scary odd and makes no sense

[sbsumerix]

I was on my way up to a arena cross race today and my truck was fine it hasnt had any problems recetly other then the temp gauge stoped working. and i've been drive 200 miles between MI and OH every couple weeks for school. anyway on my way to the race i pulled off at a city 8 miles from the arena for some food since it was cheaper that way and driveing through that city my brakes started to make a grinding noise when i applied them. i didnt think nothing to bad of it. then it was a 2 lane road with a middle section and 2 mor lanes in the oppisite direction i go to the trun around spot to go the other way to mcdonalds and i have no brakes the pedal was to the floor nothing was happening luckly i thought quick enough to put it in 1st and engine brake it to a slow stop but traffic was coming so i had to ditch it in the middle of the grass section. im not hurt and no damage to the truck. but then the brakes pump right up no sign of a leak the pedal doesnt depress to the floor it seems like there isnt anything wrong i quickly shot across the street to a parking lot and tested the brakes some more and when i push on them there is a loud clunking noise sounds like its underneath the cab but seems more like the passenger tire. i checked what i could with a visual inspection and the brakes and rotors seem fine i just can figue out what happed how could the brakes just not work randomly like that its just to wierd i cant come up with anything what do you think? oh and i missed the races because of this and its shit that i paid $56 for 2 tickets so i could introduce my girl into some racing and now nothing lost the money for no reason

 

[4x4fun]

well if they dont work and you pump them a few times and they work again, if it got that correct. then it sounds like air in the lines, did you replace them recently and not bleed them correcty. along the same lines if your brakes get to hot it can boil the brake fluid in the lines and cause the same thing, but i dont think thats the problem but constant rubbing like a pad rubbing and over sized tires could and i say could do it. eather that or a vac line leak or something in the brake boost but i dont think that would casue it to fall to the floor.

 

[Chris.S.]

I had a similar thing happen to me one time in a Chebby Cavalier. When I hit the brakes, pedal just dropped to the floor-in that case I grabbed the E-brake and was able to stop using that but same thing-when I checked the brakes only seconds later everything checks out fine-pads are good, fluid is full, pedal pressure seems normal.

That was more than 10 years ago now and the best theory I or anyone has ever come up with is that there may have been some dirt in the master cylinder that could have briefly opened pressure seal in the cylinder which cause the brakes to "disappear" but then the contaminant could have moved out of the way never to be found.

You could replace the Master if that sounds plausible.

 

[MAKG]

I'd suggest a CLOSE inspection of all four brakes. 'Cause it sure sounds like something got eaten.

Pads wearing through the rotors won't behave as described (except for the grinding noise), but perhaps a broken piece of hardware might (say, an anti-rattle clip or a rear brake adjuster).

Given the amount of driving you do, I'd strongly suggest replacing anything that looks even slightly wrong.

 

[sbsumerix]

i was able to go pick the truck up with my dad the next day i went to check the brakes and one of the pieces that holds the caliper on the pieces of metal with rubber inbetween was missing and it allowed the inner brake pad to fall out so the room with the pad missing made my pedal go to the floor but when the piston hit the rotor is how i got brakes again makes since now that i know my dad knew as soon as i told him.

 

[MAKG]

Huh? Your pads shouldn't be able to come out with one missing slide rail. It would chatter like hell, but something else must be broken for a pad to pop out. Or the caliper would have to come OFF (in which case the piston is in the middle of the road somewhere and you have no brake pressure).

I can only guess what it might be, but check your wheel bearing adjustment. That could make a gap big enough for a broken or severely worn pad to slip through. But oh man, your steering would have to suck donkeys for that to be true.

Now, I could imagine (at least under some circumstances) the slide rail getting caught in a moving part.

 

[JohnPi]

I had an issue with my '93 where it threw one of the pads (passenger side outer, if my memory serves). It ended up being a sticky caliper. It had me stumped for a good long while, because I had just finished redoing the brakes, and I didn't put anything together wrong, or leave anything out.

 

[sbsumerix]

my rotor did wable a bit but i completly removed everything to the spindle and checked it all over repacked the bearings and tighted everything up it all seems good i did have a bad shutter in the steering wheel but only when i applied the brakes i always thought it was warped rotors which it also is but that could of had something to do with it. dunno everythings working now so im happy.

 

[Bryan22]

ya, same thing happened to my buddy a couple days ago, but he's not one for maintinence. lost the inner pad spit the piston out of the caliper. that lazy sob put new pads on I pushed the piston back in the caliper, he put it back together and drove it! couldn't beleive that guy.

 

[thegoat4]

Probably the pad came apart first and broke the pin (I think you're talking about your pin, but your post is very hard to read) on the way out. Happened to me back when I had a honda. Left a pretty sweet gouge in my rim too.