99 Ranger 4wd no rear brakes but no fluid leak

so I am new and just signed in cause I keep keep having problems I cant find the answer for online. got a 99 ranger 4wd with RABS with no problem light on dash (although I know it works cause it was on when I had to replace the key on/off light and it was on) but I have no rear brakes. odd thing is, its periodic cause sometimes they come on but when they do its just when the ABS kicks in. but not all the time; almost slammed into the rear of an idiot with no rear brake lights on slippery pavement with only my front brakes working.

anyway, a few years ago all brakes, rotors, drums, calipers, pads and shoes got replaced. everything at the time seemed to work. but over the years rear brakes have gone in and out or they even lock up just by touching the brakes (locked up at 35mph). my question is any ideas what the problem is? fluid is full, everything is bled. first thing that comes to mind is faulty abs.

quit frankly I do not like abs. I grew up on dirt roads and trying to pull a 90 degree turn on a dirt road at 50 with abs just wont happen. also, had abs in a 2000 gmc sonoma that would come on EVERY time I hit the brakes. before a trip downstate I pulled the under hood abs fuse and on the way back an idiot slowed WAY down all at once to make a turn with no signal and 40 feet behind him at 55 mph I would have slammed right in the back of him with abs but since I disabled wheels locked up and stopped a few feet before his rear.

anyway, about the reason why I have no rear brakes although I have no check light and fluid is full with RABS problems anyone have a solution? would temporaily disabling RABS solve rear brake problem so I can isolate issue more? also, any chance the rear brakes could not be adjusted correctly: worked fine after replacement for a while but would I have to try and do a couple more turns on the caliper because its been a few years?

thanks, John

Could just not be self adjusting properly. I'm not sure how the self adjusting feature works on disc brakes but I would think there's something there that's not self adjusting at all or sometimes does and sometimes doesn't that would cause the sudden locking up issues. I think your calipers may just not be working on the rear correctly. Get it checked out before you hurt yourself or someone else.

Well, he just stated that a few years ago he had the drums and shoes replaced with everything else. Soooo there is no caliper adjustment in the rear brakes--as it's got drums.

Drum brake adjustment isn't to hard---Pull the drums off and see if you can turn the star wheel adjuster--pull the arm out a bit away from the adjuster and see if you can spin it a bit. If yes? Then put the drum back on--go through the backing plate access hole with a brake spoon (screwdriver if you're cheap like me) and adjust the brakes up until you can JUST hear the shoe touch the drum. Have a helper depress the brake pedal a few times after each adjustment to keep the shoes centered. You just want the tiny tiny amount of the shoes touching the brake drum.

Sense the rear brakes give you're truck the pedal height via the combination valve (The valve is designed to have the rear brakes kick 'on' first...and then it sends pressure to the front brakes. It's a really nifty design).

Next step is also needing a helper if you do not have a 1 man brake bleeder setup. There is a chance your RABS module is loaded up with gunk. I suggest a full brake system flush out. There are others on here that have done great work with the RABS module--I hope they will chime in. It sounds more like a combination of out of adjustment---and a faulty module giving you headache.

S-

anti-lock brake system faulty?

thanks for the responses. right now I am just trying to get as much info as possible and will use what I learn to apply the work when I can, but not right now since we have 25mph or higher winds and it has been zero or just higher for the past week.

anyway I agree I might need to do some work on the abs unit, but would like to know more as to how to do so. I can identify at least 3 owners (myself included) who owned this vehicle. the first one looks like they took care of it up till around 100,000 miles, the next one didnt and I think it was used mainly around farming area. since I have had it I have done a lot of repairs but truthfully I love this truck and dont plan on getting rid of it. it just passed 270,000 miles and that vulcan engine is still running strong, although it could use a wiring harness replacement. although I have had it since late 2009, I have only put about 20,000 miles on it.

what I am trying to explain is I have thought I could have a faulty abs and if anyone knows how I can repair it without replacing (looked at auctions and they are not cheap, even for used but not sure I feel comfortable getting someones elses used product) and would like to know how I can go about cleaning it up. when I bought it, it had no rear brakes and that is why I replaced everything cause it was leaking all inside the drum area. but if I can do some repair now to the abs that would be great.

