Lost brake pressure explosively (update)

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 05/08/2020 at 16:31 • Filed to: None

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Brake line burst riiiiight where it crimps into the fitting. This is going to be a long day. Time to track down some hose in a rural area. 

First code brown moment in a while. Pedal went straight to the floor. Van did not stop. This was an issue, as I was doing 55 and the 90° bend in the road was suddenly quite a bit closer than it had been previously.

E-brake pulled, rear tires locked up. Couple feet of skids before I dialed it back, pumping the brakes in the hopes of building some pressure. Managed to make the turn wide without tipping, at the expense of a nice flower bed. Drove to a safe spot and am now waiting for a tow. Popped the hood to find zero brake fluid in the resuvoir, and then noticed the tire coated in brake fluid, with the inside of the wheel absolutely slathered in the stuff. I keep thinking how glad I am that it was me behind the wheel, and not one of our newer drivers. Or hell, one of our older drivers. Icy mountain drifting has at the very least beaten the panic genes out of my DNA.

Have a pretty view from earlier today. Absolutely phenomenal view of Mt Rainier.

ClassicDatsunDebate > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:36

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W owzers. Glad you kept your head and kept the rubber side down.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:38

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View is amazing.

How old is the truck?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:39

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My goodness good thing thing you kept your cool. Glad you are safe. 

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:39

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Yikes! Glad you kept it under control.  Blown flex hose?

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:39

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I hope you yelled “DRIFTOOOOOOOOOO”

Glad you’re OK and that you didn’t hit anyone or anything substantial.

Having had pretty decent experience in working with (big shipping company name redacted), every time my phone says “package delayed” I imagine a package truck flipped over with my stuff in it.

lone_liberal > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:40

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Holy shit! Nicely handled! I think I would have had an explosive evacuation of  the bowels and bladder.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:40

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“Oh, sorry.  That NEVER happens to me.  Honest.  At least the rubber stayed on...”

TheRealBicycleBuck > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:40

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Who was the last person to do maintenance on the brakes?

More importantly, who stands to profit from your demise?

AestheticsInMotion > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 05/08/2020 at 15:40

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Not positive. I think it's a 1st Gen (or at least not the current Gen) sprinter so.... Mid 2000's?

PartyPooper2012 > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:42

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There is something to be said for spirited driving experience.

The few butt clenching moments and few ear to ear smile moments and you can deal with pretty much anything

AestheticsInMotion > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/08/2020 at 15:45

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Not sure yet. I’d take the wheel off and look it over if I had a jack but alas...

These are allegedly fresh calipers no less

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > PartyPooper2012 05/08/2020 at 15:48

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one time the brake lever on my bike decided to be freeee and fell off the handlebars

went straight into the front wheel... actually bent the fork backwards...

there was no dealing with that one...i flew (like a majestic cow)

once i picked meself up i rode back with me handlebars facing the wrong way so the fork was facing the right way

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:53

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Now we know why parking brakes are cable actuated.

PartyPooper2012 > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/08/2020 at 15:53

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When you say bike, I am assuming bicycle.

I had something similar. Just re-did my front brakes on my 18 speed. Tooling around a park with my friends, I was riding without holding the handle bars. Something happened. I grabbed the brakes. Front grabbed much harder than rear. I flew over handlebars.

Sat there looking at my recently purchased broken R olex imitation watch. Upset at the loss of a 10 dollar watch. Scrapes and bruises and slightly bent bike? Eh. I’ll bend it back and heal. 

Ssfancyfresh > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:53

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I think he means poo...

OPPOsaurus WRX > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:55

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i had a dick disease in a shitbox civic cut me off on t he highway. When I hi t the brakes i felt it pop and it went right to the floor. I got enough on that first push to keep me from hitting him but that was about it. I pulled into the emergency lane and tried the e-brake which did nothing. I eventually coasted to a stop.  I wonder if the hose popped off you new caliper.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 15:58

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Damn, glad you’re OK!

