In October I brought my '73 Chevy pickup in to have the rear brakes repaired after I noticed fluid on the inside of the drivers side rear wheel fender.
Several days later I pick it up and paid $610.46 and drove it home. About a week later, I noticed fresh fluid on the inside of the driver's side fender and took my pickup back.
Mr. Gualdoni told me at that time the driver's side inner seal had worn a grove in the axle housing and what I saw was gear oil. He offered to replace the axle housing because he just happened to have a used one on hand.
I would like to point out that at no time while my pickup was being repaired did Mr. Gualdoni attempt to call me and let me know the condition of the rear axle.
My thoughts at that time was of a very poor business practice by a auto repair shop and what seemed like a set up to get more money from me to replace the rear axle housing.
I bought a sleeve kit and attempted to install it. When I removed the driver side brake drum, I found that Mr. Gualdoni had never turned down the brake drum and that the brake shoes never contacted the brake drum. Further more, the wheel cylinder had never been replace, just kitted. The wheel cylinder had deep-pitted rust and that the bolts holding it on was covered by road film just like the rest of the backing plate. The only thing that was replaced was a new bleed valve to give the appearance of a new wheel cylinder.
I removed the passenger side brake drum and it was the same thing, brake drum was not turned down, the brake shoes did contact the drum and had deep groves from the brake drum, the wheel cylinder was not replaced, just kited, new bleed valve.
I filed a small claims action against Mr. Gualdoni and was awarded just $215.50 because "He apparently distrusts the Defendant's work."
Judge Pro Tem Michael Arkin future state "The court believes that a problem does exist with the repair and that the cost to repair it would be $431.00 as the Plaintiff states." (Estimate from Midas)
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