Ever Lost your Brakes in your car.

[mondeomatureguy]

Hi Guy's
In 1979 i was 21 years old ( showing my age now) and my oldest sister and brother in law gave me there 1964 Chev Belair because they brought a new car.

The first thing i did was get the motor fixed up. It had a 307 V8 in it and went pretty good for a car that was 2 tons.
Fast forward a couple of years and i was living in Sydney with my mum and working at a Garage in Paddington.

I was on Holidays and decided to go to the Garage to wash my car. At 11pm i was driving to Paddington around the back of Darling Point in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.

As i got onto a road called Mona Road which winds around and theres traffic lights at the end of Mona Road where New South Head Road cross it.
As i was going down Mona Road i went to hit the brakes and the pedal went straight to the floor and i said Oh S**t.

when i got to the traffic lights they were green and i went sailing thru them and turned in Glenmore Road at Paddington and rolled in the Garage with out hitting a thing.

I left the car in the brake bay for the boys the next day to check it out. It turned out to be a rear Brake Cylinder that was leaking.
I aged about ten years that night but at least the car and my self were in one peace.

[Falcon SXR8]

Twice, Once in my old paddock basher corona down the farm, no harm done just lodged it in a drainage ditch. Second in my old mans triton, front brake line blew, no major dramas had a few pumps before they were totally gone then used the handbrake the rest of the way home.

[Rallye Sport]

Twice now, at the same stop sign close to my folks house.

First was in a Mk1 GT Cortina, the master cylinder decided to drop it guts. I realized with enough time to slow it down with the handbrake.

Second time in the RS2000 I wasn't so lucky, there was a car already at the stop sign and I was coming in hot so had no choice but to take to the footpath, following it around the corner and pulling back onto the road. I remember the bloke I'd gone around furiously honking his horn thinking I'd just pulled a dodgey overtaking move on him
Ironically the brake fail sender had a leaking seal causing the failure.

I've made a habit of brake checking my old cars nowadays especially on higher speed limit roads and before freeway off ramps.

[T3rminator]

Good things come in pairs? Twice here also. First time was one of the rear brake lines that ruptured. I was on my way to an exhaust shop to have the exhaust done. Because it was at the rear, the fronts still worked well enough, along with the handbrake. Luckily the exhaust shop also did brakes! Exhaust, brakes and tow bars!

Second time was when one of my front brake lines ruptured. Now that was freaken scary. It happened whilst I was at a red light luckily, car was stationary, pedal went straight to the floor, had to use handbrake to stop. Handbrake was shoddy too, so I had to go at 20kmh, in a 80 zone, until I reached a side street. Now I make sure my handbrake is always in good working order.

[GasoLane]

Almost........ Heading down the Moonbi's -just Nth of Tamworth- in a B-Double, and just as I got past the 'Trucks and Buses must use low gear' sign all the bells, whistles and flashing lights came up on the dash and the dash menu read 'Brake system failure, stop!'


Fortunately I wasn't going that quick and pulled it into a space about 1km down, where I called for the cavalry to come and rescue me



The fun sign at the top of Moonbi 2........

[prktkljokr]

Delivering spuds in a 1980 Ford Cargo fully loaded about 9 tonne of spuds, I was about 23 just got married the month before, Leach Highway and Moolyeen Rd Bateman, went to stop at the lights no brakes the turning lane was red but free, sailed through turning into Moolyeen just missing a car turning from the other direction, pulled on the air handbrake and came to a stop, turned out to be a busted brake hose on the drivers side front, sh!t my pants though, I rekon it took me about a hour to stop shaking.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by prktkljokr

Delivering spuds in a 1980 Ford Cargo fully loaded about 9 tonne of spuds, I was about 23 just got married the month before, Leach Highway and Moolyeen Rd Bateman, went to stop at the lights no brakes the turning lane was red but free, sailed through turning into Moolyeen just missing a car turning from the other direction, pulled on the air handbrake and came to a stop, turned out to be a busted brake hose on the drivers side front, sh!t my pants though, I rekon it took me about a hour to stop shaking.

Good to see you remembered the old Truck Drivers motto.


No matter how full your pants are, stay cool.

[Itsme]

In 1977 down Punt Road Hill towards Alexandra Ave I was driving a s*** box bongo van that lost brakes, by fck I was pulling hard on the hand brake and just came to rest against a lamp post.
The old boss got an earful of expletive language when I caught up with him.

[Hulsty]

Couple times in old 4x4s, not to bad, use the gears to slow down till I got home. Worst one I was doing probably 5km/hr on a access track descent and pedal went straight to the floor. Nudged it down into a tree and low 1st gear back to the pits. Pulled the rear drum off that was flooded in fluid and found one of the brake shoes had flipped 90 degrees inside the drum, never seen that before. I had spare shoes, straightened the retention pin/spring and back in action.

[ford71V8]

Nope, but not being able to apply the brake is a recurring bad dream I have, and there's always things included like prams on the road or the road is wet. I don't remember many dreams but remember these ones.


