Brake failure?

100% unprofessional. They're off my list too. Smacks of what the customer doesn't see isn't worth bothering - they put plenty of effort into making them look good.

 

Agreed. I'll etc you know the outcome of my conversation with them on Monday. Disappointing to say the least.

 

"it was a trainee"
You heard it here first.

 

For anyone interested, this is what the pads on the caliper that siezed look like compared to the other side:

The bearings smell burnt and the grease on both sides are black. Glad I did both sides.

 

"It must have come out of your air compressor."

 

Just going back, looking at the pictures, all that silicone grease in the bottom of the piston - should that be there? Does it dissolve in brake fluid? Seems odd to me but now I'm wondering if I should have cleaned the lot out

 

I'd imagine it'll be fine.

 

If it’s silicone grease it won’t dissolve in normal brake fluid, it’ll stay as a sludge in the caliper, but ask Bigg Red what they use, it might not be silicone.

 

Thanks chaps. Will check with them on that too.

I forgot to post the other side inner races. They were trashed. Hardly surprising since the previous garage didn't even drive the old ones out and just put new roller bearings in!

This job has just proved to me even more that if you want a job done right, do it yourself.

 

We all get to that point eventually. I would put it like this - Why pay for someone to mess it up when I can mess it up myself for free?

 

That’s just lazyness.

 

I can confirm that - my bearings were noisy first time I moved it, I nicked the outer races from a parts van to get through the MOT and forgot all about it until 5,000 miles later they also got flats and I remembered what I'd done. At the time I reasoned that I'd damage the inners getting them off so it was pointless to try and I was booked in for the MOT / it was Christmas eve. The inner and outer were 2 different makes, surprising they lasted as long as they did really.

 

To close this one off, Bigg Red accepted responsibility and put it down to the helicoiling. They've offered to do them again in the winter with a finish of my choice rather than just the rattle can silver. That's fair enough.

 

That's encouraging. I'll put them back on my Xmas card list

 

Obviously tapping for a helicoil creating swarf is very unusual. Could happen to any engineering firm. I mean - what! Are they expected to know everything!
It's ok though, they'll paint them a different colour next time - that should sort it - if only they'd painted them red none of this would ever have happened.
They're still off my list. lol