On our trip from Tampa to Topsail we were sitting in stop and go traffic in SC. Once we get back to a decent speed, I notice that the front right brake caliper isn't releasing. I try everything to get it to do so but it aint going anywhere. I keep it at 35mph and get off at the next exit. I hop out and look... I can smell the ceramic pads are gone and we're smoking. I happened to have an IR thermometer gun in the truck and shot the rotor... 485 degrees. Yikes.

I always bring tools with me but I was NOT prepared to change out brake calipers on the side of the road. I break out the phone and search for mechanics. Called the first two to no answer. It wasn't a shock, it was 1:30p and I'm in the middle of nowhere.

The third one answered and said they'd take a look at it. They were 4 miles away and I did between 25-35mph all the way there. By the time I got there, the heat had warped the rotor and burned up the bearings as well. Unfortunately, unlike a trailer, the inner bearings are a sealed part of the hub.

This mom and pop shop took SUCH good care of me though. They were supposed to close at 2pm and we didn't get out of there until after 5. The mechanic was supposed to pick his wife up at 4pm and the owner of the shop went and picked her up so that he could continue working on my truck. Good ol' boys who use milk crates to haul tools back and forth and use as stools. Couldn't have been more nice to us and my two dogs.

The owner later told me that if I'd called 10 minutes later (at 1:40), he'd have turned me away. There were only two other shops in town and they were both closed already as well. I would have been stuck there until Monday.

So if you ever find yourself needing help in Santee, I can't recommend Herron's Automotive highly enough!