some front brake help please (1 Viewer)

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Today I was driving(all over hell) the 66 FJ45 LPB and I lost my brakes(like to the floor), limped it(thank god for a good parking brake) to my buddies place, front left wheel was smoking(no leaks, just got hot). After it sat for a bit the brakes were fine and drove it home with no issues, brakes worked perfect. When I had it at my buddies it would appear to me the left front caliper was locked up, tire/wheel would hardly spin. The fluid had also gotten hot as heck, which is why I had no pedal anymore

Never lost any fluid in the master.

My 1st thought was one of the pistons in the caliper was stuck, its happened on our 62 and just replace them both, but I think I used OEM calipers and have maybe 8K on them in 15 years, not that this is not the issue

But doing some reading(at Mud) it may be the old hard as a rock soft lines going to the caliper, maybe some crap broke loose and stuck something.

Now with that said.....I cant remember what I put together for brakes on this ole 45, did it 15 years ago....and I just dont recall what I did.

If I recall the front axle is a 1978 disc set up, and I "think" we used the old 9mm soft line(and fittings).....somehow. Has a booster, new master, ect. I was comparing the fitting and backing plate set up on my 78 FJ40 to what I have on the 45...and they are not the same.

So here are some pics.....would love it if someone might recognize that I did 15 years ago ;)









I almost think I have a new OEM set of 9mm soft lines someplace in my parts stash. But if they are 9mm hoses, wouldn't the hard line on the 78 brakes be 10mm? or what the heck did I do all those years ago?

also it seems that there is a longer 9mm soft line from the rear of a 45..........anyone have a part # Pretty sure I could use them a bit longer anyway

or should I just take my hoses off and take them the hose guy to make new ones using the old ends?

man it sucks not remembering stuff ;)

and yes the zip ties have held up fine :D
 
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soft pedal: master - hard pedal: booster
 
it was no pedal, zero zip nada...to the floor, only thing that stopped me was the parking brake. Driverside wheel/brake was smoking when I stopped, prolly grease burning off?

I think the brake fluid was cooked, same thing happened on the fj62 when one of the calipers was locked up(stuck piston) and I was driving.....then no brakes, once it cooled down I had brakes again, replaced calipers(and fluid) and its been fine for a few years. In the case of the 45, after an hour I had brakes again..and took off down hill toward home ;)

My thinking was stuck caliper piston or a bad hard line acting like a check valve and not letting the pistons retract

I am just pissed that I can;t remember what kinda frankenaxle/brake set up is on the 45. Its gotta be 9mm at the frame, maybe we made an adapter to use the 9mm at the caliper hardline?



soft pedal: master - hard pedal: booster
 
remembered overnight, pretty sure the axle was a post 70 drum brake axle that I did the mini truck conversion on.

also remembered that before the brakes went yesterday, it was starting to pull to the left a bit.

still not sure what I did about the soft line as far as fitting it.
 
Caliper seized, boiled brake fluid, creating bubbles = no pedal. Never experienced in a 40 going 40, but I've done it in a MINI Cooper doing 110....

Maybe, just throwing out ideas.

Not sure why the left caliper would un-seize after cooling down though.
 
After it had cooled down I pulled the wheel and pried the pads away from the rotor. Before I did so, the wheel would not spin at all.

In hindsight, I should bleed the bleeder to release some fluid, which would have told me if it was the caliper or the hose...maybe

Caliper seized, boiled brake fluid, creating bubbles = no pedal. Never experienced in a 40 going 40, but I've done it in a MINI Cooper doing 110....

Maybe, just throwing out ideas.

Not sure why the left caliper would un-seize after cooling down though.
 
Good possibility that rubber line to the left front caliper or the caliper itself did not let the fluid return resulting in a dragging brake which got hot. You are going to have to break the lines loose anyway so you can actually measure and see what size fittings you have and what your options are.
 
correct on pulling it apart....just a bit embarrassed(and frustrated) I cant remember what I did(or used) 15 years ago when I put it together. This is my only rig that is a mismatch of parts. Figure I need to get or have made new hoses and a new pair of calipers(which must be off a mini truck)

pretty sure the frame end(into the 3 way) of the soft line is 9mm......the other end where it goes to the hardline at caliper has me scratching my head, is it 9mm or 10mm or ?. I guess I am surprised at myself for using an old soft line.....its not like me.

this is the 1st issue I have had with the 45LPB in 15 years....so I am not bitching. But I think I will pass on driving the old 45LV with the single line system today ;)

Good possibility that rubber line to the left front caliper or the caliper itself did not let the fluid return resulting in a dragging brake which got hot. You are going to have to break the lines loose anyway so you can actually measure and see what size fittings you have and what your options are.
 
I take it that you are still running the single brake circuit/master configuration?

It all looks like modified mini truck stuff to me
 
nope, its been converted to a duel circuit set up, some new hardlines ran, but we had kept most all the frame stuff 9mm(I think) with booster adapter, booster, master(from I cant recall) also a rear brake proportioning valve

I think your right, mini truck conversion stuff, think the calipers are V6 4runner, rotors FJ60 vented, OEM zip ties ;)



I take it that you are still running the single brake circuit/master configuration?

It all looks like modified mini truck stuff to me
 
turns out just a stuck piston in the left caliper. The brake hose was made when I did the swap...so I am not going to worry about what the damn fittings are.

I could use an ID on the calipers, I think they are 4cyl Runner calipers, from 86-95, they have 2 different size pistons and don't have any cooling fins





 
mystery solved, 86 4runner calipers, thanks to the helpful kid(who got a good laugh at my expense) at Napa, we found a match on the 2nd try.

All back together just gotta bleed/flush tomorrow

maybe I should just write the part combo down on the underside of the hood ;)
 

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