Automotive and diesel
Brakes, Wheels, Tires and Axles
Brakes, steering and suspension wear in slowly, so the change shows up as a feeling long before it shows up as a failure. If something is different in how the vehicle stops or tracks, it is worth an inspection.
What it usually turns out to be
You do not need a diagnosis to call. Describe what it is doing and we will tell you whether it is a shop job.
It pulls to one side when you brake
A pull under braking is a hydraulic or a friction problem on one corner. We pull the wheels and look at pads, rotors, calipers, hoses and the condition of the fluid. A sticking caliper or a collapsed flex hose will do this and neither is visible with the wheel on.
Grinding, or a squeal that stops when you press the pedal
A squeal that goes away under the brakes is usually the wear indicator doing its job, which is a warning rather than an emergency. Grinding is past that: it means metal on metal, and it turns a pad job into a rotor job for every mile you keep driving.
The pedal feels soft, or it sinks while you sit at a light
Air or fluid, and both matter. A pedal that sinks slowly with steady pressure usually points at the master cylinder; a spongy pedal points at air or a soft hose. This is the symptom we would rather you did not put off, because the failure mode is the obvious one.
It wanders, or the wheel is not straight when you are going straight
Alignment, or what alignment is telling you about. We look at tie rods, ball joints, bushings and ride height before we set anything, because aligning a car with worn steering parts sets it wrong and it will not hold.
The tires are wearing on one edge, or in a strange pattern
Tires are a record of what the suspension has been doing. Feathering, cupping and inside-edge wear each point somewhere different. Bring it in before the tires are gone and the pattern may pay for the alignment.
It shakes, and only above a certain speed
Speed-dependent shake is usually balance or a bent wheel; a shake that appears only under braking is usually a rotor. Which pedal you have your foot on when it happens is genuinely the most useful thing you can tell us.
What we do
- Brake replacement, front and rear
- ABS diagnosis and repair
- Calipers, wheel cylinders and master cylinders
- Brake fluid flush and bleeding
- Power brake boosters and hydro-boost units
- Drum and rotor machining
- Emergency and parking brake repair
- CV axle and boot service
- Power steering repair and flush
- Wheel alignment, bearings, tire repair and rotation
- Brakes on a coach or a trailer, not just cars
Will it fit
The question owners ask first and almost nobody answers on a website.
- Service bays
- 7
- Sized for a Class A
- 4
- Yard entrances
- 2
Two yard entrances is what makes a long rig easy to get in and back out of. Call with your length before you drive over and we will tell you whether it fits and when the bay is free.
What we do not do here
- We do brakes on cars and light trucks, and we do brakes on a coach and on what it tows. Very few shops that do car brakes can also take a Class A, and that is the unusual part of this page rather than the car work.
- We are not naming brake or tire brands here. What goes on your vehicle is a conversation about how you use it and what you want to spend, not a shelf we are trying to clear.
- We do not publish brake pricing. What a brake job costs depends on what we find when the wheel comes off, and a number on a website is either a bait price or a guess.
- If a vehicle is not safe to drive, we will tell you that plainly rather than book you in for next week.
Before you call, have this handy
None of it is required. It just gets you a real answer on the first call instead of the second.
What the vehicle is doing, and when
Braking, turning, straight-line, cold, hot, at speed. A symptom with conditions attached is worth far more than a diagnosis, and it is usually enough to know where to start.
The year, make, model and roughly the mileage
Plus whether you tow with it, because towing changes what wears and how fast.
What was done last, and where
Especially if the brakes or tires are recent. A repeat failure on new parts is a different problem from an old one wearing out.
Questions
Questions we get asked
How do I know if it is urgent?
Grinding, a pedal that sinks, or a pull hard enough that you are correcting for it are all worth stopping for. A squeal that disappears when you brake is a warning, not an emergency. If you are unsure, call and describe it, and we will tell you honestly whether it can wait.
Do I have to replace the rotors as well as the pads?
Sometimes, and we would rather show you why than just add it to the bill. Rotors have a minimum thickness the manufacturer sets, and a rotor below it cannot safely be machined or reused. You will see the measurement.
Can you do the brakes on my motorhome or my trailer?
Yes, and that is worth knowing. Brakes on the coach and brakes on what you tow are one system as far as stopping is concerned. Four of our bays are sized for large RVs.
Do you do alignments?
Yes. We check the steering and suspension first, because setting an alignment on worn parts wastes your money: it will not hold and the tires will tell you so in a few thousand miles.
Can you fix a tire, or does it need replacing?
Depends where the damage is. A puncture in the tread away from the shoulder is usually repairable; a sidewall is not, ever. We will show you which one you have.
Will you tell me what it costs before you do it?
Always. You get the number before anything happens, and if we find something else once the wheel is off you get a call rather than a surprise on the invoice.
Talk to someone who works on these
Call the shop and we will tell you the soonest realistic date rather than book you and hold your rig. Mon-Fri 8:00 - 5:00, Saturday 8:00 - 12:00.