Some people's children

mrblaine

Crew Member
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Nov 20, 2015
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Quail Valley, CA
Customer calls and says he has a problem with a brake backing plate. He was driving down the road, it popped, wadded up the parking brake shoes inside and he wants a free replacement because the part is obviously defective.

I tried to explain to him that isn't how they work. They can't self apply. There are only two scenarios where they can do what he has going on.

The first one is if you apply the parking brake and drive off in 4 low. That snaps the anchor pin off at the top and the shoes and hardware get wadded up like this. (my parts that I broke)

DSCN6316.jpg


The second way is if the wheel bearing dies and allows the rotor to move up against the shoes and put enough pressure on them to make them catch and get wadded up.

Other than that, nothing can cause them to do that and there is no defect either I or my brake buddy can think of that would create the problem.

He replies in an email that the backing plate is the problem and he's going to leave the appropriate reviews if he has to purchase another one elsewhere. I tell him I have no issue sending him a goodwill part, but I won't do it for any other reason and if he doesn't find the actual problem that caused the mess, it will happen again and that I didn't believe anyone had the balls to ask for 2 free backing plates so they better figure it out before they install the new one.

My favorite part is I'm trying to explain how they work and the first thing he says is he is not mechanical, but then goes on to argue the mechanics with me.
 
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Is it possible for this to happen if you somehow installed the backing plate improperly?

He's not mechanical but he wants to argue the mechanics with you, hahaha!

I can relate to some degree or another. I do a lot of graphics and branding for a living. Occasionally I get people who want to argue "design" with me, insisting that they know more about design then I do. I politely say, "okay, if that's the case, why are you paying me to design something for you?".
 
Customer calls and says he has a problem with a brake backing plate. He was driving down the road, it popped, wadded up the parking brake shoes inside and he wants a free replacement because the part is obviously defective.

I tried to explain to him that isn't how they work. They can't self apply. There are only two scenarios where they can do what he has going on.

The first one is if you apply the parking brake and drive off in 4 low. That snaps the anchor pin off at the top and the shoes and hardware get wadded up like this. (my parts that I broke)

View attachment 9840

The second way is if the wheel bearing dies and allows the rotor to move up against the shoes and put enough pressure on them to make them catch and get wadded up.

Other than that, nothing can cause them to do that and there is no defect either I or my brake buddy can think of that would create the problem.

He replies in an email that the backing plate is the problem and he's going to leave the appropriate reviews if he has to purchase another one elsewhere. I tell him I have no issue sending him a goodwill part, but I won't do it for any other reason and if he doesn't find the actual problem that caused the mess, it will happen again and that I didn't believe anyone had the balls to ask for 2 free backing plates so they better figure it out before they install the new one.

My favorite part is I'm trying to explain how they work and the first thing he says is he is not mechanical, but then goes on to argue the mechanics with me.

Some of my favorite memories when I was a mechanic. Now I get it in the medical field by the "I read it on the internet..." guy. Sigh...

Good on you being cool and sending him another part.
 
Some of my favorite memories when I was a mechanic. Now I get it in the medical field by the "I read it on the internet..." guy. Sigh...

Good on you being cool and sending him another part.

Hahaha! I read it on the internet so it must be true!
 
Is it possible for this to happen if you somehow installed the backing plate improperly?

Possible I suppose but you would have to disassemble the retainers and springs and then figure out how to get them all to stay in place long enough to get the rotor installed. Even then, there is no guarantee that it wouldn't lock up right away or even at all so a bad install is fairly easily ruled out.

He's not mechanical but he wants to argue the mechanics with you, hahaha!
I don't mind the claim to be non mechanical. What I minded was he said that when I was trying to explain how they work so he would understand why his claims don't make a lot of sense mechanically.
 
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Some of my favorite memories when I was a mechanic. Now I get it in the medical field by the "I read it on the internet..." guy. Sigh...

Good on you being cool and sending him another part.
I haven't sent it yet, he has basically threatened me with a proper review and I responded that the only proper thing he could say is either he or his shop screwed up and ruined a backing plate. He said he was sensing a lot of push back. I said it isn't push back, we're trying to figure out some way to make this the fault of the backing plate and there is no plausible way for what happened to be the fault of the plate. That means either the story is a bit skewed, or he is being fed a line by the shop and all I'm trying to do is find a way to justify a free part for the hell of it to someone.