Can't believe how many times I snapped the handbrake cable on the BMX at speed though. There's never a good time for that to happen.

[Vesper Martini]

Not myself - but I witnessed 2 events.
1. a Honda CRX we were doing timed runs up-down a carpark, the thing used to stop on a dime but eventually the dude overheated the brakes whet out the carpark over a duel carriage way. luckly no one was around.
2. we were in Turkey with some overland Tourist Trucks, there was a steep road down to a beach in Oludeniz. one of the Scania trucks had a brake failure, he only had engine braking they managed to make it down fan belts all flew off!.

I got under the truck to investigate and the slack adjusters had all been backed off!

very lucky

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by Itsme

In 1977 down Punt Road Hill towards Alexandra Ave I was driving a s*** box bongo van that lost brakes, by fck I was pulling hard on the hand brake and just came to rest against a lamp post.
The old boss got an earful of expletive language when I caught up with him.

Exactly same place but in an XW Falcon 500 wagon with 4 drum brakes...

[Franco Cozzo]

Decided to go for a run up, over and down Mount Macedon in the mighty Lebonator.

Flogged the absolute crap out of it all the way up to the top to the memorial cross car park.

On the way back down, could smell something funny.

Going down through the township of Mount Macedon, pressed the brakes and the pedal did nothing.

I went past the Mount Macedon pub at a rate of knots, through the township picking up speed on the way down without brakes.

Only have one chance to get this right or I'm going to end up in the trees at the bottom on the way down.

Let the brakes cool down as much as possible, then one last crack at the brake pedal.

Got on the brakes again, pull it back through gears, managed to get it to slow down and eventually stop, took bloody ages to pull it up.

Got out the car, rear rotors are both blue and smoke coming out of them.

Sat in the car for about half an hour to cool them off, then drove home.

Haven't been up and over Mount Macedon in that thing since.

I should probably do a brake upgrade before the centrifugal supercharger goes on

It only has single piston brakes and the rear rotors are solid and 279mm in diameter, taking into account the size of the hat on the rotor, its not much surface area for braking, might as well as just jam a 4x2 out the driver side door against the road and that's about as much brakes as this thing has, as soon as this thing has decent rubber on it, seems to show up the brakes as the weak point, you cook those well before you understeer off the road

[whitelion65]

Yep, going the rat on the Ebor-Grafton road, unsealed back then.
VT Commodore wagon, loaded with soil for experimental work.
Franco, I know the smell you experienced…..I pulled up using breadbox and hand-brake…..took a spell while the smoke dissipated….

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by whitelion65

Yep, going the rat on the Ebor-Grafton road, unsealed back then.
VT Commodore wagon, loaded with soil for experimental work.
Franco, I know the smell you experienced…..I pulled up using breadbox and hand-brake…..took a spell while the smoke dissipated….

How good is the smell.

Smells like we're not having an open casket funeral

[zipping]

I was getting BMW 2 door possibly an E24 ready for pick up to a guy who had bought it off a mate of mine. Did the RWC Friday and had car for weekend.

A car braked unexpected in front of me and in haste I hit the clutch instead of brake...pumping (and thinking brake failure) as I sailed down wrong side of road brushing the bumper of the car that braked in front of me and dodging on coming traffic as I veered left up the footpath into a grassed area taking out the sump and a few other bits underneath.

By far my biggest pilot error, just not familiar with car enough and concentration less than 100% caught me out. Knocked me down a peg or 2.

[mad2]

in me current car ..... jumped in the car with the missus to go down the road & around the corner/s to the shops. got down to the roundabout & turned then went WTF?. ended up 3 left/4 right turns, a 'u' turn & traffic lights 2x [same one] with the missus shiiiting herself turned out i had blown the left front line. car stayed at home till both front were replaced & system flushed. thankfully wasn't going at any great speed.

[Tonz]

as a. 11 year old going fishing with granddad and tinny on the roof.
Heading down a steep road, suddenly he is bolt upright swearing like a trooper and battling to control this runaway Vaxhall jumping madly on the brakes. You mess yourself when a One Way bridge sign appears we hit a bank then he is slumped over the steering wheel having what turned out to be a heart attack.
Luckily a car behind us has 2 nurses going in holiday.
He survived, but we lost he tinny and a good day's fishing

[Citroënbender]

Where was that - Lake Ellesmere or on the Rakaia somewhere?

[Tonz]

Heading down to Okains Bay or one of those little ones out on Banks Peninsula.
Rakaia is where I blew the motor on Hill Imp trying to race a Cortina.
Ellesmere was where went when needing breathing space

So knowing these parts of the world, where are you from?

[Rambunctious]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Almost........ Heading down the Moonbi's -just Nth of Tamworth- in a B-Double, and just as I got past the 'Trucks and Buses must use low gear' sign all the bells, whistles and flashing lights came up on the dash and the dash menu read 'Brake system failure, stop!'


