This is our new shop policy from this day forward.  As most shop policies, this one is a result of having been burned again trying to install brake pads on a vehicle that has aluminum calipers.  When a vehicle has aluminum brake calipers and you try to install pads, more often than not the caliper pistons jam and even if you do manage to get them to contract far enough to install the pads, they won’t release after the first time you apply the brakes.

Then you get to pry them off the vehicle and install new calipers. Crap… I’ve been down this road enough times on Chevy S10′s that you’d think I’d know better by now right? Nope, love wouldn’t lie to me again right?

The other day I’m working on a late model Mustang with aluminum calipers and I was busy with other jobs and really didn’t think about the fact they were aluminum. As soon as I started to push the pistons back to install the new brake pads I can assure you I started to remember all the problems I’ve had with aluminum calipers on the rear of Chevy S10′s.

I thought what the heck, lets try it anyways. Nope. They were stuck tighter than 2 coats of paint. Crap. Called the customer and gave him the news. He wasn’t happy. I get that. Nobody likes to hear that it’s going to cost more to fix their car.

My least favorite thing about fixing cars is having to call a customer back after the initial estimate and give them a new estimate.  I have a pretty good crystal ball because I’ve been doing this a long time. Over 32 years at the time of this post.  But once in a while I still get burned.  But the next time won’t be from installing brakes on old aluminum brake calipers I can assure you.  Like I said, everybody gets new calipers from now on if their Hup mobile has them.

Almost every week someone calls the shop and asks how much to install their brake pads, shocks, or some other auto part.

And my answer is almost always the same. We don’t install customer supplied parts. The only exception to this is if you own something like a 1932 Chevy and you want me to install your suspension parts.

Why? Because when you supply the part, I take ALL the risk. For example, today I broke my rule and I let a customer bring in his own struts and guess what? Sure enough after I had his truck ripped apart on my alignment rack, one of his struts was missing a part.

Now I have to deal with HIS problem which has now become MY problem that I’m NOT getting paid to solve.

This is not the first time this has happened.  This was one of the main reasons for instituting the policy that we don’t install customer supplied parts.  But I guarantee this is the last time that is going to happen.

Go buy a steak at the grocery store and take it down to the local steak house and ask them to cook it for you. See if they don’t show you the door…

Am I grumpy about this? Yes, I knew better.  So, if you were thinking about calling me to see about installing your brake pads, shocks, etc. Don’t.

I’ve had a lot of people tell me they bought the part so they could save money.  Great, install it yourself and save even more.

I love working for folks who don’t have time for this nonsense and just want their car fixed at a fair price.

If you have your own parts and could care less, try one of those unlicensed Craigslist mechanics.

Happiness is when you get a phone call thanking you for the work you’ve done on someones vehicle. Like the audio on the front page for example.

Today, Micheal Oats called and let us know he won driver of the year. He campaigns a slightly modified Mazda Miata  at the SCCA time trail events over in Hilo.

We set the car up with our secret racing specs for the chassis and he and his wife have been leading the pack every since. She competes too.  Needless to say… our alignment prices are going up.   Congratulations Micheal!

It usually starts out by working on something that is either unfamiliar to you and not fixing it properly, or trying to be all things to all people.  Either way, most of the time the result is you’re chop-suey.

It usually ends badly and the customer is mad. And the shop lost money. It was totally lose-lose.  Every once in a while over the last 32 years I’ve forgot the above lesson and have ventured down the rabbit hole with amnesia. For the most part the mistake I’ve made is working on stuff that really isn’t in the realm of what I do best.

What I do best is brakes, suspension and wheel alignment. If it has anything to do with steering and stopping, I’m you’re guy. Over the last 32 years I’ve worked on everything from all the high end European stuff to class 8 trucks and motorhomes. Most of that was in Garden Grove Ca. prior to opening my own shop in Kona in 97.

Until about a year ago the name of my shop was Trent’s Alignment & Brake Inc. Last year I decided to change the name to Trent’s Automotive because I had seen a number of customers come in for an alignment after having the front-end rebuilt somewhere else and after a little probing I discovered that they all thought I only did alignments.

Unfortunately most of them had stuff installed that they really didn’t need. I understand the need for a shop to do work so it can pay its bills. I really really do. But most of them have no business working on the suspension from what I’ve seen here.  After 15 years in business in Kona I wonder if it will ever get any easier here. Deep down I know the answer, but I’ll continue to ignore it for the time being.

OK, I’m getting off track, what I’m getting at is if your vehicle needs brake or suspension work and you go to a mechanic that doesn’t specialize in said work, chances are excellent your going to pay a lot more than necessary and not get the best work possible because the person doing the work isn’t a specialist.  If you think that auto repair is a commodity that you can buy anywhere, you’re sadly mistaken.

There are very few techs/mechanics on this rock that can fix a sandwich much less a modern vehicle that has more computer power than the 1st Apollo spacecraft. Really.  If there was one tech that I thought was close to me in skill, I’d hire him so I could just sit in the office and drink coffee and shoot the breeze with customers. But that tech doesn’t live here.  Currently I’m training someone to be that guy, but I’ve got a few years to go before I can turn him loose while I just hang out in the office.

What’s the point I’m trying to make? When it comes to tune-ups, transmission work and air-conditioning, I’m not the best guy in town.  If your vehicle is here for brakes and you want me to change the oil and charge the AC, sure no problem.  But if you have an engine mis-fire, I’m not the guy for that problem and I’ll tell you straight up. That particular problem takes  what’s called a driveability tech.  And a good one of those is almost has hard to find as a good front-end and brake tech. I promise you that.  I will give you the name and number of someone who I think can fix your engine mis-fire. But it won’t be me. I’m a master front end and brake tech. Not a driveablity guy.

Why? Oh yes, I could fix the mis-fire, after I threw every part in the book at it and charged you up the kazoo for it. That is what happens when you go to the general repair guy and ask him to check the suspension.  Most of the time they throw the kitchen sink at it and you get hosed. I’ve seen it a thousand times.  And that was the reason I changed the name of the shop to Trent’s Automotive so people wouldn’t think I only did alignments.

So here’s the deal, if you got steering and stopping problems, I’m your guy.  I’m perfectly capable of handling most of your maintenance needs like changing the oil and miscellaneous filters, I’ll even be happy to handle your AC if it needs recharging.  But I’m not the it don’t run right guy. Never was and never will be. I can promise you that.