I’m confused...shouldn’t you have still had braking power to two wheels, so some pedal pressure / stopping power? Don’t most modern brake systems have two circuits in case one fails to diagnally-opposite wheels?)

Maybe I am wrong...

facw > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/08/2020 at 16:00

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Yeah, though like RallyDarkstrike, I thought a single leak wasn’t supposed to be able to take out the brakes on a modern vehicle.

user314 > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 16:02

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Chariotoflove > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 16:03

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Wow! I half expected to read that you dropped the gear into 1 and cratered the transmission to save your life. Your driving experience saved your life and probably the van as well.

So Miata is the answer yet again.

Nom De Plume > OPPOsaurus WRX 05/08/2020 at 16:05

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Another nice save.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > facw 05/08/2020 at 16:06

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I think it would just keep pumping fluid to that corner until the reservoir was empty. But there should have been a warning light on the dash for an empty reservoir....

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > PartyPooper2012 05/08/2020 at 16:06

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ayup

i did wreck 2 motorbikes tho.. once coz im an idiot geared up got on the xt 250 to go hoon around the moto cross track behind the farm i used to live in

didnt check if the gate was open before hooning around the hedge to get in the field...

and my bandit died coz im an idiot that forgot about a pothole in a turn on my daily route home wich i always rode too fast...

hit it and bounced straight off the road.. the bandit hit every tree nearby...i sailed clean through and just broke me collar bone when i met the ground

Nom De Plume > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 16:07

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Glad you kept calm and chose the right combination of actions.  

fintail > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 16:09

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Oh the memories. I had an incident like this 20 years ago in the fintail. I drove home from school to visit my mom, while there noticed a little suspicious residue on the inside of a tire. However, the brake fluid reservoir looked full, and there was no place in the small town to have it examined, so I just figured I would take it easy on the ~250 mile drive back.

I had no issues until the freeway exit nearest to  school - pedal went to the floor. Fortunately it was an uphill exit, and I engine braked my way to a stop. Reservoir was empty. I refilled it (always carry spare fluids in an old car), and I got 3 stops, then pedal on the floor again. I was able to get it fixed the next day. Oh yeah, no parking brake either, I had neglected that one for some time (it works now).

TheRealBicycleBuck > PartyPooper2012 05/08/2020 at 16:11

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Reminds me of when I replaced the cantilever brakes on my mountain bike with V-Brakes. I was riding down the street and a girl stepped off the curb into the bike lane without looking. I slammed on the brakes and found myself wadded up on the tarmac, looking up at the girl. She didn’t even realize she was the cause of the wreck and didn’t bother to apologize or ask if I was ok. She just walked away.

AestheticsInMotion > TheRealBicycleBuck 05/08/2020 at 16:17

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Which one of you goons is trying to take my scooter 

AestheticsInMotion > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 05/08/2020 at 16:17

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Honestly that's what I imagine too at this point

AestheticsInMotion > fintail 05/08/2020 at 16:18

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First, I had no idea you’d had the fintail so long!

Second... I'm starting to very much see the appeal of owning ONE new vehicle that will always get you where you need to be without drama. 

AestheticsInMotion > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 05/08/2020 at 16:19

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Beats me. I'm not much of a mechanic, but my best guess is that I was already going on half power before I tried making that emergency stop

AestheticsInMotion > Chariotoflove 05/08/2020 at 16:20

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If this was the Miata, I would have sped up and slid the corner, and beaten the bad guys in time to make it home for supper

fintail > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 16:25

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March of 1995 - I was a teenager!

One project/hobby car is enough for me, sometimes more than enough, depending on the repair bill.   Peace of mind has value, and modern cars can be enjoyable too.

shop-teacher > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 16:29

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Pepper needs new shorts!

just-a-scratch > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 05/08/2020 at 16:38

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Lots of cars have ‘separate’ front and rear brakes circuits. Often the master cylinder has a stepped bore so there rear can pressurize separately once a minimum pedal travel is reached.

