Lost my brakes while driving yesterday...

[COBALT]

I never want to do that again. I was suddenly in deep sh!t yesterday in heavy traffic. I was driving across the Aurora Bridge north of Seattle heading south (for anyone who doesn't live here it's a scary bridge to drive across where the lanes are too narrow and everyone drives 10-15 mph over the limit). I had to brake to make a sharp right turn that's notoriously hazardous. In the middle of braking I heard a pop and the brake pedal went to the floor. No brakes.

I managed to straighten out before smacking a guard rail, flip on my hazards, drop the truck into neutral, and coast off of the Dexter street exit using my E-brake to slow me down. Thank God no one in front of me was turning on that exit as well or I would have creamed them. I'm also happy I fixed the E-brake when I rebuilt the rear suspension last year.

Bottom line is I have two problems:

1. A leaky master cylinder. The booster has been causing me problems and I've been way too busy to get a new one and fix it right. The rear brake reservior turns out was empty. I have burned up fluid all over the front of the booster, and in the engine compartment.

2. After yesterday's festivities the front passenger wheel cylinder blew (hence no pressure), so the fluid in the front reservoir is just shooting all over the ground.

I had the truck towed to a local Les Schwab for a lack of a better place (and it was close). Before I let them touch it does anyone have a good brake place I could haul this truck to? I'll need new wheel cylinders, new shoes probably (all drum brakes), a new master cylinder and probably a proportioning valve. The lines look ok.

Any tips will be appreciated.

[Jimbotronics]

No help on parts Cobalt but glad to hear you were able to get stopped without incident..

[CPNE]

Glad you are ok. My advise...

If you can tile a bathroom you can do drum brakes on these trucks. I say go for it...unless it's -25F and no heated shop like here, then farm it out.

[1969 GMC]

you dont necessarily need new shoes, either. but i guess its as good of a time as any to check.

[COBALT]

Well....the problem is I don't have a place to work on it right now. If I had the parts and the space I could do it in the pouring down rain, but that's not going to happen. My neighbor has the driveway full of construction material, my garage is stuffed with tools and other stuff for the house, and there's no way I'm doing this on the street.

Any ideas?

[COBALT]

Oh and I think I'm going to opt for new shoes at least on the front. The problems with the master cylinder has put a lot of pressure on the front brakes (hence the broken wheel cylinder probably). Everything on the passenger side is covered in brake fluid anyway. I'm going to get in there with a light and take a look at what the damage is, and then make my decision on what gets replaced.

The problem is Les Schwab is great for wheels and tires. They're not so hot on working on brakes (in my opinion)...

[67ChevyRedneck]

In terms of shoes, you will need to replace the front shoes because once they get fluid on them they are junk. I'd have them check the rears, but rear drums take forever to wear down. They have an adjustor on the so that you can tighten them up every so often, but most people don't, so rear drums lose thier "firmness" a little bit. Have them tighten the rear and replace the front. In terms of parts the wheel cylinder should be less than 15, the master cylinder under 20, and the shoe should be about 12. There was a thread somewhere about where to buy these parts at but I can't remember what brands are better. Glad you and your truck are ok.

[COBALT]

Thanks.

I'm more worried about the master cylinder/brake booster. Yeah I bet the rear shoes just need adjusting, but I'd want them to inspect the rear wheel cylinders. Without even looking I'd want front shoes and wheel cylinders replaced regarless...

[stllookn]

Corey, Good thing you did not run into CARS and I yesterday with that 1/2Horn in tow...that would have been a cubic cluster f***...well you know...LOL! The new MC is very inexpensive and easy to do it that gets you home. I think I spent all of about $15 on mine from Schucks. If you need help bleeding it give me a call. If that gets you home...great! Brakes in the Seattle area...hmmmmmm....always just do my own. CARS has a good mechanic on North Aurora not far from there. I am trying to get hold of him now. That is high bridge...narrow lanes and a scary turn at the end...good thing you didn't coast into the Battery Street Tunnel...it could have been worse! PM me if you need more info.

[Longhorn Man]

glad you are OK...
Your proportioning valve is just a distribution valve...it is just as block of metal that conr\trolls the light on the dash. No need to replace it onless it is clogged or leaking.

[Exille]

Glad your OK as well, personally i neverlet anyone touch my truck but me, if you cant/dont have any room to do it yourself, id go for a reputable shop, i had something similar happen to me when i drove my truck to and from my work, when i worked there i got off work around 11Pm, and i had to park on a semi-steep part of the road that goes to the building, well, i hopped it, fired her up, put my foot on the brake and popped the ebrake, what i didnt notice when i got in my truck was the large river of brake fluid coming from my right rear, i proceeded to fly backwards down the road to mainstreet, smashed the ebrake and skidded a good 30ft

[COBALT]

Well, normally I'd do this myself, but towing it home will cost a fortune. Towing it out to my dad's house...forget it.

I'm stuck. I have nowhere to work on it. No parts either. I'm going to have to suck it up and let them fix it this time, but the good news is I went over the parts with the guy, and told him what I wanted. Unfortunately he won't let me use their shop space or their tools...



Oh and here's the damage:

1. Passenger front wheel cylinder exploded.
2. Passenger front shoes are saturated and shot.
3. Driver's front shoes are cracked.
4. Master cylinder is leaking badly in front of the brake booster.
5. Brake booster is full of fluid.
6. Proportioning valve (what I thought might be cracked for some damn reason) is ok, but leaking. It'll have to be resealed.

I'm going to have him replace the front shoes on both sides, new wheel cylinders up front, new MC, and new booster.

It sucks.

[stllookn]

It stinks...my Toyota will not tow you or I would help haul you home at least. CARS does not have a good mechanic since he left town to go sailing in the San Juans and has not returned. At least, if you have talked with the guy, Les Schawb should do a good job. I would trust them before any of the other shops around. It is just that all the shops are pretty expensive.

Good Luck.

[4x4Poet]

Do you belong to any car clubs, any social clubs, or even a church? If so, I can only suggest that you ask for garage space for a Saturday. Maybe get a "brake party" going. If you have all the parts purchased ahead of time, it's potentially a one-day job. Just research your parts needs thoroughly. Maybe buy more than you need so you can take back what you don't end up actually needing once you tear it down. Good time for a bearing repack, for instance. Or hose replacement, etc.

[Hooter]

try les Schwab if they screw the brakes up on your truck, then they have real problems, the brakes are easy to work on, any shop should do good work for you, and if they cant handle your brakes then how do they put wheels on cars, its almost as easy to do those brakes