 668 times) previous topic - next topic

Sticky Calipers

Hey all, just thought I'd post a note.  We had some problems barely an hour into our trip.  Steering felt... strange.  Things were not pulling or wandering quite as normal so I pulled into a rest area and used my harbor freight IR thermometer (Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer With Laser Targeting) goes on sale cheap now and then to quickly measure hub and tire temperatures all around.  Usually the tire temperature on a hot day is around 130-140F while the hub temperature is 90-105F.  The front driver hub measured 150F.  Hmm. not good.  A guy came by and showed me how the slack adjustors work.  I jacked up that wheel and adjusted them but of course it didn't help because I already knew the true problem, sticky pins. 

I went down the road another 10 miles or so and pulled over at an exit to check.  It was 180F and I was careful to use the retarder for most of my stopping.  Okay, now I know I have a problem.  Pulled in to Ring power CAT in Riverview florida (since they were right there and I figured they probably service RV's).  I begged them to take us in and take a look real quick.  I told them if they pull the wheel and replace it I could do the rest. 

They talked and hemmed and hawed and told me 5 hours labor and come back on Monday.  I told them if they make me wait until Monday I will find the solution before then for sure.  Then they said oh we'll do it today.  I said I know for a fact it's a 1 hour job and I'd be willing to go as high as 2.  They agreed on 2 and began.  It was exactly as easy as I thought it was, beadblast the pins and reinstall and all is well.  Took less than an hour and due to something or other they decided to actually charge me for only the hour even though the shop lead said I'd still be paying the 2 hours.

Dealing with this shop was a lot nicer than cummins tampa, where your coach is taken and you are ushered to a waiting room.  I am unwilling to do that and they actually let my family stay in the coach while it was inside the bay being worked on.  But they were very serious about safety glasses!  The techs and staff were competent and friendly and it was interesting watching all the giant construction equipment being tested and repaired.  I was also able to hold their hands to warn them to be careful with the retainers so that they didn't break them and to not grease the caliper itself.

But alas I think it's time to buy and carry a 3/4 or 1" air impact gun....  I mean they got me out of a jam and it was a good experience overall but this is about the 8 billionth time a shop has played fast and loose with the pricing with me.  They see the coach and the $ signs seem to light up in their eyes.  It also seems to pay to hash out an estimate and rationale for said estimate before the work begins.  Later on they claimed the 5 hours came from a previous set they did on another coach that weren't like the meritors and they say they overestimate as much as possible so that nobody is upset when the final bill comes.  But thing is, if I didn't argue would the final bill have been for 5 hours?  They were fully planning to charge me for 2 hours when it was less than 1 of real time.  And I mean I understand book rates and all but ehh, things just seem a little too "how much can you pay?" for my liking in this industry as a whole.

Re: Sticky Calipers

Reply #1 –
Also operating the jack was difficult to say the least.  The air powered bottle jack might be a better idea as well.

Re: Sticky Calipers

Reply #2 –
@piku  Next time you have the wheels off you might consider putting on the caliper helper springs which have been talked about many times here on the forum. Simple addition.
Rick