What's everybody doing today?

[Pearl]

I spent most of my life as a mechanic. What they are telling you doesn't make sense. Unless there's something really unique about your brake lines we used to just buy generic steel lines then shorten and bend them to fit.

Brake lines usually rust out in places where the brake line runs through accumulated dirt/mud. The dirt gets wet then turns to mud which keeps the steel line buried in moisture and the lines rust through from the outside. I've never seen a time that all of the lines needed to be replaced.

I would get a second opinion from another shop.

That's what I said!!

 

[Magus]

Witchin' in the kitchen, recipe to follow!

 

[gloryroad56]

Today, I have a long day ahead of me as I will be spending most of it shopping for supplies. My family only shops about twice a month and we try to live off what we grow ourselves, such as cabbage, collards, and beans. We are very conscious of our spending and only buy what is necessary to sustain ourselves. It's important to be mindful of our resources and be grateful for what we have.

 

[INresponse]

I spent most of my life as a mechanic. What they are telling you doesn't make sense. Unless there's something really unique about your brake lines we used to just buy generic steel lines then shorten and bend them to fit.

Brake lines usually rust out in places where the brake line runs through accumulated dirt/mud. The dirt gets wet then turns to mud which keeps the steel line buried in moisture and the lines rust through from the outside. I've never seen a time that all of the lines needed to be replaced.

I would get a second opinion from another shop.

That's what I said!!

I agree. Although it is possible I never experienced brake lines rusting out. 6 years ago my GF hit a deer with her Suburban in Indiana and a brake line broke so on top of the other crash damage they totaled the truck, the mechanic claimed it was rusted but I was 1500 miles away and didn't get a chance to look at the damage. Aside from that one incidence I never heard of brake lines rusting out. A second estimate at a good mechanic shop should be step two. And, like @mosquitomountainman said it doesn't make sense. Are you some where wet with salt on the roads in the winter? Even still it should only be one line, or maybe 2 lines, and it should be an easy fix. I hate mechanics that over charge for work that is not needed.
I grew up in Michigan where salt on the roads is a 4 month routine and never knew anyone with such a problem, but that was years ago when things were still made with good steal.

 

[sonya123]

I spent most of my life as a mechanic. What they are telling you doesn't make sense. Unless there's something really unique about your brake lines we used to just buy generic steel lines then shorten and bend them to fit.

Brake lines usually rust out in places where the brake line runs through accumulated dirt/mud. The dirt gets wet then turns to mud which keeps the steel line buried in moisture and the lines rust through from the outside. I've never seen a time that all of the lines needed to be replaced.

I would get a second opinion from another shop.

That is exactly what they are going to do, buy generic lines , bend them and put new fittings . I have called 4 places including dealer and they all told me this is an all day job to replace them all , and they have no time to do it....
I guess for newer vehicles they appearantly make exact fitting sets of those things where they can just install them.
And they all told me this also: if some of it is rusted , they won't install just a small section but will replace the whole thing ( safety issue, which I agree with ), so the next weak section won't break after the broken one is installed. We live on a mountain, the roads are very steep and brakes are not something I want to take chances on

LOL want to come live with us? All you have to do is fix our vehicles and you can live here for free, we have an extra bedroom.....

 

[sonya123]

I agree. Although it is possible I never experienced brake lines rusting out. 6 years ago my GF hit a deer with her Suburban in Indiana and a brake line broke so on top of the other crash damage they totaled the truck, the mechanic claimed it was rusted but I was 1500 miles away and didn't get a chance to look at the damage. Aside from that one incidence I never heard of brake lines rusting out. A second estimate at a good mechanic shop should be step two. And, like @mosquitomountainman said it doesn't make sense. Are you some where wet with salt on the roads in the winter? Even still it should only be one line, or maybe 2 lines, and it should be an easy fix. I hate mechanics that over charge for work that is not needed.
I grew up in Michigan where salt on the roads is a 4 month routine and never knew anyone with such a problem, but that was years ago when things were still made with good steal.

Yeah, we live in a very wet area with snow and salt on the road and use the truck to haul stuff often in somewhat muddy conditions. There is some rust on the doors also.

