"Braking" It Down

Last Spring I finally broke down and got new tires put on my car...it had been a long time coming but I knew it wouldn't be cheap to get 4 new tires put on.  When I picked my car up from the mechanic, he mentioned my brake pads were getting really thin and had about 2 months left in them.  With all the expenses of closing on our house, moving, having to buy additional stuff, etc the last thing I wanted to spend money on was my car.

By the time summer rolled around, my brakes were making horrible noises whenever I would slow down or come to a stop.  Ahh, what's a little noise, right?!  One day, the neighbor kid was replacing his girlfriend's brake pads and offered to do mine as well...he was a nice enough guy but I wasn't so sure about his mechanical skills and trusting him with my my ability to stop!

Finally this Fall, the noises got worse, began starting earlier and my braking was so sporadic.  Sometimes, it seemed like it took forever for the brakes to engage and then my car would suddenly stop...or, as soon as I hit the brake my car would come to a screeching halt!  It definately made for a jerky ride and I was always worried that I'd either hit the car in front of me or the vehicle behind me would rear-end me if I stopped too fast.  I finally realized that if I didn't get my brakes fixed soon, I would be paying out the deductible for auto body repair AND the expense of new brake pads.

I took my car to the shop yesterday and the mechanic started chuckling when I came in the door.  And as it turns out, my brake pads were pretty much non-existent!  Luckily the roters (I think that's what they're called) didn't need much work so I was able to get out the door for a lower price than I expected.

But the best part--my car rides better than it did when I bought it!  Both Justin and I always thought the brakes seemed a bit touchy when I bought it 3 years ago, but each car is different--right?  Instead of hoping & praying for the best when I need to slow down or stop, I just enjoy the smooth ride.  There's no more squeaking, jerking or sensations of non-existent brakes.  Had I known that I would see such an improvement at such a decent price, I would have done it months ago--when it SHOULD have been done!