[Dave In Indy]

I can't believe the idiot that owned my car last. I started having a thumping noise every time I slowed down driving to work the other day. I could tell it was in the left rear. Well when I took the wheel off it was not the driveshaft like I thought. No, it was the brake. It seems the idiot that did the brakes lost or broke the bolt that holds on the caliper on. He also removed the metal tube the bolt goes through that allows the caliper to slide. It only gets better from there. He replace the tube with a piece of a pop can that he rolled into a tube. Then he still had some space of course left over. His fix was to wrap the bolt in electrical tape until it fit in the tube. Thank God for having a parts car on hand. I did some stupid stuff too when I was young so I thought I'd share a couple tricks of the trade that everyone should know.

1. Impact wrenches are not for novices. Nothing strips a bolt head off faster.
2. 12 point sockets are for 12 point bolt heads. Yes 12 point bolt heads exist. You can find them under a fox body Mustang holding the driveshaft to the rear diff if you want to see them.
Always use six point sockets on 6 point bolts.
3. A benzomatic torch is far superior to WD40 to loosen a stuck bolt. You only need to heat the bolt for a few minutes and it'll usually loosen up.
4. Ball joint come out easier with a puller then they do using a hammer. LOL
5. The amount of lug nuts that came on the car go back on the car.
6. Wire nuts are for houses, use butt splices and heat shrink wrap instead.
7. Never reuse a gasket unless you enjoy leaks.