Ok, so where am I going to have this vehicle towed to next for the second opinion? The tire place i had my master cylinder replaced at last year told me they won't work on brake line installations. Too time consuming and they generally send people elsewhere for that.
The dealer told me she would have to see it to tell me anything but they are too busy and it would take weeks to even look at....
The Firestone place where it is at is where we used to get most of our vehicles fixed
The local repair shop ripped us off with my daughter's broken Suburban and I am never going back there (don't ask, that whole family is nuts, same family that won't deliver gravel to us because we live in a Amish community)
So where ? You see the problem.....
I have had good experiences with the Chevy dealer ( they fixed my Yukon last year) but not sure they will work on a Dodge? Will they? Maybe I should call them

 

[sonya123]

Mowed and pulled weeds yesterday, and will do it again today since tomorrow it is supposed to rain again
Going to the flea market tomorrow wonder if and how much we will sell there....
Need to thin out some plants in the garden, beets . I put the seeds out as best as I can but somehow they still clump together.
Did most of the laundry yesterday but ran out of clothes line so a few more loads today

 

[Tootsie]

Yeah, we live in a very wet area with snow and salt on the road and use the truck to haul stuff often in somewhat muddy conditions. There is some rust on the doors also.

Ok, so where am I going to have this vehicle towed to next for the second opinion? The tire place i had my master cylinder replaced at last year told me they won't work on brake line installations. Too time consuming and they generally send people elsewhere for that.
The dealer told me she would have to see it to tell me anything but they are too busy and it would take weeks to even look at....
The Firestone place where it is at is where we used to get most of our vehicles fixed
The local repair shop ripped us off with my daughter's broken Suburban and I am never going back there (don't ask, that whole family is nuts, same family that won't deliver gravel to us because we live in a Amish community)
So where ? You see the problem.....
I have had good experiences with the Chevy dealer ( they fixed my Yukon last year) but not sure they will work on a Dodge? Will they? Maybe I should call them

A vehicle is a vehicle. Chevy dealer ought to be fine. When you find a mechanic you can trust, stay with them.

 

[Pearl]

Yeah, we live in a very wet area with snow and salt on the road and use the truck to haul stuff often in somewhat muddy conditions. There is some rust on the doors also.

Ok, so where am I going to have this vehicle towed to next for the second opinion? The tire place i had my master cylinder replaced at last year told me they won't work on brake line installations. Too time consuming and they generally send people elsewhere for that.
The dealer told me she would have to see it to tell me anything but they are too busy and it would take weeks to even look at....
The Firestone place where it is at is where we used to get most of our vehicles fixed
The local repair shop ripped us off with my daughter's broken Suburban and I am never going back there (don't ask, that whole family is nuts, same family that won't deliver gravel to us because we live in a Amish community)
So where ? You see the problem.....
I have had good experiences with the Chevy dealer ( they fixed my Yukon last year) but not sure they will work on a Dodge? Will they? Maybe I should call them

Yes, call them. The Ford dealership in the town I work in will do repairs on other models.

 

[Tootsie]

A follow up for me on last week’s ? post on the frame replacement for my Tacoma. Replacement was done in 2 days, and we declined the several thousand dollar additional work required. My husband got the chance to check out what they claimed needed to be done. He has spent a couple of days working on it and has gotten parts easily enough. I don’t have to pay him 189/hour. A nice ice cream sundae ought to do it.
For once I’m glad he retired.

 

[UrbanHunter]

On the brake lines rusting out, if you live in a state where they use salt in the winter you can expect the brake lines to rust out someplace between 15 or 20 years of service. On my old truck, which is 22 years old, I replaced the brake lines when I was doing some engine work about 4 years ago. I figured that while I had the engine and transmission out I could easily replace all the brake lines. I have been thinking about buying a new one, but the electronics and the cost have me taking a second thought about that. If I had a barn or a garage with a concrete floor I would just say, to heck with it and keep driving this thing for another 20 years...!

 

[mosquitomountainman]

That is exactly what they are going to do, buy generic lines , bend them and put new fittings . I have called 4 places including dealer and they all told me this is an all day job to replace them all , and they have no time to do it....
I guess for newer vehicles they appearantly make exact fitting sets of those things where they can just install them.
And they all told me this also: if some of it is rusted , they won't install just a small section but will replace the whole thing ( safety issue, which I agree with ), so the next weak section won't break after the broken one is installed. We live on a mountain, the roads are very steep and brakes are not something I want to take chances on

LOL want to come live with us? All you have to do is fix our vehicles and you can live here for free, we have an extra bedroom.....

I understand what is going on now. You're kind of a victim of circumstances. It's really hard to get anything fixed in a timely manner in a shop around here also. Everyone is 2 to 6 weeks out on their schedule.

