Hey guys. as the title says, my ABS and Brake light came on. I have a long detailed story of how they come on so bear with me. I checked the other threads but none had my exact symptoms. First off, I know my truck is due for brakes here shortly but before these troubles it had good braking power still, even though the pedal needs to be pushed close to the floor.

Driving home the other night I was coming to a T intersection where I needed to stop. I applied my normal brake pressure to the pedal, but the truck wasn't slowing down to my likings so I pushed harder on the pedal (no ABS or Brake light on at this time). As I pushed harder to stop I heard one pop sound and then noticed the lights then came on. I got it stopped at the stop sign then continued driving the 3 miles home. The speedo was working right I believe. Going around the gravel road corners I applied the brakes. This is when I noticed that the pedal was very flimsy soft for about 3/4 the way down then it would hit firm and the truck would begin to slow down. My initial thought was I bursted the brake booster vacuum line or it popped off the master cylinder. When I got home in the cold darkness I popped the hood and quickly checked for that or anything obvious with no luck. Checked fuses in the dash panel and all were good. Checked the fluid level and it was halfway full (though I can't remember how full it was last time I checked). I glanced around the front brakes for a blown brake line but didn't see anything. I gave up for the night as it was cold, dark and I was sick. Now I'm here asking for opinions!

A little background info...I had these lights come on before but it was due to a trailer that I hooked up to that had been wired wrong in the pigtail and when I pushed the brakes it popped a fuse (tail lights IIRC) in the dash panel. I have zero ABS relays in the PDC, been that way since I bought the truck. There's slots for them but none are installed.

I guess the problem in short is I don't have a confident feeling in the brake pedal after I heard that pop and the ABS and Brake light came on in conjunction with that pop sound. What do you all think? Thanks!

 

Sounds like the brake line to the rear brakes blew out. Not unusual. Generally rusts and breaks right over the gas tank.

Check you brake fluid level, and look for puddles on the ground.

 

Ok didn't think about the rear lines. I will check those when I get to it. One thing I left out was when I was checking it out that night, with the engine off and pumping the brakes the pressure on the pedal would build solid like it should. Now doing the same with the engine running, the RPM's would go down to about 4-500 when I quit pumping, and then they'd jump back up to normal idle around 600 or 700. If a line did indeed blow, is it possible for pressure to still build?

 

Yes. The proportioning valve will close off the compromised circuit, so you still have brakes. You just get really long pedal travel with nothing happening... as one circuit of the brakes are doing nothing.

 

Wow I didn't know that good bit of info, thanks HeyYou! In theory, now that it has closed off that circuit, I won't be able to have someone pump the brakes so I can pin point a leak in that line can I? I looked underneath it last night briefly when I got home and didn't see any fluid staining the gravel, and it's sat there since Saturday night when this all happened.

 

Several folks have had the line blown, but, no apparent evidence of a leak.

What you can try is, have someone else pump up the brakes, and hold pressure on them, and crack open one of the FRONT bleeder valves. This should shock the proportioning valve to open up the rears a bit.

Have a look at the fluid level in the reservoir as well. See if you are losing any.

 

So I finally got a chance to get my truck into a heated garage and look under it. I don't see any fluid anywhere if it was the famous brake line BUT I did notice my left wheel cylinder was a bit wet underneath it, the other one was dry…that could be my problem possibly? I'm starting to think that I should just buck up and replace my brakes all around since I know they are very bad, they shake, shimmy and surge when braking which probably isn't safe, especially towing the boat. Should I go ahead and try replacing the wheel cylinders on both sides and see if that cures my problem? Seems easier? Trying to avoid going through the trouble with the gas tank and bending a new line etc.

On another note, looking at the rear brake line, I've read a lot on here with people blowing that line and stating that the line runs above the gas tank and it pools up there when it blows. From what i can see, mine runs to the side of the gas tank in the frame rail from front to rear. I guess it doesn't make sense to me that it'd run over the top of it when the frame rail is the best location? Maybe I' overlooking things. Thanks guys!

 

If your brakes are as bad as you say, then it is PAST time to address those issues. If the rear shoes are even considering being marginal, replace them as well. Do both wheel cylinders, shoes, and hardware. (springs, retainers, and such.) Have the drums turned, or, simply replace them. (here it is very close in price to go either way.)

For the front, I would go with pads, soft-lines, and rotors. Pick up a couple quarts of brake fluid, and THOROUGHLY flush the entire system. Adjust up the rears, and enjoy brakes that do what they are supposed to. If that doesn't turn off the lites, replace the rear wheel speed sensor on top of the rear diff.

 

So I'm slowly working at this project when time allows, and I've got the drivers side brake drum soaked with wd40, pb blaster to try and break that rust bond, but I just can't make it happen. I'm smacking the drum with the blunt side of my 8 lb wood maul and it still isn't breaking loose. Shoes are backed off. How hard is too hard to smack that drum? I know I'm likely going to replace the drums anyhow so should I just put more ooomff into it? I've already bent one stud slightly, on accident haha but that's no biggie it can be replaced.

 

Hit the drum on the top edge, at an angle. Preferably with a might downward swing. Put everything ya go into it. One or two hits should knock it loose.