Yesterday we changed a wheel cylinder on the Bedford.
This may seem like a tiny act, an insignificant little part in the grand scheme of things, but two years ago we broke down in Spain, and to have two wheel cylinders replaced we were charged over €500.
We don’t ever want to find ourselves in that situation again, at the mercy of a garage and whatever ridiculous costs they decide to rip us off with.
We had no mechanical backgrounds, we didn’t grow up working with our dads on hot summer weekends like so man kids had the privilege of doing. We’re not naturals, and we’re learning everything through a painstaking process of trial and error, Haynes manuals and advice, but we’re learning.
And so the simple act of removing wheels and brake drums, unhinging brake shoe springs and replacing a tiny little wheel cylinder symbolises a full circle for us, a hard lesson learned, and seizing control of our futures and our abilities.
P.S. We promise we’ll have a new Bedford video out for you next week. We’ve been fixing a leaking diesel pipe on our own van which has consumed much of our time recently, but thankfully she’s back on the road and chugging along nicely.
In the meantime, here’s a little preview of what we’ve been up to: repainting the Bedford, and building a wall.
What new skills have you been learning lately?
