King Zoo, sorry for singling you out and I don't want to cause drama. The thing is as a tech it is insulting to me to hear such unfounded fear of professionals in my line of career. I whole heartedly encourage those who can do their own work to do so and for those who almost can to gain the skill sets and learn to. I for one have made my living off the skill sets I learned as a result of not being able to afford to have somebody else do it for me.
The fact is most cars you see at a junk yard have bald tires and crash damage, related perhaps? Most likely, and it's a sign of people who don't keep up on their maintenance enough to stay out of harms way. Yes even when the pads are gone your car will come to a halt as metal to metal will still bring you to a stop. Albeit with grinding and noise. But at the same distance? Perhaps not. For the most part when things like this are overlooked it simply gets more expensive to repair. I have however seen some just plain scary vehicles. I just about hit the alignment rack one day because no brakes really meant NO BRAKES! I've seen ball joints come completely out of the socket with little more than prying the control arm downward. This sort of thing could come apart over a speed bump or high speed pothole. I've seen axle shafts come apart when a bearing finally seizes up.

Yes I'm preaching but someone has to.  Never forget that you are hurtling 2100+ lbs of steel rubber and glass down the road, on most vehicles twice that. Please just drive safe people.

And yes it is a crime to drive past the limits of your parts, that's why we have safety inspections. Every shop has the ability as enforced via the Highway patrol to keep an unsafe car from driving out of the parking lot.  Not that it is good business practice to do so. I'll stop preaching now. Thanks for listening.
      Hakuna Mahtata!

      Hakuna Mahtata!

Ha...ku... na

Ma... ta... ta

it means no worries

*tries not to break out in song*   

You know, I think enough is enough with this:

MY BREAKS WORK FINE, SO STOP PREACHING!!!

Are you going to get into religion next?

You're getting real obnoxious with this, not to mention the fact that you're trying to tell me to DO IT MYSELF!

Moderators, sorry if I went over the line here, but this is totally out of line.

You gotta get past this, Ira.  I followed the other thread, and it never even came to mind when reading this post until you mentioned it.  Let him do his thing, you do your thing, and let that be that.  No sense getting yourself in a lather over something some dude who has nothing to do with you is typing on a bulletin board.  In fact, I may have to start needling you myself if it's that easy to get a rise out of you!  It'd sure beat working!

Turn the other cheek.  Live and let live.  Don't mess around with Slim.  Every rose has its thorns.  To infinity, and beyond!  I have no idea what I'm talking about now.

thank you so very much! i do not say anything just let my work speak for itself. the only time i have a vehicle return is a happy customer bringing it back for some other reason because they were happy with my work. there have been tech's or mechanics who are shady yet that is no reason to say we all are. just thought i would thank everyone who still keeps faith in us.

I have however seen some just plain scary vehicles. I just about hit the alignment rack one day because no brakes really meant NO BRAKES! I've seen ball joints come completely out of the socket with little more than prying the control arm downward. This sort of thing could come apart over a speed bump or high speed pothole. I've seen axle shafts come apart when a bearing finally seizes up.

We had a semi truck drive in with the tie rod end attached with bailing wire. He said "I had to stop twice on the way here cause it kept popping out"(ball out of socket). Driver didn't know It wasn't suppose to do that. Thats not even the worst.
 

I have had plenty of mechanics say i need this or that then when i say i cant afford to do it all, they oh well i guess i could cut the rotors one more time or i guess i could drill out this or do that for alot cheaper then their first estimate price, when they figure out they aint getting the money they trying to con you out of.....

I don't know the shop you are talking about but when I read this It makes me think about the fact that there is a right way to fix things and a cheap way to fix things. They are not the same. You might be able to "cut the rotors one more time" but why not purchase new rotors so the work won't have to be redone sooner because of a warped rotor? How much money are you saving in the long run? That mechanic is making the same amount of money either way and most likely so is the shop.

j

I think we lost Ira. Ira are you there?

-Adam

hell i live in a small town right next to a reservation. ive seen some vehicles that would make you worry about being on the streets. try telling a car load of oversized arapahoe guys that the metal on metal sound they hear when they step on their brakes isnt good. or that the oil leak only stopped because they quit putting oil in it. i had a guy bring in a car that was stopping with the caliper pucks and all he wanted me to do was repair the tail lights. i think they should patrol for unsafe cars and condem them.

i to agree that a tech should be taken seriously, but there are exceptions. im a tech myself so i can honestly admit to seeing some almost un-honests up-sales. ive even seen a few techs break something and then charge the customer for it. ive seen half |removethispart|@$$ work go out the door. but as a tech i "WILL NOT "throw a co worker under the bus. ill voice my opinions and hope it helps, but theres a line that cant be crossed there. i believe in a customer getting second opinions anytime something doesnt seem right. but it does pi$$ me of to get flat blown off by a customer when something needs repaired for safety reasons. they could atleast go for that second opinion. i have family on the road with these people, and its scarry as he11to think about them out there with the morons.

   I am a master certified ase mechanic,and a master certified emergency vehicle technician,and have been for 18 years.All i am saying is if you are not capable of fixing something don't.
  Check into the machanic you choose to use,I have had many people even ask for references.Allways keep the old part so you can show the consumer what was replaced and why,then take it back for your core deposit return.It goes a long way in customer relations,and makes it easier for the customer to understand.
   But like i said,a shop and tools don't make a mechanic.I have had to fire 2 very certified ase mechanics because they were completely incapable.