> Considering it's a mechanical hand brake mechanism, fluid (or lack
> thereof) isn't going to do anything, unless both rears are so
> contaminated the brake shoes won't hold in the drums.
>
> Seems unlikely.
>
I guess that was the impression that they gave -- that there was fluid on
the shoes, and, therefore, neither the emergency brake nor the rear brakes
(which, apparently, share the same shoes) were functioning because they
couldn't grip the drums.
So, if that's the case, that brake fluid on the rear shoes wouldn't stop
the
emergency brake from working; and, therefore, there's a different cause of
the problem with the emergency brake; is it possible that these people are
just yanking our chain, and there's nothing wrong with the rear brakes at
all? I guess I should have someone else look at them.
> Cost to fix? What's a running car worth? How much would it cost to
> replace the car with one that has working brakes? And for the love of
> all that's holy, don't let him drive the thing on public roads in that
> condition - the rest of us would rather get home alive. Him driving
> the car is not just a danger to him, but to others. Which puts a
> point on this query - what kind of parent lets their kid drive around
> in a car where the primary safety system is not operating correctly???
I spoke with his mother after speaking to the mechanic and after posting
here. Apparently, she was unaware that the rear brakes were not working.
She
said, one, the place didn't tell her it was an unsafe situation. And, two,
she said she thought the emergency brake had a different brake shoe than
the
rear brake. Thus, until I spoke with her, she thought the situation was
restricted to only the emergency brake, and not the rear brake itself.
I was going to post another question, asking if it was OK to allow him to
drive it for a week or two until she could get the money to fix it, since
the front brakes are working, and he hasn't noticed any problem with
stopping. Your above statement seems to answer that question, though.
Thanks,
Neil
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