A few years ago the brakes failed on one side as I was making a hard stop. Fortunately, there was enough braking power that I didn't crash.

One year ago the other side went out, but again I had enough braking power to stop safely.

Both times, the same garage fixed the problem by replacing the brake lines.

The other day, the brakes failed completely. A sudden dumping a brake fluid from near the driver's side front wheel well, and I had absolutely no braking power at all. Fortunately, I wasn't going that fast at the time and I was able to use the parking brake to bring the Ram to a stop.

My five-year-old was in the truck with me this time, and the gravity of the situation was that much more obvious to me. I've got to get this truck fixed properly, or dump it, but I don't want to just lay this problem in someone else's lap either.

A search of the forum didn't turn anything up.

Has anyone else had this problem??? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

I would see about taking it to a different shop, and have them do a complete look-over of your brakes and anything to do with them (from the lines to the master cylinder to etc.).

I'm by no means an expert on the subject, but its possible the garage you went to the first two times patched up the symptoms or minor issues, but didn't find the real problem. Not saying that is the case, but its possible, we've all seen it before.

 

I'm glad no one got hurt, especially with the 5 year old, I'd be scared to death with that. I did have it happen once years ago and it was the master cylinder cover that was leaking. In these systems it would seem that to lose all would have to be the master cylinder or wherever both lines come out of it and run together.

 

It appears to be both metal lines that come out the bottom of the cylinder and lead to the brake lines. They're rusted, as is alot of the undercarriage metal (probably due to parking in the grass for extended periods). Pics:






Are these metal lines easily sourced and replaced?

.

 

Remove them, take them to an auto parts store and match for size and length. Buy a tubing bender and go to work. BTW, I wouldn't drive mine if it was that rusty (and it's rusty), even the brake booster is beyond words. Parking in grass has nothing to do with the shop that has fixed it.

 

try using the new teflon brake lines, there supposedly not supposed to rust out, and i believe the size was a 3/8's brake line


try throwin some undercoat or something under there....thats a lot of rust, no offense

 

Yeah, you really need to do some stuff with that rust. I'd take a couple weeks (If you have a spare car) and start to remove that rust with a grinder and paint it with some POR-15 or other frame coating. Pennsylvania winters have not been good at all to your truck!!!