Even though I do not believe it is necessary I understand why they are going to do all of the brake lines. I had my own shop for a number of years and I quit doing favors for people. For example on brake work I would give them a cut rate job simply replacing the brake pads or shoes. But also explaining very carefully that if they chose this route that their brakes would squeak! That was a guaranteed! I would even write it on the repair order and have them sign it before I did any work. Then I had a couple of a-holes who listened very carefully and signed the statement then when their brakes squeaked after they got their car back, and they found out that I would make them pay for the extra work needed to make the brakes quiet, they began to complain to everybody that they knew and tell them how they paid so many dollars for a brake job and the brakes still made lots of noise and how I was ripping them off to make them pay more to get it fixed right.

I told them to stay off my property and never come back for any car repairs again. And that's the last time I ever cut anyone any slack. They either paid for the job done right or they took it somewhere else I don't need that kind of hassle. I want to make it clear that this was not a safety issue. I simply told them that those brakes were going to make noise unless I machined the rotors and drums.

And while this is not pointing a finger at you I certainly understand why shops do not offer cut rate jobs. Especially on something like brake lines which would have them extremely vulnerable for any issues that would occur later.

It's unfortunate that jerks make it harder for the rest of us but that's just the way things go.

I can tell you a lot of stories about how people tried to rip me off in my shop as well. Ironically I've had vehicles break down where I could not fix them myself and I fully understand how difficult it is to trust someone else to work on my vehicles. My son is also a mechanic and both of us feel the same way if we could just rent a place and their shop to work on our own stuff I'd prefer to do that rather than have anybody else work on it.

We recently experienced those problems getting my pickup fixed for engine problems. In the first instance the shop actually did okay but could not get the parts from their suppliers as quickly as I can get my own. So they asked me to go ahead and get mine because I was approaching a Time deadline that was not changeable. So they put my parts on charge me extra which they said they would do and then the damn part went bad a thousand miles down the road. Of course they don't guarantee parts that they don't sell which meant that I had to take it to another shop and they basically redid everything that the first shop did Plus there were a couple of other things wrong that they fixed as well. We put over $5,000 in repairs on that truck and then the second shop sent my wife on the road with that thing leaking oil at the rate of a quart every 50 miles. They gave me some kind of BS explanation of what the leak was and said they didn't have time to fix it. So she ended up taking it the thousand Miles back to our winter quarters leaving a trail of oil all the way. Once she was back there we got references from the local parts store about a decent mechanic and he came and fixed the oil leak which was apparently caused by the mechanic who had worked on the truck the second time. I was a thousand Miles the other direction this second time so my wife was pretty much down there on her own.

Finding a shop and getting auto repairs done is an extremely stressful problem. I have only known two shops that employed dishonest mechanics. And it cost the shops a horrible amount of money. Even after they fired them they ended up repairing stuff for free for several months afterwards.

I appreciate the offer. But I already have 20 acres of mountain Land and I dearly love them! Plus for the last four years I haven't been able to do much on our own vehicles even. Now that I have my second knee fixed I got a ton of repair work to catch up on with our own stuff!

We have a small cabin on our property and we have considered letting someone live there rent free and even paying for their phone and internet also just to have somebody on the place to watch over our stuff while we are down south during the winter. But conditions are primitive they have to haul water and they have to use an outhouse or composting toilet and it's so very hard to find anyone you can actually trust. Plus with our location if you have to drive out every day to a job it's difficult. Our road leaves much to be desired. And most people seem to feel that they have to run into town two or three times a day for their cappuccino. The nearest so-called town is 7 miles away. It has one Church, two bars and a convenience store/gas station. The next closest place is 20 miles away. They have two grocery stores that are horribly expensive and gas stations convenience stores and bars and a smattering of small businesses. But if you want to even buy a shirt to wear you have to drive another 65 miles to the next town. There they actually have the things people need at a much more reasonable price.

Anyway, after this incessant rambling I do hope they get your brake lines on your truck so that you can get on the road and get those things done.

 

[sonya123]

A vehicle is a vehicle. Chevy dealer ought to be fine. When you find a mechanic you can trust, stay with them.

Called the chevy dealer, the guy there told me if it was a Chevy he would do it but not on this old Dodge but he recommended a place. So I called and he said he'll look at it and yes , he can fix brakes. Called the tow truck to have it towed there. We'll see.....
It is incredibly difficult to find a good repair shop here that is not booked up until second Tuesday of next week....

