Hard Brake Line PSA
#1
03-16-2012 | 10:41 PM
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Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 878
Likes: 3
From: Divide, CO
Hard Brake Line PSA
At lunchtime today, I'm backing out from a parking space at the gas station, and Whoa! Brake pedal goes to the floor! 
Quickly pushed it in again, and same thing! CRAP! Hit the parking brake, and stopped, got out, and saw fluid coming from the front left. Limped home in low gear range (awhile back I modded 4WD-LO to run in 2WD mode) and using the parking brake.... ~10MPH, back roads, hazards on, rural roads, so it was safe.
Tonight I pulled the wheel and found that the left-front hard line rusted through about 1-1/2" before it attaches to the flexible line - just where it exits the spiral-wrap protection.
The scariest part:
I'm prepping to move to Colorado in a couple/few months. If this had happened on a mountain road (or highway, or city street, for that matter) instead of in a flat parking lot, I likely wouldn't be here to type this out. The Good Lord was watching out for me FOR SURE!
If your truck is more than a few years old, and is driven in areas where they pile on the salt like NE Ohio...
CHECK THOSE HARD LINES, BOYS AND GIRLS!!!
Andy
Quickly pushed it in again, and same thing! CRAP! Hit the parking brake, and stopped, got out, and saw fluid coming from the front left. Limped home in low gear range (awhile back I modded 4WD-LO to run in 2WD mode) and using the parking brake.... ~10MPH, back roads, hazards on, rural roads, so it was safe.Tonight I pulled the wheel and found that the left-front hard line rusted through about 1-1/2" before it attaches to the flexible line - just where it exits the spiral-wrap protection.
The scariest part:
I'm prepping to move to Colorado in a couple/few months. If this had happened on a mountain road (or highway, or city street, for that matter) instead of in a flat parking lot, I likely wouldn't be here to type this out. The Good Lord was watching out for me FOR SURE!
If your truck is more than a few years old, and is driven in areas where they pile on the salt like NE Ohio...
CHECK THOSE HARD LINES, BOYS AND GIRLS!!!
Andy
#2
03-19-2012 | 01:13 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,155
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
you only lost half your brakes... no real need to use the parking brake in that situation.
You truck is still "safe" with half the brakes. Your stopping distance would have been increased. You would have had to push the brake pedal much further to stop.
As long as you don't have an emergency braking situation (someone cuts you off, pulls out in front of you, etc) you would have been fine.
But yes, its nice that it happened in a parking lot at low speed!
You truck is still "safe" with half the brakes. Your stopping distance would have been increased. You would have had to push the brake pedal much further to stop.
As long as you don't have an emergency braking situation (someone cuts you off, pulls out in front of you, etc) you would have been fine.
But yes, its nice that it happened in a parking lot at low speed!
#3
03-19-2012 | 02:46 PM
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Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 878
Likes: 3
From: Divide, CO
I agree with the above when it's a rear line that gives way (this has happened to me as well). While it's certainly a surprise when it happens, it can be manageable once you compensate.
But when a front line blows, it's a whole new experience. When the rear brakes only do about 25% of the job in the first place, then you cut than effectiveness significantly, you've got nearly bupkis for braking - i.e. pedal against the floorboard and no stop at even walking speed.
Andy
But when a front line blows, it's a whole new experience. When the rear brakes only do about 25% of the job in the first place, then you cut than effectiveness significantly, you've got nearly bupkis for braking - i.e. pedal against the floorboard and no stop at even walking speed.
Andy
