devonianwalk Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) Okie-dokie. I'm sitting here on the side of the road waiting for a friend with a car trailer to come and rescue me and my Pathy. On my way into work this morning I started to feel a slight wobble in my steering wheel progressively get worse as I drove on. After six miles or so I hit my first red light. As I applied the brakes my truck pulled hard to the left. I noticed a funky smell and smoke coming from the front passenger side wheel. After letting it cool down I started the engine. My brake pedal instantly went all the way to the floor. I shut the engine off and was able to build pressure back up by pumping the brakes. I then started the engine again and lost all pressure again. Any ideas or thoughts on what I should look for before handing her over to my mechanic would be greatly appreciated! Edited June 22, 2011 by devonianwalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Sounds like a brake line burst, near the passenger side front wheel. Could be the rubber line, or the hard line. I'd look for where it's wet, and go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 Thanks. Will check. I did look at the fluid level at the main cylinder and it looked fine though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleurys Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 then maybe you lost one brake pad.... you'll know when you remove the wheel... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxanne97 Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 this happend to me i lost my pads in my front driver caliber so i was usin my pistons to stop hhahahhahahahaha, if not then it ur master cylinder fo sho. good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 Busted rubber brake line! Good call Simon. Heat ruined the pad(s) so now I have to replace both sides and replace the rotors as they are too worn to turn them. Throw in replacing the busted line and having him install the NX4 strut spacers while he is "in the area" will set me back $800. Thank goodness for my "rainy day" savings account! *sigh* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 You could do the pads and rotors and the line yourself if you have the tools. It only takes a few hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkorahil Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Agreed! either way I would replace the brake fluid too, it probably got very very hot from your incident and you have to remove the brake line anyways to replace it so you will loose more fluid, of course make sure to bleed the brake the system real good and dont get any brake fluid on your paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qx4donald Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) Busted rubber brake line! Good call Simon. Heat ruined the pad(s) so now I have to replace both sides and replace the rotors as they are too worn to turn them. Throw in replacing the busted line and having him install the NX4 strut spacers while he is "in the area" will set me back $800. Thank goodness for my "rainy day" savings account! *sigh* I'm hoping that the $800 includes new pads, new rotors, new brake fluid, and te spacers... otherwise, $800 just to do the fronts? sounds kind off. The rotors and pads should be pretty straightforward (except for the wheel bearing lock nut which requires some added ingenuity - look here). The fluid on an ABS system, I'm not too familiar with - I've always though you had to do them in a special way or something. The Spacers should be WAYYYYY easy... all you need to do is pop your strut assembly off and off to work you go. All you'd need are some extened bolts to account for the added spacers between the strut tower and the assembly strut mount. ... ok maybe I shouldn't say "easy", it'll take some time. It's no "oil change", but it's certainly no more difficult than an oil-change. I'm pretty sure all you'd need are just the basic tools (except for the wheel bearing locknut - although you could just use a screwdriver to get it off - supposedly it's torqued down just to seat the wheel bearing and then released to "0-ft-lbs") Edited June 22, 2011 by Qx4donald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 You could do the pads and rotors and the line yourself if you have the tools. It only takes a few hours. I have enough basic wrench skills but, I don't have a heavy enough lift or a paved pad to do it on. ... either way I would replace the brake fluid too, it probably got very very hot from your incident and you have to remove the brake line anyways to replace it so you will loose more fluid, of course make sure to bleed the brake the system real good and dont get any brake fluid on your paint. Good idea on the fluid. I'll make sure that is taken care of. Thanks! The Spacers should be WAYYYYY easy... all you need to do is pop your strut assembly off and off to work you go. All you'd need are some extened bolts to account for the added spacers between the strut tower and the assembly strut mount. Yeah, I bought the spacers from a memeber here on the forum. I picked up some schedule 8 extended bolts. They are larger than the stock bolts so he's going to bore the original strut mount holes to accommodate them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clkindred Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Yeah, I bought the spacers from a memeber here on the forum. I picked up some schedule 8 extended bolts. They are larger than the stock bolts so he's going to bore the original strut mount holes to accommodate them. Schedule 8? We talking PVC conduit now? JkJk I know what you meant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewebster Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Why does a burst brake line cause the pads to overheat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkorahil Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Lets see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. I wasnt there but from what I understood happend in this case based on his description the brakes lost fluid so the pistons had no fluid holding/sucking them in so they opened up and the pads drug on the rotor. The piston on the caliper connects to the pads and push the pads out to make contact with the rotors when braking. when you release the pedal the reverse happens, the pressure is relieved from the pistons and they return to their normal positon. With no fluid they hang and teh brake pads drags. Hope that makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewebster Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Hmm, I never really thought of this "suction" effect before, only the pushing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 Exactly what Alkorahil posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewebster Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) I guess I just thought that the pads were essentially always slightly rubbing, and that this was a negligible loss for an automobile. You don't really want the pads to have to move when you hit the brakes or you will get play in the system. With no pressure in the line the pads will have nothing squeezing them into the rotor and will be infinitessimally moved by the rotor spinning around. They'll also get worn as you drive... But maybe the suction effect you are talking about is just another tiny little movement that is necessary to avoid excess rubbing, I just haven't heard of it before. Thanks for the info. Also, a seized caliper would make everything very hot, and this might hasten the death of the rubber line... Edited June 23, 2011 by sewebster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Schedule 8? We talking PVC conduit now? JkJk I know what you meant. Good Lawd ... I just re-read my post. "Grade" not "Schedule" Also, a seized caliper would make everything very hot, and this might hasten the death of the rubber line... This is the other suggestion that my mechanic told me. Both explinations make sense to me. I have yet to see the damaged hose and will most likely ask him exactly what he found. To add to my delima, he called me today and told me that while he was removing one of the struts, he noticed that the strut bolt was stripped. I think that the struts have some sort of warranty so I'll be exploring that avenue. Starting to be REAL glad that this is not my DD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkorahil Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Hmm, I never really thought of this "suction" effect before, only the pushing. I dont know what the scientific term is but the fluid pressure increases when you push the pedal and return to normal when youlet it off returning the caliper piston to 'rest' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 Replaced the calipers, pads, lines, one strut, one sway bar end link, both wheel bearings, added the strut spacers and my sanity (spl?). Took it through the woods and it ran like a champ. All is well now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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