I hope the tow truck doesn't take off with it....lol be our luck

 

[sonya123]

Anyway, after this incessant rambling I do hope they get your brake lines on your truck so that you can get on the road and get those things done.

Thanks for your input!! And sorry you had all those problems also. Wow , never spent $5000 on any repair

We had a guy with a small shop right down the road from us in Orlando that did a great job at reasonable price but he retired and moved to Colorado the last few years we lived there so we started having firestone fix some of our vehicle problems and do regular maintenance stuff . The one we went to in Orlando was pretty good and usually gave us a good deal on repairs

we live about 40 minutes driving from the nearest town so we are out in a very rural area also, we live in a mostly Amish community . Up until last year we had friends down the road that could fix vehicles, do farm work for us we didn't have the equipment to do and give us a ride if needed but they moved about an hour away and stopped farming. We're still friends of course but they can no longer help out if we need something
It's sometimes difficult living away from stuff but I like it here
Plus I don't always want to bother other people to do things, everyone is busy

Our neighbor was going to move a manure pile for us with his bobcat but everytime he had time it rained and was too muddy to do it. So we finally rented one, on the way to get it, the brakes went out ( posted that earlier) , so we had it delivered. Believe it or not, the thing is still sitting here a week later because the rental place doesn't have a driver available to pick it up....I already called them twice to make sure we don't get charged for the whole week instead of the 2 days we rented it for but they assured us, no we don't. We'll see, I can just see the next problem coming up

 

[Spikedriver]

Yes, call them. The Ford dealership in the town I work in will do repairs on other models.

I agree with this. Especially for a part like a brake line thats common to every vehicle on the road, they can do the repair. If it was something like the computer that's Chevy specific, it might be a bigger problem...

 

[Wingnut]

Gonna keep working on the bathroom decor, but two of my younger cats are MIA and there's a rumor of a bobcat in the area... I hope little Z-Girl and Black Diamond are okay, but things don't look so good at this time. Zorlac is still here, and of course Tiger & Crackhead are old campaigners, though Tiger is limping for some reason. I don't see any signs of trauma, I hope it's not an abscess... however, an abscess will burst in due time, especially if the cat worries at it. I can't see any sign of swelling due to an abscess, but sometimes they're hard to detect. Cr@ppy start to my day, all this bad news... but I've done just about all I can do, apart from searching the neighborhood, I suppose I'll try that later if the cats don't reappear. I hope some idiot didn't leave poison out where the young cats could reach it...

 

[DrJenner]

Slow start to the day today. Having coffee now, and then will get out and scrape down the area where we are going to construct the quonset hut. Using the bobcat is fun.
Finished scraping down the area for the raised beds and hauled gravel there. Will level those out today and get to planting as soon as we finish constructing the netting to go around it to deter the birds and deer.
These are the raised beds I made, wood cut from our trees. I cut to length and screwed the boards together. landscape netting for the bottom with 1 x 6 slats. The little squares are for the poles to stand on that will have the netting attached.

 

[Pearl]

I agree with this. Especially for a part like a brake line thats common to every vehicle on the road, they can do the repair. If it was something like the computer that's Chevy specific, it might be a bigger problem...

Our former neighbor and friend was parts manager at that Ford dealership. He ordered the chip for my Pontiac and Ford installed it!

 

[gloryroad56]

During our shopping trip, I ran across my older brother. I was so excited to see him! We decided to go out for lunch and catch up on everything that's been going on in our lives. We even snapped a few pictures to remember the occasion. It was such a great time, and it's always a special treat to spend time with family. Although we live about 20 miles apart, moments like these make the distance feel insignificant.

 

[Peanut]

Felt like doing a little today, ran the bush hog a couple hrs. Cleaned up around the garden, the elderberry, chicken pen and pole barn. Then cut the bull pen and the corral. The bull pen has several large pecan trees, keep it cut close all summer, easier to pick up pecans in the fall.

My cousin is going to rebuild the corral, needs it. I rebuilt it the last time, maybe 10yrs ago… about the same time my big Charolais bull put me in the hospital.

Anyway, got the place looking better. A friend is supposed to come harvest elderberry blooms monday. Elder is blooming slowly this year, doesn’t look like it’ll be ready by then, might have to wait a few more days.

