Luck or intervention from a higher power?

[gonefishie]

I was on my way to the license branch this afternoon and came up on a stop light. I slowed down, brake pedal felt normal at first then it got soft and I had to pushed it farther in to come to a complete stop. I was 4 blocks away from my destination. Light turned green, I kept going and had to push the pedal all the way down to stop in a parking spot. Put it in park, pumped the pedal and it never got stiff. Got out and saw brake fluid all over my front driver wheel. I then knew the line was broken. Went in to the license branch and had the best experience at a BMV ever. While inside I thought about limping home in low gear, bad idea. Got in the truck, brake pedal now has no resistance at all so I called a tow truck.
It turned out the brake line bracket came loose. The head of the bolt broke off. The weight of the bracket caused extra vibration and the break line broke right at the nut on the caliper side. I had a hell of a time getting those two nuts loose. The one on the caliper side wasn't as bad but the other one took all I had.
I inherited the majority of my tools from my dad and not one 10mm open end wrench. I ended up buying a whole set of metric open end wrench, a new channel lock and new vise grip pliers.
As I lay on the cold driveway, cussing at the seized up nuts. I realized that it could have been much worst if it happened on the highway instead.
Either my old man was watching over me or he just wanted me to buy new tools. Thanks dad!

 

[SigSaurP229]

Re: Luck or intervention from a higher power?

I am a firm believer that my Grandad still watches over me. Its like everytime I try to do something stupid I hear this voice in my head that says "I taught you better than that". Also when the boat broke down it just so happened to be within eyesight of the dock. Yep he is still around taking care of me and the rest of my family just in a much more passive role now. Just as I am sure your dad is still around and subtlely looking over you.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Luck or intervention from a higher power?

Ok now in this situation(I have lost my brakes too) I drove home one handed, used my left hand to pull on my parking brake release lever and operated my parking brake with my left foot. Holding the release keeps the parking brake from latching.

I had a tire chain break and it took the bleeder off the caliper when it came off.

Either way I'm happy everything worked out!

 

[DianneB]

Re: Luck or intervention from a higher power?

Driving a (private) bus through hilly and deserted country many years ago at night the brakes went out, kept going CAREFULLY. Hubby was a professional driver, asleep in the idiot seat, woke up at one point and asked "How long we been without brakes?" - I said "about an hour." - he asked "You okay?" - I said "Fine." The only dicey part was I knew we had one stop sign coming into our destination and the emergency brake was pretty weak - we did okay and got where we were going before the morning traffic. Thank god for standard transmissions!

Also lost the hydraulic clutch in a truck once - couldn't disengage. Still made the rest of the trip from the city 30 miles to the destination with no problem. If I had had to come to a complete stop anywhere, that's where she would have stayed! Manual transmission again.

Thank god my Daddy was a mechanic and I learned to drive crippled vehicles LOL!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Luck or intervention from a higher power?

I was not so lucky once. Had a brake line expode while under hard braking and I slammed into someone.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Luck or intervention from a higher power?

Ok now in this situation(I have lost my brakes too) I drove home one handed, used my left hand to pull on my parking brake release lever and operated my parking brake with my left foot. Holding the release keeps the parking brake from latching.

I had a tire chain break and it took the bleeder off the caliper when it came off.

Either way I'm happy everything worked out!

Unfortunately, my truck parking brake doesn't have a release lever. It's a push to engage/disengage lever and I got about 10 miles of heavy city traffic. I didn't want to take a chance.

 

['96 Charger]

Re: Luck or intervention from a higher power?

Unfortunately, my truck parking brake doesn't have a release lever. It's a push to engage/disengage lever and I got about 10 miles of heavy city traffic. I didn't want to take a chance.

What do you drive?

 

[j_martin]

Re: Luck or intervention from a higher power?

Driving a (private) bus through hilly and deserted country many years ago at night the brakes went out, kept going CAREFULLY. Hubby was a professional driver, asleep in the idiot seat, woke up at one point and asked "How long we been without brakes?" - I said "about an hour." - he asked "You okay?" - I said "Fine." The only dicey part was I knew we had one stop sign coming into our destination and the emergency brake was pretty weak - we did okay and got where we were going before the morning traffic. Thank god for standard transmissions!

Also lost the hydraulic clutch in a truck once - couldn't disengage. Still made the rest of the trip from the city 30 miles to the destination with no problem. If I had had to come to a complete stop anywhere, that's where she would have stayed! Manual transmission again.

Thank god my Daddy was a mechanic and I learned to drive crippled vehicles LOL!

LOL,
Must have been in 1966, I bought an old school bus in Jacksonville, Florida, and needed to drive it to Charleston, SC. I intended to convert it to living quarters and live off the Naval base.

The clutch was adjusted too tight, and about 100 miles into the trip the TO bearing went through the fingers of the clutch pressure plate. Same feeling as blown hydraulic clutch. Had to shut down after a stop and start it in low gear to get going again.

If you want to see a real upset face, just pull into the only toll booth open in the middle of the night with an old school bus and shut down the engine.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Luck or intervention from a higher power?

What do you drive?

It's an 02 Tundra. I should have say a pedal not a lever.