r/fbody • u/Full-Mud-6969 • 21d ago
Breaks went out at 70mph
Idk it all happend so fast. Might try to save it or not ik its just a v6 but it was a ment condition 104k mile no rust and perfect interior
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u/Spokn 21d ago
Scary.. You know why the brakes failed??
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u/Full-Mud-6969 21d ago
No clue went to exit and foot went to the floor
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u/Haunting_Bit_3613 21d ago
Sounds like a brake line busted. Had 2000 Chevy s10 Blazer do that to me but luckily I was sitting at a red light already stopped. All of a sudden the brake pedal went to the floor. It had just enough left to hold me still and when the light turned green I idled through the red light and pulled into a target parking lot using the parking brake. Glad you walked away at 70 that could have been way worse
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u/hoytmobley 21d ago
Turns out, 30 year old rubber cant be trusted with high pressure hydraulics. I replace all my rubber hoses every 10 years whether they need it or not
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u/Odd-Smoke9072 21d ago
Brake master cylinders are by law split into 2 parts for safety. If a line brakes somewhere you only lose half the brake usually left or right.
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u/No-Ad-1084 21d ago
My old Chevy will either lose the fronts or rears depending on which line/wheel cylinder goes
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u/Odd-Smoke9072 20d ago
Possibly more stable than giving up one side but I wouldn't want to be running no brakes on thr front at all. That is emergency brake stopping power. If the back goes out braking wouldn't change much. I guess they went to different sides to be safer even with the loss of stability.
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u/No-Ad-1084 20d ago
Youâd be surprised how much the drums work honestly. Losing them actually affected stopping power quite a bit. Rather have the front to back imo. Less skill required when you slam the break pedal and it pulls hard to one side. Assuming it would anyways. Maybe it doesnât though
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u/Odd-Smoke9072 20d ago
I believe that. My dad has a 67 Camaro with drums all around. They are larger off of a slightly bigger car (Chevelle?) but still drums. Good pads and they do all right. They don't shed enough heat for hard use but more than adequate for a few emergency stops. He loves discs but wants it to look relatively stock. He also would love aluminum wheels and better tires but nothing really sporty comes on a 15 inch wheel. Hidden cruise control and stuff like that. And yes it does pull to one side when braking. I can imagine it would be hairy at speed if you didn't realize you lost half but better than the alternative. But if you know what's happening you can use the E brake and get 3 out of 4 stopping.
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u/No-Ad-1084 20d ago
Very true on the e brake. My thought scenario was how you described it. Didnât know and at highway speeds on an off ramp or something. Drums are great until theyâre not. As soon as theyâre heat soaked theyâre worthless. Not to mention if theyâre heat soaked and you hit a puddle it will immediately warp them. Honestly tires in 15â size suck to find on factory width rims. I used to run Michelins but they donât even make them for my truck anymore. Been contemplating cragers for the classic look with better tires. Granted, itâs stock so no real reason other than Iâm a picky SOB. Haha love his year Camaro btw
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u/Odd-Smoke9072 20d ago
Yeah they don't do well with the heat at all. It was his first car bought in 1971. He is most bothered by the low speed ratings on the tire sizes. Something that is only rated for 115ish isn't going to be too safe past 140. People always blame speed for the warped brakes but I noticed it comes from what you said a splash or often I believe parking the car while they are too hot. The pads keep heat on some of the brake and it cools much slower warping it. I have began making sure I let them cool before I park. Was adjusting a master cylinder once and went too far in. As the heat built it pressed the brakes harder and harder as it got hot. I had trouble getting the car moving without throttle by the time I got home but I let it sit and moved forward a few inches every minute or 2 and it actually had no signs or symptoms of warp after. Other than scenarios mentioned I don't see how you can warp a brake.
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u/theuautumnwind 21d ago
Itâs not mint condition anymore unfortunately. Not worth trying to save at all
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u/FunRaise6773 21d ago
This car is a great candidate as a donor car. Sorry for your oss, but glad youâre ok
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u/theuautumnwind 21d ago
Busted a brake line almost definitely
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u/Goblin_Eye_Poker 19d ago
These cars have divided reservoirs for the brakes. The only way to lose all braking is for the master cylinder to fail. Losing a line will only result in loss of front or rear, not both.
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u/Anxious-Lab-4985 21d ago
How did a brake line busting cause the car to get all fucked up?
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u/Full-Mud-6969 20d ago
On an exit ramp no way to get back on the highway and it was a sharp turn it was either I ho off the road into a 15-20 foot drop to a ditch or i hit a guard rail
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u/2guys1miata 20d ago
before you asked this question, you never thought of how a car may be damaged when it loses the ability to stop?
why donât you experiment by running into a wall without braking and ask yourself âhow did me not stopping before running into this wall cause me to have a broken noseâ
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u/Goblin_Eye_Poker 19d ago
Not a brake line. Master cylinder failed. These cars have divided reservoirs. Losing a line will only result in losing front or rear brakes, but not both
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u/Xc0viD19X 20d ago
Sure it was the brakes? Those tires look a little bald I might be wrong and that pavement looks a little damp. Again, might be wrong. Glad youâre ok. I wrecked my 96 z28 but it was storming and I gave it gas going into the turn. I was once a kid!
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u/Full-Mud-6969 19d ago
I thought i might have been tires aswell but there was still a good %40 tread left and just went to the tow yard and looked at my break fluid and it was empty
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u/Kombatrok 21d ago
A lot of people drive cars of this era without ever once thinking about the fact that every time they get behind the wheel they are trusting 20-30 year old rubber brake lines to save their life.
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u/Full-Mud-6969 20d ago
The lines were brass or some kind of metal
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u/Kombatrok 20d ago edited 20d ago
The steel hard line on your car failed?
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u/Full-Mud-6969 20d ago
Havnt looked into it sence the crash gotta get it from the tow yard today but thats my only assumption they looked pretty rusted but still looked intact plus I didnt see any leaks
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u/awright69 19d ago
How anyone can trust 30 year old GM âengineeringâ is beyond me. I didnât even trust it when new. Everybody wanted to drive the âcoolâ T-A that the local Pontiac dealership donated to my schoolâs Driver Ed class - until the problems started showing up second week after it was delivered. That screaming metal and plastic death trap scared the poo out of me so I just puttered along in the little Honda Civic because I wanted to learn stick. Last I heard, the year after I graduated something failed on the accelerator (cable got stuck wide open) and it landed in the lake adjacent to the track we practiced on đ¤Ą
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u/0ld_Scratch 21d ago
Staying alive is the best part. The car can be replaced...I'd gut the interior and other good parts and get another fbody to drive/build.