Saturday In Numbers
August 2, 2009
So yesterday I spent quite a while helping my parents finish their remodel. It was very fulfilling. Working with Dad was nice and we got a lot done. The “scaffolding” was a little scary but otherwise it was super fun. Here’s the breakdown:
7:30 am wake up
3:20 bedtime night before
800 sq feet primed and painted
3 light fixtures instaled
1 electric shock
2 sunburned shoulders
$353.00 at Lowes
1 Crown Burger
180 oz. Water
124 oz. Soda
93 degrees F
1 assembled IKEA bunk bed
12 hours total work
100 + curse words
2 happy parents
Whew, what a day. My fingertips hurt today, oh and my back too, um and my arms, wait also my forehead. That’s all though.
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Land Rover Discovery I Brake Pad Change DIY how to
July 31, 2009
I searched for a really long time looking for a tutorial on changing the rear brake pads on a Land Rover Discovery I. I came up empty handed so I decided to just start removing bolts connected to the brake caliper. Here’s how it went, then I’ll tell you how it should work.
First off, jack up the car using the rear differential as a jack point. Then place your jack stand under the axle one on each side of the differential. You can use the jack that came with the car but you need to get some jack stands. You’re saving a lot of money by changing your brakes yourself so spend some of it on jack stands.
Now that you’ve got the car up and the tires off it’s time to remove the caliper from the rotor. What I did at first was remove the two bolts on the outside of the caliper. Oops. I ended up with the Rover’s brake fluid all over the place. So, discouraged that this didn’t remove the caliper I bolted ‘em back in and tried again.
Here’s the right way. There are 2 bolts on the inside of the caliper that have a weird head on them. It looks like a cupcake paper because it’s got a bunch of ridges around it and it’s circular. You’ll spot these right away. If you don’t, look to see what bolts are both connected to the caliper and holding the mud guard on. My recommendation is to buy a wrench that fits those bolts. I didn’t. I used my bolt extractor sockets and it did the trick. Update: here is a picture of the type of bolt head. It’s called a 12 point bolt head.
On most cars you just remove one bolt and the caliper lifts off the rotor. Not this time. Don’t try to rotate it off. A lot of wasted time. So, after removing both bolts you will be able to easily lift off the caliper. Yay! Now that you’ve got that off the rest is easy.
Set the caliper on something about as tall as the top of the rotor. I used an empty kitty litter bucket. This is because you should never let the caliper dangle from the brake lines. Pop out the old pads and compress the pistons using a C clamp and a thin piece of wood. Google how to do this. It’s the same on most cars. Take your old pads to your local auto parts store and buy some new ones. Make sure to compare the shapes to ensure a proper fit. Now go home and load in those new brake pads making sure to use the clips on the caliper.
Now, just line up the caliper and put the bolts back in. This is where having the right wrench comes in handy. I ended up with pliers for the last few turns. Make sure to line up the mud guard when replacing bolts.
Now get back in your beautiful rover and start her up. Press the brakes a couple times until it feels like a regular brake pedal. This is pushing the pistons against the brake pads. Pop that hood and check your brake fluid level (DOT 4). Now go drive on a rad dirt trail with full confidence.
If you have any issues with the terms I’ve used just google them. The parts are called the same thing on your Rover and your rich neighbors Bugatti.
So there it is. A DIY how to for replacing the brakes on a Land Rover Discovery I.
Good vs. Better – A DSLR comparison
July 28, 2009
So, I was recently prepping some images for the Causwell site today and realized something about my camera. It ain’t so good. The photos I was prepping were from Jay Eichhorst who shoots with a high end Canon and accompanying lens. I’m not sure of the specs, but he definitely spent a lot more on his gear than I did. I have a Nikon D50 and I typically shoot with an 18-250 or 28-200 Tamron lens. Below is a cropped portion of a photo from both cameras at full resolution. The Canon on the left and Nikon on the right. Even though I spent a pretty penny on my gear, it really does go to show that when it comes to DSLR cameras, you get what you pay for.
Canon vs Nikon
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