Total brake failure on 2006 Tundra

I recently had complete brake loss when a flexible hose from the left front wheel to the steel tubing on the body broke. All the fluid was pushed out by the brake pedal and I had no brakes. I always thought that the second braking circuit would let you stop the vehicle but I had no brakes and there no fluid left in the master cylinder. Has anyone experienced this?
Thanks for any advice.

 

There's no fluid or a sealed system to create pressure in the calipers and wheel cylinders to counteract the rotating front rotors and rear drums.

ABS regulates the amount of pressure each caliper and wheel cylinder will receive, but the system still needs to be completely sealed for it to function.

Your mechanical parking brake will still work in the rear, but that's a parking brake.

 

I thought that as of 1967, all vehicles had to have a dual master cylinder that would allow the brakes on at least two wheels to work. I remember on my old Ford van, the master cylinder had two compartments, one for each circuit.

 

Ah, didn't initially catch that's what you're referring to. There are internal seals in our master cylinders that can fail. Perhaps they failed and the fluid was leaking between chambers internally?

If the MC is okay, another thought would be that the rear shoes were toast and it wasn't obvious until you were relying only on them.

 

That is why mechanical parking brake maintenance and adjustment is rather important. Had an old daily beater once that lost brakes in traffic at about 30-40 mph. Had to put it into the curb really hard and luckily learned a lesson without any crash.

 

Just Fred Flinstone it and stick a foot out the door

 

According to legend, a butt pucker has been known to defy the accepted laws of physics!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgERCGbP0w0

 

My comment is totally OT here, but I got a chance to see Kris at the Opry a few years back. It was really sad for me, his earlier sports life really took a toll on the guy's brain, he couldn't remember the lyrics to a lot of the songs or would just up and forget lyrics or hum his way through sections. Not dissimilar from what happened with Glen Campbell, except Kris doesn't seem to have full-on dementia stuff. He was really apologetic and it was still a great show which I'm glad we didn't miss, but a very different experience than the last time I saw him with my dad back in the 90s.

 

Yeah, same thing happened to me when a tire chain slipped off one winter and tore out a front brake line.

This was before I fixed my rear brakes/parking brakes. But not a problem as I was in thick snow so I just came to a halt. Got out and used some pliers to fold what was left of the brake line over on itself and crimp it closed. Worked well enough to get home.

 

Scary stuff. Would recommended the wheelers stainless steel brake lines!

 

Careful, you remember what our friend blue said about those

 

If you make the hose too strong, applying excessive force to it just causes more damages. Better to have an ez shear/minimal damage/ez to repair hose.

 

What? I must of missed that one...

 

The wheelers hose is as easy to replace as factory rubber but a lot more robust and longer lasting, I would think. Yes there is always a weak point in any system, but I'd still rather make the weakest point stronger...

 

I can't find the thread but dude went over the top with how these "can cause infertility".

 

The idea of the stainless hoses is to minimize expansion when you mash the pedal, which then delivers more pressure to the caliper pistons. Has little to do with making an indestructible system.

 

I can't even think of how one would come to that sort of conclusion... Haha.

 

Agreed the main purpose is increased performance. But I'd bet money a stainless one will outlast the factory rubber. Not to mention be less susceptible to road hazard damage. My thoughts anyways

 

When I had my chain problem, the rubber was fine...it was the metal brake line section that tore out of the caliper

 

I remember that. Wasn't it PHM saying they were made from chinesium or something?

 

I'm a new guy here so please go easy on flaming me but imho, the weakest part should be the easiest to access and r+r in any place or conditions you might encounter. Like the shear pin on an old outboard, hit a rock, snap the shear pin off, put another one in, no internal damage and back on the track with out dropping a lap.

 

The stainless lines are just rubber brake lines with a stainless braided sleeve jacketing them to prevent external expansion. Otherwise, same thing. Not an issue.

 

They're generally Teflon (or some comparable material)

 

Nice! That’s an extra layer of less expandable material. Always thought it had the rubber inside of there. They are still flexible like the factory lines, screw in at the same points like the factory lines and shouldn’t present any complications.