No need to pay an automotive service center specialist the big bucks. This is maintenance that can be done in the garage. The local auto parts store has the replacement pads and special tools. Safety stands are necessary since the vehicle will be raised and the wheels removed. Supporting the vehicle with a floor jack is not recommended. Before lifting use your tire iron to loosen slightly the wheel lug nuts. The torque required to break them free will cause wheel rotation unless the weight of the vehicle rests upon it. Continue reading…
Changing Lincoln LS Brake Pads
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There are two bolts to remove which will free the caliper and provide access to the brake pads themselves. A 12mm socket will fit the lower bolt but for the upper the alloy suspension arm interferes. Use a 12mm box wrench instead. These two bolts may be overly snug so a few hammer taps on the arm of the tool simulates that of an impact gun. Using arm strength in constant pulling or pushing force may round off the bolt head just before you scrape your knuckles. Set the removed bolts aside. |
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The caliper slides outward now free of its retaining bracket. Some seesaw wriggling is usually necessary to slide away the caliber because of interference fit. This brake caliper assembly includes the hydraulic piston(s) and still attached is a hydraulic hose and a wire link to the ABS speed sensor at the hub. These umbilicals can be damaged by rough handling, twisting or dangling. The old pads will be loose but left behind still hugging the rotor disc. |
| Fashion a wire clothes hangar or length of string to support the weight of the caliber. This will free your hands and prevent damage to the brake hose. The upper suspension support arm provides a handy support anchor. |  |
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Some thought pertaining to the condition of the brake rotors should be taken. If the rotors are warped they must be removed and trued on a lathe machine. Note also that a disc rotor does lose thickness over time. A width measurement check will determine if it is within minimum wear tolerance. To avoid any concern the rotor can be replaced with new. |
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Your brake pad kit box may contain new spring clips which slide into place. If not, the old ones are generally reusable on condition. Copy the clip orientation from that of the removed pads. |
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The new pads lay into place one on each side of the rotor disc. Unfortunately the caliper can not just be put back into place as simply as it was pulled away. The new pads are much thicker than the worn ones. |
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To make the calipers “fit again” the extended pistons must be retracted into the caliper. |
| The most elegant way to re-compress them is with a special caliper tool that the auto parts store will happily loan. There are assorted sizes in the kit depending on your application. This kit really takes the effort out of a necessary task especially for doing the rear brakes which require that the piston be screwed inward on account of the internal parking brake design. |  |
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Turning the handle does the trick. The other piston visible has already been pushed home. Movement of the piston(s) in this direction will displace brake fluid. |
| Remove the cap from the underhood brake fluid reservoir to determine if there is sufficient room for brake fluid rise as you retract the caliper piston(s). Place an old cotton undershirt or the like over the opening to absorb any overfull spills if necessary. Take care not to allow lint or foreign material to enter the reservoir opening. Spilled fluid is harmful to the paint finish. |  |
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With the pistons fully pressed back into the caliper housing the caliper will slide back over the new pads. Pushing down slightly on the caliper assembly will squeeze those brake pad spring clips allowing the caliper retaining bolts to find their female threaded counterparts in the abutment bracket. Snug these bolts but do not over tighten. Don’t neglect to reinstall the fluid reservoir cap. To complete the job you must “pump the brake pedal” to remove the free play between caliper pistons and pads. There will be little or no stopping ability otherwise and could lead to unpleasant surprise. Test drive to check for proper operation including a “panic stop” to assure that the ABS functions. |
Yates Mill Pond
We happened upon this old grist mill purely at random and stopped to have a look see and learn how it worked. The structure has a storied past exemplified by this snippet: “…in the midst of the Civil War, the mill was sold to Phares and Roxanna Yates, James Penny’s son-in-law and daughter. Penny’s involvement in the murder of a Mr. Franklin may have brought on the sale. According to legend, Franklin was a Northern sympathizer who Penny killed for not paying a $700 mill debt. In 1865, Franklin’s widow supposedly told Federal troops occupying Raleigh that her husband’s death was due to his support for the Union. The soldiers tried to burn the mill by setting fire to the entrance. Charred wooden beams today attest to the unsuccessful attempt.” An historic building, this mill now enjoys a park setting with daily tours available. Knowing that the offered 1 hour talking tour could be condensed into a 3 minute read on Wikipedia mobile we were happy to wander free about — discovering a nature loop trail around the conservation pond and watershed in the process.
