Brake? Dual circuit master

[treerootCO]

Correct me if I am wrong...

I was led to believe a dual circuit master was safer than the older single circuit design. I thought that was because you would still have fronts if you lost the rear or you would still have rear brakes if you lost the front brakes.

The other day at the Caravan for Kids I lost my brakes. Luckily I was at the mall and not doing 70 on the highway (or on the compost pile ) Ever since the '59 Chevy incident I always pump the brakes when I drive my Cruisers. This time, the pedal went to the floor. It turned out the throttle cable rubbed through the hard brake line that feeds the rear.

I had no brakes at all.

 

[Pin_Head]

Definitely worth having a dual circuit master for safety. A guy in our club lost his single circuit brakes on a hill out in Truckhaven and he ended up hurtling backwards at a high rate of speed until he dumped the clutch. I was next in line and he almost took me with him.

 

[mallred]

You should have had the fronts even though you lost fluid for the rears, was there still fluid in both mc resevors ? Or it could be a bad portional valve. Front res for the rears, firewall side for the fronts IIRC. Something is not right with you system.

 

[treerootCO]

Front was full, rear was empty after the line broke.

 

[Yoda]

Bad master in addition to broken line?

 

[65swb45]

Bad master in addition to broken line?

OR the fronts were more out of adjustment.

I followed the same philosophy as you Mike when I built up the 45swb. I still run the single circuit in the DD45lwb and RUFTOYS, but I wasn't gonna take any chances with the swb, and I installed the dual circuit, albeit as a manual. Can't feel any difference in the braking power; it's just my piece of mind. Ironic, since it's the one I won't wheel!

In 19 years, I've only lost a wheel cylinder once. It was in Big Bear, and it wasn't a total failure, just a fast leak. Slapped a cylinder kit in it without honing trailside, and just kept going. Love that underseat storage.