Rear Wheel Cylinders?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
Rear Wheel Cylinders...please help I went to Pep Boys today to get a free brake inspection and they told me the things that needed to be done were the front brakes, and because the front brakes were overly used, the rotors, and I think the brake pads as well.
I did that for just under 200 bucks, but then they said that the rear wheel cylinders was leaking minimally and it would be a good idea to change that within the next couple of months. Personally I didnt have a good experience with them today, the assistant manager was a complete jerk to me and the guy who tested my car out was abusing it like hell and clearly didnt know how to handle the car because he revved it up loudly (I know he did it on purpose too) he slammed on the brakes like very hard, backed out way too fast, put the pedal down while turning and to top it all off, because of the long hood he parked the car into the bush and that could easily cause an oil leak at my expense. The assistant manager talked to me in a very monotone voice and like I was an idiot I was just pissed. The main manager was very nice, polite, but this other *** was just mean and nasty.
Anyway, is it possible for these guys to make a wrong diagnosis? Is there a way I can check for myself to see if the car is truly leaking in the back? I am going to Midas and some other places tomorrow to see if they say the same. I mean I checked in the back and there should be fluid flowing through if there was a leak but there's nothing seeping out. Do some of these free brake inspection guys do this just to make you pay more money or what? The screeching is now gone replaced with new shiny rotors and brakes...but still...
I did that for just under 200 bucks, but then they said that the rear wheel cylinders was leaking minimally and it would be a good idea to change that within the next couple of months. Personally I didnt have a good experience with them today, the assistant manager was a complete jerk to me and the guy who tested my car out was abusing it like hell and clearly didnt know how to handle the car because he revved it up loudly (I know he did it on purpose too) he slammed on the brakes like very hard, backed out way too fast, put the pedal down while turning and to top it all off, because of the long hood he parked the car into the bush and that could easily cause an oil leak at my expense. The assistant manager talked to me in a very monotone voice and like I was an idiot I was just pissed. The main manager was very nice, polite, but this other *** was just mean and nasty.
Anyway, is it possible for these guys to make a wrong diagnosis? Is there a way I can check for myself to see if the car is truly leaking in the back? I am going to Midas and some other places tomorrow to see if they say the same. I mean I checked in the back and there should be fluid flowing through if there was a leak but there's nothing seeping out. Do some of these free brake inspection guys do this just to make you pay more money or what? The screeching is now gone replaced with new shiny rotors and brakes...but still...
Staging Lane
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Step #1 Don't return to Pepboys for any repairs. There's no excuse for them to thrash your car, period. Unforgiveable sin is doing it in front of you nonetheless. As hard as I try to practice my Christian faith, I would've dragged that guy out of the car by the back of his neck and demanded the manager fire him for it on the spot. There are places that will treat you and your car with far greater respect and probably do the job for the same price.
Step #2 jack up the back of your car and put it on jack stands. Remove the rear wheels. Lightly tap on the back edge of the drum brake cover so you can pull it off the wheel studs. A wheel cylinder is the hydrolic devise that pushes the brake shoes outwards... looks like a small cylider about an inch in diameter and a 1.5-2"s long... had a small piston on each end. If it leaks, it will have brake fluid coming out by the rubber diaphrams on one or both ends.
If that all seems a little too daunting for you, make sure your brake fluid is topped off on a regular interval (once a month). If it doesn't go down, you either don't have a leak, or it's very small. If the level starts to drop more than a small amount, take it to a different shop. Replacing a wheel cylinder was one of the first "real" repairs I made using a Haynes manual... the parts and supplies cost less than $20 and it took a couple hours my first time through.
If you have any further questions, feel free to email me at: information01@sguth.net since I don't check the forums regularily.
-Scott
Step #2 jack up the back of your car and put it on jack stands. Remove the rear wheels. Lightly tap on the back edge of the drum brake cover so you can pull it off the wheel studs. A wheel cylinder is the hydrolic devise that pushes the brake shoes outwards... looks like a small cylider about an inch in diameter and a 1.5-2"s long... had a small piston on each end. If it leaks, it will have brake fluid coming out by the rubber diaphrams on one or both ends.
If that all seems a little too daunting for you, make sure your brake fluid is topped off on a regular interval (once a month). If it doesn't go down, you either don't have a leak, or it's very small. If the level starts to drop more than a small amount, take it to a different shop. Replacing a wheel cylinder was one of the first "real" repairs I made using a Haynes manual... the parts and supplies cost less than $20 and it took a couple hours my first time through.
