Every automotive repair job requires two things:

  1. An incorrectly ordered part. This is always the part that has to be brought in. It is never the one that is in stock.
  2. A bolt that is very difficult to get to.

I am currently (well, not at this exact moment: at this exact moment I am writing) replacing the rear brakes on Chris’ car. This involves $578 worth of parts, approximately $410 of which were incorrectly ordered. Fortunately, I was able to take the part that was wrong off the old caliper assembly and use it on the replacements, eliminating a lengthy delay.

The difficult-to-access bolt is the upper one that holds the caliper assembly to the spindle assembly. Getting the bolt back into the threaded hole required an athletic move, cradling the caliper in the crook of the left arm while holding the shaft of the wrench. The right, meanwhile, turned the wrench, and a third hand (the sxKitten’s, actually) held a flashlight.

Note that, as is often the case, the upper bolt, if dropped, falls into a narrow crevice, and must be fished out with a screwdriver and foul language. Copious muttered curse words were also required to get the goddamned bolt started.

One set of pads and caliper are on. Now I’m waiting for the sxKitten to return, at which time we will bleed the brakes, and I will be half done. Woohoo!