I had to think a while before I wrote this post because frankly, I am embarrassed. We are sitting in America's Best Value Inn while STU COOL is sitting patiently on a rack at the local Tire Factory waiting for a new master cylinder. We left Wendover in the wee hours this morning hoping to make Reno before noon and avoid the heat. Coming down some of the steeper passes I noticed that I had less and less braking power. So finally I pulled off in Battle Mountain, and not a moment to soon. While trouble shooting the braking issue we also discovered badly worn front tires, on the inside of the tread. This indicating a serious toe out or negative camber situation. Trouble shooting the brakes we finally figured out that the master cylinder was not releasing when the pedal was lifted, taking it apart and cleaning did not solve it. Not sure why it is happening it is a fairly new unit. No real shame in that, things go wrong some times. But the tire issue I should have noticed much sooner, just by doing a thorough inspection every day, either at the end or before setting out. Had I done that I could have had the alignment issue addressed in South Bend on a convenient schedule instead of the middle of the desert. Not sure what the issue is yet, everything checked out tight in the front end. Will know more after the master cylinder issue is resolved when a new one arrives tomorrow and we can put the car on the alignment rack with its new black wall tires.
n
Anyway, I felt I needed to post this because we have been celebrating my fun and successes on this trip, so it's only fair to share the short falls. I hope the lesson I have learned about travelling in an old or modified car will be of benefit to others. I have become so used to driving our modern cars where we usually just gas and go and change the oil once in a while. I should have known better than to act that way with my Studebaker. Actually I am thanking God that we did not have a blow out or total brake failure and injure my wife or me, or damage the car. We are inconvenienced at the moment, and this will be expensive. Shop labor is $78 an hour plus buying tires that I will have to replace later. (Perhaps I will use them on the Conestoga). I did prepare well and even had the front end checked before leaving home. Maybe it was some of the bumps and pot holes in I-80 that knocked it out of whack who knows. So we are hoping to have repairs completed and be on our way to Reno tomorrow.
Red faced, but lucky Pat
PS, Just on case you did not already know, the desert is hard on cars. 3 others, modern cars, came in whlie they were workiig on ours
n
Anyway, I felt I needed to post this because we have been celebrating my fun and successes on this trip, so it's only fair to share the short falls. I hope the lesson I have learned about travelling in an old or modified car will be of benefit to others. I have become so used to driving our modern cars where we usually just gas and go and change the oil once in a while. I should have known better than to act that way with my Studebaker. Actually I am thanking God that we did not have a blow out or total brake failure and injure my wife or me, or damage the car. We are inconvenienced at the moment, and this will be expensive. Shop labor is $78 an hour plus buying tires that I will have to replace later. (Perhaps I will use them on the Conestoga). I did prepare well and even had the front end checked before leaving home. Maybe it was some of the bumps and pot holes in I-80 that knocked it out of whack who knows. So we are hoping to have repairs completed and be on our way to Reno tomorrow.
Red faced, but lucky Pat
PS, Just on case you did not already know, the desert is hard on cars. 3 others, modern cars, came in whlie they were workiig on ours
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