If you have any further questions, feel free to email me at: information01@sguth.net since I don't check the forums regularily.
-Scott
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
thank you sir, I took it to Midas the following day after I got my repairs done and Pepboys was not a good deal, it was the front brakes that needed replacing and the two front rotors as well.
I could have gotten the front brakes done at Midas for 70 dollars and the rotors wouldnt have costed much more.
PepBoys sincerely pissed me off that day which is too bad because the main service manager was a very nice guy he answered all of my questions with delight and enthusiasm, and was just overall helpful. But that assistant manager was a very different story, he was unenthusiastic, I felt like he wanted me to leave everytime I asked him a question, he was very abrupt and forceful talking, he didn't have the slightest sense of customer satisfaction. And the moron who drove my car was enjoying thrashing it. At that point though I didn't do anything, I just took it in and left because I dont like creating ruckus at stores. If they dont want my business that is always the clearest thing and I will not return there.
Anyway was I said before the guys at Midas said they couldn't find any leaking fluid in the back, but there was alot of grease and it was very dirty, so he recommended new brake fluid and some cleaning in the back. I'll hold off on the cleaning for now unless its an absolute must, but they were veyr polite and honest.
I could have gotten the front brakes done at Midas for 70 dollars and the rotors wouldnt have costed much more.
PepBoys sincerely pissed me off that day which is too bad because the main service manager was a very nice guy he answered all of my questions with delight and enthusiasm, and was just overall helpful. But that assistant manager was a very different story, he was unenthusiastic, I felt like he wanted me to leave everytime I asked him a question, he was very abrupt and forceful talking, he didn't have the slightest sense of customer satisfaction. And the moron who drove my car was enjoying thrashing it. At that point though I didn't do anything, I just took it in and left because I dont like creating ruckus at stores. If they dont want my business that is always the clearest thing and I will not return there.
Anyway was I said before the guys at Midas said they couldn't find any leaking fluid in the back, but there was alot of grease and it was very dirty, so he recommended new brake fluid and some cleaning in the back. I'll hold off on the cleaning for now unless its an absolute must, but they were veyr polite and honest.
Originally Posted by NoSlowSS
Step #1 Don't return to Pepboys for any repairs. There's no excuse for them to thrash your car, period. Unforgiveable sin is doing it in front of you nonetheless. As hard as I try to practice my Christian faith, I would've dragged that guy out of the car by the back of his neck and demanded the manager fire him for it on the spot. There are places that will treat you and your car with far greater respect and probably do the job for the same price.
Step #2 jack up the back of your car and put it on jack stands. Remove the rear wheels. Lightly tap on the back edge of the drum brake cover so you can pull it off the wheel studs. A wheel cylinder is the hydrolic devise that pushes the brake shoes outwards... looks like a small cylider about an inch in diameter and a 1.5-2"s long... had a small piston on each end. If it leaks, it will have brake fluid coming out by the rubber diaphrams on one or both ends.
If that all seems a little too daunting for you, make sure your brake fluid is topped off on a regular interval (once a month). If it doesn't go down, you either don't have a leak, or it's very small. If the level starts to drop more than a small amount, take it to a different shop. Replacing a wheel cylinder was one of the first "real" repairs I made using a Haynes manual... the parts and supplies cost less than $20 and it took a couple hours my first time through.
If you have any further questions, feel free to email me at: information01@sguth.net since I don't check the forums regularily.
-Scott
Step #2 jack up the back of your car and put it on jack stands. Remove the rear wheels. Lightly tap on the back edge of the drum brake cover so you can pull it off the wheel studs. A wheel cylinder is the hydrolic devise that pushes the brake shoes outwards... looks like a small cylider about an inch in diameter and a 1.5-2"s long... had a small piston on each end. If it leaks, it will have brake fluid coming out by the rubber diaphrams on one or both ends.
If that all seems a little too daunting for you, make sure your brake fluid is topped off on a regular interval (once a month). If it doesn't go down, you either don't have a leak, or it's very small. If the level starts to drop more than a small amount, take it to a different shop. Replacing a wheel cylinder was one of the first "real" repairs I made using a Haynes manual... the parts and supplies cost less than $20 and it took a couple hours my first time through.
If you have any further questions, feel free to email me at: information01@sguth.net since I don't check the forums regularily.
-Scott
