The brake line to the rear on my Ranger broke this morning, and I suddenly had a brake pedal to the floor and absolutely no brakes except the emergency. There was no harm done as I got it home and repaired. The question, though, is this: I thought that with the dual reservoir master cylinders that vehicles have now had for decades that this total loss of braking wasn't supposed to happen, that front brakes were to continue functioning if the rear broke and vice-versa. Where has my thinking gone wrong on this??? If this isn't what the dual reservoir master cylinders are for, then what is their usefulness? Thanks.

 

Good question and I don't have the answer for you. I had a 1996 F150 and therear brakeline went out. Mine was not as bad as yours I did have just a little pedal a very little almost nothing. I am wondering if that is how the duel cylinders work that you get just a little pedal..........lets see what others say

 

meck1, what year is your Ranger? You are correct in your thinking about the master cylinder having two sides. But there is another component in the system that is supposed to sense brake pressure loss and adjust itself accordingly to allow braking action to continue with either the front or rear brakes. And it's supposed to turn on a warning light on the instrument cluster to let you know of a brake problem. This part is referred to as a "combination valve" or "brake control valve", and it has more than one function. It's possible that the valve failed or that there was also a problem with the front brakes as well. You probably should have the brake system checked out by a reputable shop to make sure everything is working like it should. Did you ever get the warning light when the brakes went out? If not, this may be an indication that there is a problem with the valve.

 

I too lost the rear brakes on my 98 2wd Ranger. My brake light in the dash came on immediately, as did my RABS light. The park brake cable had chaffed a small hole in the steel brake line. It took 215,000 miles for this to happen but it did happen, the rubber sleeve on the park brake cable wore out a steel line. I drove the truck about 9 miles to my home. The peddle went nearly to the floor but I did have some front brakes. I would not have been able to lock the front wheels but I was able to slow down. Needless to say, I drove very slow and made use of the standard transmission. The next day, I topped off the master cylinder and took a can of brake fluid with me and drove the truck about 28 miles to my Dad's shop where we repaired the line and bled the system. I stopped twice along the way and topped off the reservoir. No problems since.

 

What year and engine for your Ranger? If you only have RABS (Rear Antilock Brake System) there may also be a problem with the control unit, located on the inside of the frame on the driver's side.

 

Thanks, all, for your answers. The Ranger is a '94 with the ABS system on the rear only. The RABS light comes on momentarily with the ignition switch for the initial system check, then it goes off.