Such systems usually still have a common reservoir for both circuits. 

sony1492 > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 05/08/2020 at 16:39

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Not necessarily split diagonally but all modern systems are split, though it will only work if the pedal is pumped a few times after the initial failure

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > sony1492 05/08/2020 at 16:47

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Ah, gotcha, was unaware of that!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > just-a-scratch 05/08/2020 at 16:48

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Ah, understood! You learn something new every day :)

facw > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 16:50

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Are they expecting you to repair this? I mean it’s great if you can, but I would have thought that would be beyond what is expected of delivery drivers. I would expect transferring packages to another van and towing it somewhere to be fixed. And maybe have someone see about reimbursing that person for damage to their garden.

RPM esq. > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 05/08/2020 at 16:51

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Not going to do you a whole lot of good in a heavy truck if the reservoir is already empty.

vondon302 > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 17:08

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Yikes! 

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 05/08/2020 at 17:27

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Yeah, how OLD is this to have a single fluid circuit?  Code has specified two, opposing corner, circuits for many decades.  for exactly this reason.

way2blu does a rev update > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 17:31

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One time I’d ordered a new radiator core support bar for my MR2 (the stock one spontaneously disconnected at autocross; story for another day). I got an email saying “your package has been delayed due to an incident in transit.”

Eventually, the part arrives two weeks late in a box that’s partially scorched and smells of fire and car fluids. To this day, I don’t know what happened. I hope everyone was okay.

Glad you were able to manage the situation and avert such a crisis today. That’s gotta be terrifying.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 18:26

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Wow, glad you made it out of that one OK.

Scenery is on point too.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 18:32

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oooh, yeah I’ve had that happ en, it’s exciting... I called the local parts wholesaler and asked them to deliver parts “to the parking lot of the TD Bank on route 7 south of town”... good luck! G lad you are OK!

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 19:53

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This was blasting im sure

NKato > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 19:54

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Ask your boss for a raise for saving the goddamn truck. Verbatim .

pip bip - choose Corrour > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 20:02

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code brown indeed

Urambo Tauro > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 20:20

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These are allegedly fresh calipers...

Hm, caliper replacement time is usually a great opportunity to consider replacing the hose... Maybe somebody decided to skim p on that.

RacinBob > AestheticsInMotion 05/08/2020 at 21:35

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When I see that failure on a race car, it is always the result of a brake hose that was not long enough for full travel. Now that is not supposed to have happened on a production cars. However you mention that there were new calipers on the van, did they also change the hoses? if yes I bet the lines they used are too short.

Just Jeepin' > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/10/2020 at 19:25

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Worst experience I’ve had on a bicycle was riding to school in the snow (don’t ask, I don’t remember what possessed me to do that) and my front wheel literally fell off going through a major intersection. Fun times.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Just Jeepin' 05/10/2020 at 23:48

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lol nice

tbh i love riding in snow...its the most fun weather so i’ll just assume thats what possessed you :p

its a shame we dont get winter here no more

PartyPooper2012 > TheRealBicycleBuck 05/11/2020 at 07:33

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Didn’t even give you her number?

Some people!

I was in Amsterdam a while back. bicycles everywhere. You step into their lane, they stop and politely wave you through. I am so used to NYC bikers hopped up on roids ready to take your head off, I was shocked by this different behavior. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > PartyPooper2012 05/11/2020 at 08:24

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I would have been happy with a simple apology or even an “are you alright?”

Ah, well. 

RacinBob > AestheticsInMotion 05/11/2020 at 19:48

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I don’t know if you saw my prior note, but I suggest you think about it. When I see a hose rip out of a fitting on a race car, it is always the result of a brake hose that was not long enough for full travel or being routed wrong . That doesn’t happen on street cars as the hose length and mounting is highly scrutinized by the manufacture so that mistake is impossible highly unlikely .

However you mention that there were new calipers on the van. So I have to wonder did they also change the hoses? If yes, these are new hoses long enough, or how sure are you that they were installed correctly?

I suggest you investigate this because if one ripped out because it is too short or was misinstalled, the other one will too.