no brakes going backwards down a hill

[turboL]

to start off i have a 99 ford ranger 3.0 5 speed with disc brakes in the front and drums in the back. i have abs, and the only modificvation i have done to my brakes is upgraded pads on the front. i find that when i cant make it up a hill and go to back down, the brakes dont work at all, and the pedal is super stiff to the point where i cant push it in. what causes this and what can i do to fix it?

 

[metalmacguyver]

well drum brakes dont work for shit in reverse. so whatever it is, its something to do with the front brakes or the master/booster. i would suspect that it is the booster since your symptoms say that you have no power assist for your brakes.

 

[Earl43P]

Try it after pulling fuse 14, which will disable your ABS (and speedo/odo? - pretty sure).

If it's not an ABS malfunction, I'd think brake booster, but that would not fail in reverse ONLY.

Where the hose goes into the booster - that "fitting" is a check-valve. If you try to gently pry/pull it out of the booster, when it breaks the seal, you should hear vacuum escaping. If not, I'd replace that checkvalve or think maybe the booster is on its way out.

 

[turboL]

yeah it only does it in reverse, but only acfter i fail at getn to the top of a hill and have to back down it

 

[MAKG]

Fail at climbing a hill? Meaning, you spin the tires? Any chance you might be packing your brakes with snow?

 

[gw33gp]

I had the same thing happen when I was backing down a steep hill with wet grass. About half way down the brakes stopped working and I almost ran into a car. I swerved and avoided contact. The brakes activated again once I was almost on level ground. It was scary. I am sure the ABS system caused the problem. I will never back down a hill again without pulling the ABS fuse.

 

[turboL]

it does it during the summer and winter, but i will try it without the abs fuse