I am traveling for business and noticed an abnormal sound apparently coming from the rear drum brakes on my 1989 Ford Probe. With little time for repairs and no knowledge of shops in the vicinity, I took the car to Big O Tires on Taylorsville Road in Louisville, KY for an inspection. The mechanic could not remove the right drum and proceeded to use a cutting torch in his attempt to remove the drum. This was unsuccessful and resulted in quite a bit of smoke emerging from the brake assembly.
After some time, I suggested he use a gear puller, which ultimately worked. The brake shoes looked okay, but there was a leak in the wheel cylinder. At this point, I believe the leak was a result of the cutting torch. The brakes could not be reassembled safely in this condition. Big O charged nearly $300 for a set of shoes and a pair of wheel cylinders. All of the parts involved total about $75 from the local auto parts supplier. I asked the manager to adjust the price to something more reasonable and he refused saying $300 was the going rate for rear brakes. He then told me he was the "owner" and that was that.
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