So there is a mechanic a couple blocks away. About 1 KM. I hate the idea of paying $100 for a tow when I could walk there in a few minutes.

I have heard that the front brakes are separate, and if the rear brakes have a leak and the line is empty, the fronts should still work. Is this likely to be true? If I drive the truck will I be able to stop with the fronts alone (assuming they will still work?)

I plan to drop the truck off late tonight when there is likely to be no traffic, but thought I would ask.

(And yes, I am expecting someone to tell me not to be a cheap *** and just tow it but I don't want to! )

 

It is risky but I see your point, if it is close I would fill the master cylinder with fluid and drive carefully and you should be ok..

 

I believe 60-75% of the braking is on the front. My wife drove a 1/4 mile in stop and go traffic, made a u turn even with the fronts completely empty (rusted through brake line) in her 2003 F-250. Like was said fill it up with fluid, drive slow and coast as much as you can. I also got an 88 ranger all the way home about 8 miles from where it broke, with the rear completely gone. It also if you hold the ebrake release you can use it as well if push comes to shove.

The sound advice is have it towed, but it can be done.

 

Thanks guys, this is basically what I was expecting to hear.

I will do this late tonight, and I will top up the fluid. There are really only 4 stops I need to make to get there, one of which is the parking lot at the mechanic. With a full resevoir I "should" be fine.

If I die I will blame all of you, but I'll be dead so it won't matter.

 

ive smashed a rusty broke line flat and bent it over . that was so it didnt lose pressure and leak i drove it miles ... be careful

 

With only a 1km drive I would drive it there. If for say some reason all 4 brakes would go you should be able to get it stopped with the Ebrake and manually shifting to slow the truck down.

 

Nope...DON'T DO IT!

Yes, the brake systems are separate, but not between front and rear. They are separated diagonally, with the right-front and left-rear on one circut, and the other two wheels on the other circuit. If you're leaking brake fluid you will drain the master cylinder, once that happens air will enter the intact circuit and cause complete brake failure.

You'll notice reduced braking effort as your master cylinder goes dry, and then they won't work at all. A 7,000 lb truck with no brakes can easily kill someone. It just isn't worth it. Either fix it at home or get it towed to a shop.

 

Really? On my trucks there's one brake line going to the rear axle, with a T splitting the line to each rear wheel.

 

Smash it down bend it over so it keeps pressure . Drive ur mile at a slow speed us brakes as least as possible . Down shift when needed

 

Whoops...perhaps I should have checked that before researching. Diagonally split braking systems have been universal in cars since around 1970, and I didn't think about how that didn't apply to light trucks. I've only run out of brake fluid once, and that was in a car. Slid into a ditch while trying to make a U-turn and it severed a rear brake line. Got a brake fluid warning in about 30 seconds, and while waiting for the wrecker to pull me out I noticed the brake pedal went straight to the floor.

A friendly guy stopped by and unsuccessfully tried to pull me out suggesting that I could limp it to a service station just like everyone here is suggesting. He didn't understand when I tried explaining that I had no brakes at all; he thought they would at least work partially.

 

Sounds like a recipe for disaster, to me anyway.

 

Even in a diagonal configuration, with dual reservoirs you would still have the ability to build pressure in the system connected to the full reservoir. A leak in one corner of the vehicle would not empty the entire reservoir - it's a design feature. Yes the pedal would be very low, but it would not go all the way to the floor without building pressure unless the system was somehow compromised in another way.
As said though - this vehicle has got a conventional Front and Rear circuit.
I would just top off the reservoir and drive slowly (maybe walking pace) with the hazard lights flashing to that shop.

 

You will drain your reservoir completely depending on how many times you hit the brakes. Everyone can talk theory about front and back or X pattern. If you hit the pedal enough times you won't have brakes. When you get to the mechanic, go ahead and pump your brakes and tell us what is left in the reservoir and of your brakes.

If you insist on driving your truck instead of towing, anticipate your stops and downshift to slow down. Use your E brake to make a complete stop. If you die, we will open a 40 for you in your honor.

 

How did things work out?

 

While many reservoirs have a single cap, they are partitioned between the front and rear sections. You can drain one of them completely dry and still have the other full..

While I agree than many engineers fail to use common logic, the ones that created our braking systems are pretty darned sharp!