Dodge Caravan Brake Lines

I own a 2000 Grand Caravan and recently the brake line going to the back brakes split in half and dumped all the brake fluid out. These brake lines are built to fail.

Under the driver's feet and under the floor is a box. Out of this box comes two flexible brake lines which after a foot or so are crimped onto the regular steel brake lines. At the crimp point the steel is cut in, with water and time this rusts and becomes a real weak point leading to the line snapping there.

I lost all braking when the line snapped. Luckily I was in my driveway and got the car stopped with the emergency brake. If I had of been out on the highway and traveling at speed, I would have wrecked the car trying to stop or worse.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Reply to
ed westlund
Loading thread data ...

Yup I have seen it several times, and everyone I have repaired was due to rust. And the reason why it rusted was because someone sold rust protection/undercoating/soundproofing or whatever they call it to the owner and it trapped all the water in the flex line and corroded it. Do you have this on your vehicle?

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

Reply to
maxpower

Wait just a cotten-picken minute here, Glenn. a SINGLE brake line snapped and he lost ALL braking? Did the feds change the law requiring independent braking systems for front and rear? Did master cylinders suddenly go back to being a single resivour rather than duals? What's going on here?!?!

Ted

Reply to
Ted Mittelstaedt

independent

Well Ted if your driving a car and you hit the brakes and have pressure then all the sudden the line breaks and now the pedal goes to the floor you may as well say you don't have any. What this OP wrote happened to me in a customers car after I did a front brake job and road tested it. The line blew, the cust was pissed off at us until I asked him what would have happened if it was his wife driving when this occurred.

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

What does the feds have to do with it???? The 91-93 Mini Van/Dynasty/NewYorker (STILL ON THE ROAD)with the "Bendix 10 system" Loose the pump and you have no brakes period!!!! loose the Dual function pressure switch and you have no brakes, the relay....no brakes......etc

Reply to
maxpower

OK I see what your saying. He had brakes, he just thought he didn't because it felt like he didn't - so he didn't pump them or press hard enough to get the working circuit to actually do any braking.

I had one circuit on my '68 Torino start leaking, and you are right, it is surprising how much less braking you have when your down to 1 circuit.

Ted

Reply to
Ted Mittelstaedt

Not a good feeling at all. I'm getting ready to replace all the steel lines in my 67 mustang. They are looking kinda shaky on the outside

Reply to
maxpower

Did the 67 have dual tanks in the master? I guess it did but I think it must have been very early, I recall the 65 didn't.

Ted

Reply to
Ted Mittelstaedt

Probably; it was right about then that they were mandated. They started to become optional around 1962-63ish. (I'm speaking of American cars in general; I don't know exactly when the Mustang got the dual master cylinder.)

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Yea, they still seperarated the front and rear.

Reply to
maxpower

Ted,

Your two circuits would be front and rear, lose the front and you lose quite a bit.

These newer Mopars use two circuits in diagonal. (reservoirs are equal)

Reply to
clemslay

Yes, in 67 it was standard, even when not power.

66 Ford full size with optional disc had a dual sys.
Reply to
clemslay

Remember - this is drum brakes on the front, not dics. The stoppping power of the fronts isn't near what your used to on a modern vehicle.

I can go down a 2 mile 4% downgrade and if I brake the way the average person brakes on such a hill, they will start to fade.

Ted

Reply to
Ted Mittelstaedt

Is it not a legal requirement that the two circuits be diagonal? If so, when did that part of it become law in the U.S.?

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

It's sort of Chrysler related since Chrysler bought American Motors.

The 1962 Rambler Classics and Ambassadors were the first American cars to offer dual master cylinder/dual hydraulic braking systems as STANDARD equipment..those were with drums brakes.

The Ambassador offered Bendix dual caliper disc brakes, similar to the Corvette system in 1965.

Doug

Reply to
Doug

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 01:26:36 -0800, "Ted Mittelstaedt"

I know.

The average braker of today I suppose would make anything fade. Brakes are something I try to not use too much, it costs.

Reply to
clemslay

It seems I remember the Japense brands starting that in the mid 1970s.

79 Horizon was diag, 81 Ramcharger was not, if that helps at all. It seems the first K cars all had a diagonal system, and all small Mopars since. A 1/2 ton & + truck today would be interesting to know.
Reply to
clemslay

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.