SO on the way home from the bank today I had to brake really hard (some stupid old lady in a stratus jumped out in front of me). I felt something snap under the brake pedal, and now:

- I have to push the pedal down a lot further then normal to get brake pressue
- my anti lock and e-brake lights are on constantly
- the e brake pedal has zero tension in it

What did I break when I braked?

 

sounds like a cable snapped for the e-brake. im not sure about the pedal going farther down. but the back brakes are probably completely disconnected

 

you probly blew a wheel cylinder. did it make a shudder?

check your brake fluid, if its low you either blew the brake lines or did what i did and blew a rear wheel cylinder.

 

No it doesn't shudder or shake at all

 

did you manage to break some of the linkage to the pedal its self? The E-brake on just about all cars is compleatly sepreat from you normal hydrulic brakes by design, assuming that your e-brake pedal was all well and good befor your close incounter, that would lead me to believe that there could be some breakage in your rear drums, possibly some of the retaning hardwrare broke. M2C

 

i agree maybe the springs broke. when was the last time the rear brakes were replaced?

 

Rear brakes were done all of maybe a month ago, when I got my truck legal. There is no leak in the hydraulic system anywhere BTW, I checked over every brake line thoroughly. Pedal is very firm like its supposed to be when the truck is not running, just gets really soft when I start it.

 

I've had just about every brake problem imagineable in my dakota and I want to point out that sometimes (as happened to me) if you brake hard enough the wires on the top side of the rear end right above the cover can pop right off and cause those "idiot lights" as they say, to come on.

Please keep us updated on the progress and goodluck!