 

[zannej]

I got stuff at Walmart again. Went down to the workshop to paint the trim. Did some word puzzles on Mistplay to try to get some amazon gift cards. Took pics of cats. Waiting for mom to say she wants food so I can cook.

 

[LadyLocust]

@gloryroad56 think I’ve mentioned it but long before you arrived. When we were on the ranch, it would be 6-8 weeks sometimes before we got to town (1-1.5 hr ea way). We would fill multiple grocery carts, have ice chests in the pickup for transport, parts run, any other supplies. I can’t imagine what folks thought.
@sonya123 each beet seed produces multiple beets
@Peanut at first I read your list without the comma - elderberry chicken actually sounds good . Also our elderberries aren’t blooming yet either but we are behind you weather wise. Morels are also late.

 

[LadyLocust]

Worked outside all day. Even did things in the correct order: weed eater, then push mower for tight spots, then rider which picks up the clippings so it looks decent. Then I got water going and shortly thereafter began weeding. Got a few things planted, washed the walks, also a load of laundry and made meatloaf and green beans for supper.
Already took my shower so you don’t give me the boot for stinkin up the place.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

We just got home from the FFA banquet at the high school. Jake received The Star Green Hand award given to the best all around Freshman plus a couple more awards. Alex and I made an offer on a house in town today to fix up. After finishing our development I thought I could sit around for the summer. I haven’t even made it a month and already trying to find something to do.

View attachment 108549View attachment 108548

Congratulations

 

[MoBookworm1957]

Hey you all!
Just wanted to let you know "Baby" Reign is a big sister.
I have a new grand daughter Nyx Freyja.
7 pounds 9 ounces
20 inches long.
26 May 2023.
And Estelle has a little Brother.
4 may 2023
6 pounds 10 ounces
19 inches.

 

[Pearl]

Hey you all!
Just wanted to let you know "Baby" Reign is a big sister.
I have a new grand daughter Nyx Freyja.
7 pounds 9 ounces
20 inches long.
26 May 2023.
And Estelle has a little Brother.
4 may 2023
6 pounds 10 ounces
19 inches.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Awesome!!

 

[Pearl]

Felt like doing a little today, ran the bush hog a couple hrs. Cleaned up around the garden, the elderberry, chicken pen and pole barn. Then cut the bull pen and the corral. The bull pen has several large pecan trees, keep it cut close all summer, easier to pick up pecans in the fall.

My cousin is going to rebuild the corral, needs it. I rebuilt it the last time, maybe 10yrs ago… about the same time my big Charolais bull put me in the hospital.

Anyway, got the place looking better. A friend is supposed to come harvest elderberry blooms monday. Elder is blooming slowly this year, doesn’t look like it’ll be ready by then, might have to wait a few more days.

View attachment 109514View attachment 109515View attachment 109516View attachment 109517

The photo bomber!

 

[INresponse]

Yeah, we live in a very wet area with snow and salt on the road and use the truck to haul stuff often in somewhat muddy conditions. There is some rust on the doors also.

Ok, so where am I going to have this vehicle towed to next for the second opinion? The tire place i had my master cylinder replaced at last year told me they won't work on brake line installations. Too time consuming and they generally send people elsewhere for that.
The dealer told me she would have to see it to tell me anything but they are too busy and it would take weeks to even look at....
The Firestone place where it is at is where we used to get most of our vehicles fixed
The local repair shop ripped us off with my daughter's broken Suburban and I am never going back there (don't ask, that whole family is nuts, same family that won't deliver gravel to us because we live in a Amish community)
So where ? You see the problem.....
I have had good experiences with the Chevy dealer ( they fixed my Yukon last year) but not sure they will work on a Dodge? Will they? Maybe I should call them

Sounds like you figured out your best option and based on where you live it sounds like the solution. Fix it all and no need to worry again.
I forgot the year of your vehicle but I think most dealerships only work on models 7 years old or newer. Dealerships that sell used cars usually work on other brands but you would have to ask them. A phone call can’t hurt, especially if they can do it sooner but the first place may charge for looking it over and giving an estimate if you take it elsewhere but maybe they wont.

 

[zannej]

Woke up to being used as a springboard for cats. Good thing because my bladder was yelling at me.
I'm going to try to do some cleaning in the kitchen later. I took trash out yesterday but forgot to mention it. I'll probably fill up the new bag with all the junk my brother dumped on the floor. If he misses while throwing something or if something falls out when the trash is full he won't pick it up. He's supposed to take trash out but doesn't.

 

[joel]

Working around the house