Al's Amazing Repair!

Although it SOUNDED as if it was around the left front, I wasn't sure.

It'd started a few weeks ago.

Trini thought he'd found it when he put in the new catalytic converter...a loose sleeve off the manifold. But there it was AGAIN as I trundled out from the forest north of Williams. It's a rocky area and even going sllooooowwwly it was noticeable.

Several days later, having crossed the Mojave, scrutinizing the brake pads through the wheel, I saw that one was loose. That HAD to be the noise! Figuring I'd get to it in the next few days, I ignored the LOUD voice in my head telling me to stop in Needles for new pads.

Then, while rolling backwards to a more level spot in front of the monolith in Jawbone Canyon, I heard something hit the ground.  Simultaneously, the brake pedal went past it's usual point. That pad had sought freedom and, as I soon discovered, was lying there, on the sand, basking.

Grateful it hadn't happened in traffic, I spent the evening putting it back together. But there was the nagging sense of something not quite right.

Lo and behold! The California City Autozone had the pads in stock! I made it across the highway, but at the stop sign on Roger's Road the pad bailed again. We made it to Autozone without mishap, using just the emergency brake. It takes longer to jack the car up than replace the pads.

But Al did an AMAZING job of diagnosing (and FIXING!!) KC's problem the other day.