Alice in Wonderland
| With buzz and hyped anticipation of the new Tim Burton 3D movie it was fun to review the story line in this excellent 1999 iteration. Granted that the new 2010 release will have state of the art graphics and special effects, the 1999 remake exceeded expectations by virtue of the Jim Henson (effects) Company and creative art design. It must be noted that the acting and actors’ lines were top rate; in particular, “Off with their heads!” Miranda Richardson as the Queen of Hearts, Mad Hatter – Martin Short, and the performance by Gene Wilder as Mock Turtle. The plot line adaptation drew heavily from the dream aspect of the Wizard of Oz story, i.e. characters from Alice’s real life were assimilated into her wonderland escape. This helped to complete the plot and make sense of this classic fantasy. |  |
current state of the art
FAQ: What do you use to keep track of and journal your outdoor exercise?
Use Nike Plus with an iPod Nano for repetitive routes. If you like, the iPhone 3G already has the receiver/software built in. You will still need to acquire a sensor for the shoe. Nike brand shoes are not required if you buy or fabricate a pouch to hold the sensor that typically attaches to shoe laces.
There is an excellent utility on the Gmaps Pedometer website. You can calculate distance by strategising beforehand or mapping your path after the fact — saving the route for future reference. These days high-end smartphones feature Global Positioning which means that an expensive Garmin or Magellan accessory for that function is no longer necessary. With smartphone software to manage GPS one can record a trek in real time. There are quite a few applications of this genre from which to choose. I use this app when I want to map a new trail I’ve not previously explored. This app uses the built-in GPS to track waypoints and even allows for picture snaps along the way. Tap a button and the whole shebang uploads to the cloud thusly.
Highbanks Metro Park
The last time I ran the Dripping Rock Trail the ground was bare and dry. Winter brought record snow this year which made for a picturesque scene. Evidently folks use these trails regardless of season as the path was well packed. Traction at 35 F was fair to poor especially on the steeper inclines. The park is named for the 110 foot bluff that overlooks the Olentangy River. There are more trail settings on this river downstream but the environment is decidedly urban.
Wright-Patterson Area B
Pictured is one of the more unusual aircraft at the National Air Force Museum; a Northrop YC-125 Raider. It must be said however, that there are many very interesting retired machines here that I’d never seen before — not to mention knew about, e.g. Douglas A-20G Havoc of which 2,850 copies were built. Very cool looking: a B-36 Peacemaker, the sleek and sexy B-58 Hustler, and bizarre: F-82 Twin Mustang “Betty Jo” ( last of piston propeller fighter planes delivered to the military at the dawn of the jet age ). All of this hardware presentation is enclosed indoors along with historic memorabilia and display from early aviation, War time and Cold War years. A single day is not long enough to take it all in.
Flame and Citron
Flammen & Citronen (2008) foreign w/subtitles [spoiler]
Intrigued when listening to my friend Henrik and his discussion of his Uncle and others involvement during the Second World War, it was cool to find and view this film. The principle characters, upon whom the drama is based, were part of the Danish underground: Holger Danske. The movie itself describes moral conflict and uncertainties of struggling against an opposition not necessarily identified by uniform.
shameless plug for
Mark Hinebaugh, accomplished Flight Instructor, who also happens to be published. His book Flying Upside Down: True Tales of an Antarctic Pilot offers a first hand flying narrative from an environment that most pilots will never experience.
historical connections
While browsing a dusty photo album I was pleased to find an early photo of my Uncle and Aunt taken in the Spring of 1946. The backdrop airplane, a Spartan Executive Model 7W, was owned and flown at the time by movie consultant and stunt pilot Paul Mantz. Uncle was a licensed Airframe and Powerplant mechanic and may very well have turned wrenches on the aircraft. Impressively, a search reveals that NC17656 S/N 25 (N47W) survives to this day.It was built 10/31/1939, the 25th of the 34 produced. First sold to Luziers of Mississippi. It was one of sixteen Spartan 7W’s impressed into service as Staff transports as a UC-71 (USAAF 1942 serial 38288) during the war years. It was returned to civil registry in 1945 as you see it here.