Fortunately I wasn't going that quick and pulled it into a space about 1km down, where I called for the cavalry to come and rescue me



The fun sign at the top of Moonbi 2........

image

Late 1960's going down the same place in a V8 FC ute with a car on trailer on the back, and the all round drum brakes got hot so no brakes.

Told the girlfriend " we have no brakes so if I say jump you jump because I will be out the drivers side"
Only problem was she had the big drop beside her.

Fortunately I had override hydraulic brakes on the trailer so waited about 6 seconds, longest bloody 6 seconds ever, and stabbed the brakes to make the overrides work.

Got to the bottom ok after that.

Do they still have the semi run off ramps ?

[Fast Eddie]

No but my Hand Control accelerator cable broke and for a brief moment I contemplated that both the accelerator and THE BRAKES had failed and I used a lot of handbrake and gradual downchanging the auto transmission to bring the car to a stop and THEN I realised that it would have to be a catastrophic failure for the brake component to fail. They are over engineered for a reason.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by Rambunctious

Do they still have the semi run off ramps ?

Yep, there's a couple of lots of Kitty Litter on the moonbi's..

[roKWiz]

Can't say I've ever had the brakes fail but had a RH front lock up at 90kmh-ish down a single lane rd loaded with stone. Front went right, back swung around catching the dirt shoulder and spun me 180deg into a 4ft ditch. A quick check, yep engine still running and we're upright, select first and granny geared out.

Good reminder for me whenever I passed by and the local farmers admired the skid marks on their road for the next few months.

[nearlythere]

YEP! Once I went to my car and the brakes were missing! I lost them somewhere :(

[PooDog]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Twice now, at the same stop sign close to my folks house.

First was in a Mk1 GT Cortina, the master cylinder decided to drop it guts. I realized with enough time to slow it down with the handbrake.

Second time in the RS2000 I wasn't so lucky, there was a car already at the stop sign and I was coming in hot so had no choice but to take to the footpath, following it around the corner and pulling back onto the road. I remember the bloke I'd gone around furiously honking his horn thinking I'd just pulled a dodgey overtaking move on him
Ironically the brake fail sender had a leaking seal causing the failure.

I've made a habit of brake checking my old cars nowadays especially on higher speed limit roads and before freeway off ramps.

The good old girling single master cylinder you get a leak or a wheel cylinder seal pops your up sh#t creek .....scary moments bit like going down the kaimais in a fuel tanker with one of the back wheels on fire 🔥

[mick taylor]

Not lost the brakes, but brake fade first was my big bro HQ 173 drum brakes doing 100mph down a hill and then hit the brakes hard to go turn up a street and sailed by with nothing from about 30mph.

The next time was in My 308 Sandman I was dragging off a mate, who I thought was the cops in a XD Falcon, I did a burnout outside a Pub showing off and then I seen XD lights rear up in the nose like from a distance and I though pickle me grand mother ! I though what is that, the 5.8L Highway patrol ? he was hard to loose ! well I skipped up a street and turned off the lights as he went flashing past lucky because I had brake fade and the brake light went on and rotors were black and blue, so I went to a brake place and I said listen is their better brake pads, so I do not get brake fade like I did again ?
The Stupid old idiot ranted total rubbish, No they will chew your rotors out ! what BS ! I could not care about such, I wanted better performing brakes, I did not want to get killed due to brake fade ! as that was the problem, the car was too fast for the brakes to handle, but the moron would not listen to me.

The next time I had a new 1993 XG ute and doing 210KM/H and the cops came out for me, so I gave them the slip, hard on the picks and down to 60KM/H and brake fade and a big roundabout, but the rear disc must of worked just enough to get me through. so I got better pads and fixed that problem.

[Papa Smurf]

1974, EH Holden sedan, coming home from work, the rear brake shoe clips and springs let go and locked the both back wheels up. I was lucky as it happened right in front of a garage that a friend of mine worked at.

[EdG60]

The old 53 side valve V8 Mainline ute spot-lighting buggy had no brakes from about 6 months after we got it. Got the handbrake operational and drove around for like that for quite a few years.

Then about 20 years back I took my 77 Leyland Terrier truck into a well known and respected business for brakes overhaul.
Finally, after 3-4 months, and several phone calls I was told "We've just finished bleeding the brakes up and it's ready to go"
Pedal FELT ok, so I headed for home. First major intersection, onto the brake pedal ... and kept right on cruising. Finished up in the vines over t'other side of the road.
Got her towed home and called the *****. Long story short he sent me a new master cylinder rebuild kit, within the week, so he obviously had it right there! Rebuilt the cylinder myself, and the come time to bleed the brakes, found the slave cylinders to be full of sludge, and one of the bleeders completely locked. So he'd done nothing!

Top it all off I got a summons for non-payment of the account!!

[EdG60]

Originally Posted by nearlythere

YEP! Once I went to my car and the brakes were missing! I lost them somewhere :(

... rough neighbourhood ?