It can be really hard to guess whether we’ll have the parts we need for some jobs or not. A car needed a new glove box and we had it, which I didn’t expect at all, but then something I would is more common, we don’t have.

A Prius needed the rear brakes replaced, because one of the pads was completely worn out. But it just couldn’t be easy. Some of slide pins, that allow the caliper to slide on the bracket that holds the brake pads, were rusted in their bores. I needed to use the torch to heat up the bracket to be able to pull the pins out. Unfortunately, that also melted the rubber boots where the pins go in. If I took a lot of time I could’ve rebuilt everything, but the typical thing to do is just to replace the bracket and pins.

So I tried to. I ordered two new calipers. One we needed to get from another dealership, but we had one, so I could start working. I opened the box to find that it was just the caliper, and not the bracket, which is what I really needed. Every other time I’ve replaced a caliper it comes with the bracket. So I returned the caliper and cancelled the other order and ordered two brackets, which would arrive the next day, which meant I had to put bad brakes back together so I could put the car outside. And I didn’t get paid for any of this.

The next day, the brackets arrive, and I immediately open the boxes to check them, and find that they don’t come with slide pins. I also need new ones of those. Luckily we have those in stock, but we don’t have the rubber boots, which I end up having to get aftermarket. Eventually I got everything, and got it all assembled and on the car, and was done. One of those cars you’re just glad to be done with.

-Dan