It's not "JUST BRAKES" that does crap like this but almost any
chain store.  Your best bang for the buck is the privately run shops
for any service work.  Friend of mine got her Ford Explorer's rear
brakes done at Canadian Tire for the tune of $1000... I haven't looked at
the price of Ford Explorer brakes, but I can tell you the job isn't worth
$1000 - may be $300 to $400 if you include new shoes / drums and labour...
she didn't think the $1000 bill was out of line so I wonder how many other
people would think that 1K wouldn't be out of line for the Vanagon... a
little education goes a long way...

David Marshall

http://www.hasenwerk.ca
http://www.fastforward.ca

Box
4153, Quesnel BC, Canada V2J 3J2

On Wed, October 17, 2007
11:00, Chris S. wrote:
> I just wanted to pass this on to you as a
word of caution when dealing
> with JUST BRAKES franchise, or any
other "mechanic" for that matter.
>
> Like a
genius I left my parking brake up for one last time and overheated
> my rear brakes.  The brake pedal went to the floor, but I still
could
> stop. I did not have the time to replace the rear brakes
on my Vanagon, so
> I decided to take my vehicle to JUST BRAKES...
because they are
> "experts"... right?
>
> So, I get a call from them telling me it will take $1000 to fix
the
> problem.  Allegedly my rear drums were worn beyond spec (out
by .02
> inches) and my master cylinder was shot because it was
dry or leaking or
> bypassing (They said it was one of the three,
but hey did not know which).
>
> What they did not know
is that 1) the rear drums only have about 10K miles
> on them 2) I
inspected the rear brakes a week before taking it in and 3)
>
master cylinder was low because the parking brake lever that's attached
to
> the brake shoe came off causing the brake cylinder to expand
and 4) I know
> more about Vanagons, or VWs for that matter, than
they do.
>
> I came in to talk to them to find out the
logic behind their thinking and
> realized that I could not reason
with them.  They mis-measured the rear
> drums, totally missed the
broken parking brake, diagnosed the master
> cylinder based on a
wild assumption, broke the reverse lock-out on my
> shifter and
left greasy hand prints all over hubcaps and body of the van.
>
Yeah, I was just a little miffed -- Too miffed to deal with them
>

> So, I picked the camper and replaced my brakes the next day in
my driveway
> despite Neighborhood Home Owner's Association's
by-laws.  Advanced Auto
> Parts delivered the brake shoes on
Sunday morning and I bought the proper
> tools to work on drum
brakes.  The job took 1.5 hours which included
> meticulously
adjusting the parking brake.  The master cylinder is just
> fine
and the rear drums are fine.
>
> $75 later I wonder how
many people JUST BRAKES ripped off who didn't know
> any better?
At least one I work with, and probably hundreds more...
>
> Thanks to the Vanagon List for the wealth of knowledge I acquired
over the
> years - it sure makes owning a Westfalia easier!
>
> And... I'd be very careful dealing with franchise auto
shops!
>
> Chris S.
>
> P.S. Better
Business Bureau complaint to follow.
>
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