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We bought this used car a couple weeks ago, and knew when we did that the brakes needed to be replaced soon. The shop quoted us around $300 to do it, but I know how to do it myself for around $50. I found that I had an afternoon free, so I picked up some new pads at the parts store in the early afternoon.
I got the wheel off, and the brake taken apart, and found that the new pads were too small. They gave me the wrong parts! Grr. Fortunately, we had shuffled the cars, so the working car was near the street. So I drove back to the store to get the correct pads. This time with the old pad in hand to compare. Came back, and was feeling a little less cocky about getting the job done before we were supposed to meet friends for dinner. It was 4pm already. I did the one side, and proceeded to the second, where I couldn't get two of the lug nuts off! So after trying for a while, loosening them, but the nut was just getting harder to turn as I was turning it, I called it quits. Sprayed them down with WD40. I'll try again tomorrow afternoon. But I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be replacing two wheel studs and two lug nuts as well as the brakes on the other side. It feels like I'm stripping the threads.
I'm not upset yet. Just irritated. If the WD40 doesn't help, I'll try the propane torch a little. I've never replaced wheel studs before, but I watched a few youtube videos and it looks pretty easy. One guy recommended putting them in the freezer first so they shrink a bit. Sounds like a smart idea.
Dinner with the friends was nice, at least.
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