Front Brake Line Clamped with Vice Grips!

[gatlin04]

It has been quite a long time since I have posted on here!
Thank you for welcoming me back!!!

A few days before my son was born, (17 Months ago) I purchased a ranger from a tow lot auction sight unseen. See the attached picture. My idea was to fix it up and use it as my daily driver. I only spent $400, so I figured it was worth the gamble. A few weeks ago, I finally decided to put some time into the truck and use it as my daily driver. I sold my other daily drive and now i am left with the Ranger.

Anywho... I replaced the steering gear box because it had been broken in the wreck. I also had to realign the front end.... its close but not perfect. After that, I straightened out the radiator panel and replaced some of the front end sheet metal.

I still have a few minor items that need repaired, but they aren't huge problems (Mirror, window...)

I have two big issues with the truck that I am perplexed about.

The first (which I can post in the appropriate forum if I am out of line) is that the transmission slips out of gear while driving, coming to a stop, etc when it is cold. After I have ran it on the road for a while it doesn't do it anymore. The fluid looks good and is not low.

The one that I have came to the brakes forum about is down right unsafe.
The passenger side brake line is clamped with a pair of vice grips....?
Why did the previous owners do this? And how can I correct it?
If I have to apply more than a small amount of pressure to the brakes, it locks up and pulls really hard to the driver side.

Sorry to be so long winded. Thank you for any help!

 

[Mark_88]

Howdy, and welcome back~

Well, by the looks of the front end, the brake line may have had something to do with that damage...

Why the owner or a helpful friend who knew a quick fix did that I have no idea...maybe trace the owner and find him/her/it and give them a shot in the nuts from all of us...

At this point I would have to agree and say it is not safe...although I have personally shut down the rear brakes on a few vehicles as a temporary fix for leaking lines...just enough to get me home with the necessary parts to repair the leak.

The good news is...it's usually not a costly or difficult fix...unless you start replacing rotors, pads, and flex lines...but even then brake parts are relatively inexpensive for the amount of work and safety they provide.

If you are not familiar with fixing brakes it isn't that difficult...and does not even require many tools...easy to learn and front brakes and brake lines are probably a good place to learn...unless you're in a rush...a shop could run up $1,000 on that job quite easily...but in reality to just replace the line you could do it for under $100...probably under $50...

Problem with brakes or any job is that once you tear into it you start finding little things or other things that need to be fixed or might as well do while you're got it apart things...

Minimal...brake line, brake line flaring tool...a few connectors for the brake line in case you miscalculate something...and some brake fluid...a one-man brake bleeding kit...

You might need a ride or another vehicle so you can run out and buy the parts as you need them...if it was me, I'd buy flex lines, rotors, pads, brake grease (mostly for the rears) bearings (if they don't come with rotors), bearing grease, and a roll of shop towels with some grease remover for your hands...and some gloves to protect your hands from the brake fluid...

Before you do anything...check the front end for rust...the shock and spring tower can separate on rusted vehicles...check the frame for rust...not sure what Missouri is like for sanding roads but probably not as bad as northern states...so you may be OK with that...

Pics of the problem if you have them...might help someone guide you through this...and read any posts that include pics or watch a few youtube videos if you are not sure...they do help!

 

[Mazda]

Most likely the tow driver crimped the line to take some pressure off the caliper so he could slide it out of whatever it was ran into or he didn't have any skids on his truck and didn't want to f up his cable or bed. We get crazy about that stuff especially if you own the truck. Probably forgot to take it off after he dropped it.

 

[gatlin04]

Most likely the tow driver crimped the line to take some pressure off the caliper so he could slide it out of whatever it was ran into or he didn't have any skids on his truck and didn't want to f up his cable or bed. We get crazy about that stuff especially if you own the truck. Probably forgot to take it off after he dropped it.

That sounds logical, but the vicegrips were covered in mud, so I think that it happened prior to the tow.

Thanks Mark_88. I am just going to have to put on my big boy pants and tear this thing apart. The guys at the tow lot told me that a druggie was running from the police and hit a pole.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Many years ago I bought a 68 torino for a parts car. I drove it and noticed that the rear brakes locked up really quickly. Upon closer inspection I found both front brake lines cut, bent over and crimped with visegrips. The previous owner was tired of hearing the metal on metal squeeling coming from what was left of the front brakes and rotors. Both front rotors were worn so they looked like they had teeth. One rotor was eating into the caliper piston. I fixed the brakes and cut the roof off for a summer cruiser.

 

[adsm08]

Vice grips on the line is how you clamp it off to stop a leak, or avoid fixing some other issue that you are too stupid or lazy to deal with properly.

I'd throw a hose and caliper on it.