Wheel Cylinders.

Hi Guy's,

I did the annual service on Karen's Astra today, every thing was going fine until I took the rear brake drums off. I have done quite a bit of work to this car over the last three years. We have owned this car since it was a year old and it has been very reliable.

I changed the front brake calipers and rear wheel cylinders two years ago but on checking my rear brakes today I found both cylinders were leaking. This was a bit disappointing I expect a new brake component to last longer than two years. The service schedule states that they are checked every four years or 40,000 miles, I check them every service which in this case meant I caught them early before the brake shoes were contaminated with brake fluid.

Also I replaced the front ball joints back in March for the MOT as the offside one had an advisory from the previous year. On checking them today only seven months after the rubber boots that protect them from dirt and water ingress have started to perish and crack.

Is it me or has the quality of replacement car parts deteriorated over the last few years. I look after my cars when something needs doing I do it, if one side is OK but the other needs doing I replace both sides. Is it too much to ask that new parts last longer than a couple of years.

KBO