I will try to include some before and after pics, but I did have another question. if I created a dummy line, say 6" line with a closed end, and attached it to the abs while still being filled with fluid and connected the lines directly (bypassing abs) would that trigger the check eng. or abs dash light? I have read already about just cutting the green wire but I am not that big on wire cutting. being where I live and my past experiance I really do not care for abs, and think its more for people who live on pavement or who dont know how to drive on ice. lived in upper lower michigan nearly all my life and know how to drive on ice. thats kind of why I like manual trans, you start to slip and most times all you do is apply clutch.

but long story short, is it possible abs is faulty and is there a way to clean it up? or is there a way to bypass it like i explained while not triggering the abs/check light?

...sorry, still trying to find a way to post a few pics on one thread...

before/after

pretty bad at first but looked better after finished. more pics if needed

Great Goggley Moogley!!!

What gave out? Last time I saw that much gunk it was when my bronco spit out the oil seal on the axle!

I'm guessing blown out wheel cylinder?

S-

yes, forgot to say I replaced those as well. took me 3 days on my own, 1 day just to get off the old crap and clean everything.

So after all of that the brakes are still wonky?

S-

well I am not sure what ' wonky ' means, but as I said before everything worked fine when I finished doing the brake replacement work a few years ago. I guess my real question is if the rear brakes, which all working parts have been replaced, are after a few years of working ok now not or malfunctioning could the real problem be a faulty abs and if so is there a way to fix the one I have. or is there a way to disable it without cutting wires and still not set off the dash check light or abs light? when it warms up a little I will pull off the drums and see if there is any issues but it might be the self adjuster is faulty or broken. I just wanted to know what others had to say about it, to learn anything more about it I could use when I check the problem. thanks

First, welcome to The Ranger Station.

Second, 'wonky' means that they still aren't working right, lol.

As for disabling the RABS system without the light coming on, you're out of luck. To disable the system, the light will be on constantly because there is a fault within the system. Just pull the fuse to disable the system. As for the RABS valve, you might have to have that taken off and rebuilt (springs, valve pistons and seals, along with the electronic actuators).

Some additional info: Your brakes will still work without the ABS on; on my own truck, I think the ABS sensor itself is bad (changed out axles, forgot the ABS sensor--D'oh!), and as a result, had to pull the fuse for the entire system, so the rear brakes wouldn't go into ABS mode (pedal pulsations). However, the brake system still works--the conventional (non-ABS) system still works normally.

As for your pictures, I'd say you have a blown axle seal--when I did my own drums (before converting to discs) a couple of years ago, I had that same kind of mess in the drum. And because I didn't fix the seal, the same thing happened again almost a year later...long story short, both seals blew, soaking everything in oil (which looks like your first two pics, btw). Haven't had a problem when I swapped rear axles, including seals. As it is, I've heard from a lot of people that the star adjusters on the Rangers, in particular, are crap; I say this because the second time around, the new ones I got didn't do anything, even though I put anti-seize on the threads of the adjuster.

Have you checked your axle seals to see if they are blown? Good luck.

I'm gonna "third" the blown axle seals. Think of what gear/diff lube is designed to do: stay slippery, even under EXTREME PRESSURE. Thus shoes might be adjusted properly, but no way can they squeeze through that awesome 75W-125 viscous film. (Think about it--even your Vulcan, at peak torque, 1st gear, UPhill, bed loaded, can't "squeeze through" that film at the ring-pinion gears engagement--a contact area much smaller than your brake shoes.)

A *sulfur* smell would also confirm it--sulfur is the extreme pressure ingredient.

