In this order then: firm brakes and soft potatoes

Having purchased the requisite parts weeks ago—and with the gnawing feeling that Mrs. L’s brakes were getting as soft as mashed potatoes—I resolved to tackle a job I’d actually been looking forward to.

Today’s remit included installation of new brake rotors and brake pads for a 1999 Lexus RX300.  

As this was my first stab at a brake job, I’d spent hours perusing Lexus owners’ forums, hoping that some exacting wrench-head had thought to post a detailed blow by blow of the operation. On a television show on the Velocity channel recently, a gruff auto restoration shop owner spoke derisively of “internet mechanics”—as if information gleaned from the web is without merit compared to years of greasy knuckles, ASE certifications, and the received wisdom handed down on the shop floor. I get that, but among the online DIY community there are a few smart souls who successfully communicate their knowledge and experience, and convince punters like me to attempt something that would otherwise generate a fat repair bill. Thank you, You Tube.

Before the wrenching begins, however, one must figure out how to elevate the vehicle safely, and here, for liability reasons I suppose, shared credible information is sparse. The Lexus is a relatively heavy ride, and not yet in possession of a 3-ton floor jack, I was consigned to using the cheesy scissors jack nested in the spare tire, as well as two recently purchased 6-ton jack stands. I did one side at a time, placing the removed wheel under the front end as a just-in-case measure, and proceeded gingerly.

Removed the wheel, caliper and old brake shoes, then the old rotor, which “floats”—held on by wheel and lug nuts. Wire brushed the caliper and installed the new ceramic pads, making sure to clean and lubricate the caliper slides as well as the touch points on the back of the brake pads. Buttoned everything up—checked the tightness of the lug nuts on both sides—and gave the brake pedal a few pumps before a successful test drive.

This shiny orb just screams "Here lives a mechanic!"

Ceramic pads and the Zen of stopping NOW.

Grilled chicken and summer vegetables, grilled ciabatta , olive oil mashed red potatoes

Hours on my knees, bending and stretching on a hard garage floor always leaves me thirsty, and a step inside the house to take my victory lap revealed a starving tribe unable to manage food preparation other than peanut butter toast and cereal. So, glass of wine in hand as a reward for success in the man cave, I dusted chicken thighs with a liberal coating of this season’s BBQ dry rub, rough-chopped garden vegetables to grill-roast with the chicken, and prepped some skin-on red potatoes for a simmer to softness. A good day's work done.