... Would also explain brake fluid level fine and lack of warning lights, plus the fact that new brakes worked fine FOR A WHILE, i.e. until MORE gear lube slowly leaked into drums, and "monked up" your new shoes. I know brake fluid soaks in and ruins the friction material, not sure about gear lube. Regardless, new shoes are cheap.

>>> On the bright side, your RABS unit is probably fine.

Just did my rears, both cylinders leaking, on a MUCH lower mileage identical Ranger (see left), and while messy, I didn't see anything as thick/gooey as in your pics. That greenish "grease" has GOTTA be the 90-weight gear lube. With such high mileage and harsh (road salt) "Yooper" environment, your rear seals have done their duty. Replace.

Drain, flush, wear-check, and refill of your rear diff is a necessary part of the job. (Front one too if you can't verify when it was last done--IF EVER.)

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Summer2011/rear_axleshaft_seal.htm

In the meantime, at least level-check rear diff via fill hole, and top up if needed. (If low, and not leaking from cover or trunion, another verification axles leaking into drums.)

fixizin said:

I'm gonna "third" the blown axle seals. Think of what gear/diff lube is designed to do: stay slippery, even under EXTREME PRESSURE. Thus shoes might be adjusted properly, but no way can they squeeze through that awesome 75W-125 viscous film. (Think about it--even your Vulcan, at peak torque, 1st gear, UPhill, bed loaded, can't "squeeze through" that film at the ring-pinion gears engagement--a contact area much smaller than your brake shoes.)

A *sulfur* smell would also confirm it--sulfur is the extreme pressure ingredient.

... Would also explain brake fluid level fine and lack of warning lights, plus the fact that new brakes worked fine FOR A WHILE, i.e. until MORE gear lube slowly leaked into drums, and "monked up" your new shoes. I know brake fluid soaks in and ruins the friction material, not sure about gear lube. Regardless, new shoes are cheap.

>>> On the bright side, your RABS unit is probably fine.

Just did my rears, both cylinders leaking, on a MUCH lower mileage identical Ranger (see left), and while messy, I didn't see anything as thick/gooey as in your pics. That greenish "grease" has GOTTA be the 90-weight gear lube. With such high mileage and harsh (road salt) "Yooper" environment, your rear seals have done their duty. Replace.

Drain, flush, wear-check, and refill of your rear diff is a necessary part of the job. (Front one too if you can't verify when it was last done--IF EVER.)

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Summer2011/rear_axleshaft_seal.htm

In the meantime, at least level-check rear diff via fill hole, and top up if needed. (If low, and not leaking from cover or trunion, another verification axles leaking into drums.)

Click to expand...

The smell is known in my family as "Working to hell and back with the brimstone". That smells like rotten eggs meets rotten milk. It just is awful.. And that would explain a great deal. I'd get on that right away. You've just spent all that time and effort in brake work. Once that fluid hits the shoes? It's always recommended to replace them. (Oil absorbs into the friction material....if it's bad enough? The shoes will never work correctly)

Side bar to the instructions. (We've just done this work recently) Go to NAPA and purchase a brand new lock bolt. It's not expensive...it's pre-coated with the lock-tite...and you'll ensure you're not trying to reuse one with pulled threads or weaker from the removal process.


S-

To OP/new guy... if you haven't slid off the road yet... and even though not covered in Tech Lib article, I'd replace the axle BEARINGS too, not just the seals... I mean 270,000 mi., and all the tear-down you gotta do, it's almost a no-brainer. Do everything reasonable, fill with good 75W-140, and forget it for another 120k.

Tedybear said:

Side bar to the instructions. (We've just done this work recently) Go to NAPA and purchase a brand new lock bolt. It's not expensive...it's pre-coated with the lock-tite...and you'll ensure you're not trying to reuse one with pulled threads or weaker from the removal process.

Click to expand...

Good idea. Cheap insurance on a high stakes item. Again, the entire kinetic energy of your vehicle is transmitted through there (in 2HI)... as Salty Old Guy would say: "can't have shee-it breakin' and splinterin' and what-not when it's time ta git..."