No brakes when steering wheel turned fully.

[joe.dollar]

Happy New Year everyone.

I have a 2000 Ranger. Extended cab, 3L, Auto.

She's had a 2" lift kit installed. It's also got full size explorer rims and bigger tires.

I have discovered a weird problem.

When I turn the steering wheel left or right to the max, I lose my brakes. Pedal hits the floor and I have just absolute minimum braking via my rear brakes (as far as I can tell). Discovered this in a parking lot, and was inches from hitting a parked car. What a surprise.

To elaborate a bit, my brakes are FINE until about the last half revolution of steering wheel before maxing out. They are also fine when driving normally and when making moderate turns. Anything sharp though, and no brakes.

My vacuum line to the brake booster is fine. I do know that my tires are rubbing the brake lines occasionally. This I can see from a bit of scuffing on the brakelines. Would the tires contacting the brake lines cause this? I've had my wife turn the wheels while I look around under the hood and I cant see anywhere that the steering components could be affecting the brake system.

Any thoughts?

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Well is this on icy roads? because at full lock just about any tire is just gonna slide straight forward. because the tire only rolls one way.. and at full lock the tires not pointing the direction it was spinning at before you turned. the brakes are probably working but its essentially the same as locking the brakes up, it just slides. If its on dryer roads with minimal slipping I would have to say a line is getting pinched somewhere but in that case the bedal should be very firm or the master cylinder should be spewing brakefluid everywhere.

 

[dusto2]

with the pedal hitting the floor i dont think ice would be the problem, i would check all your front lines, not, just visual, but get a wrench on there and check them, thats were i would start.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Well it could be the ice...

Because your tires are like this l l l l they can roll freely forward and the brakes have an affect.

If the tires are fully cranked / / / / (thats not a good show but imagine) the tires are no longer forward on an Icy road they would still want to go straight. Which could explain why stopping would do this only at the last few cranks because the angle is to great to keep the tires rolling and they slide weather or not the pedal is to the floor.

 

[whocares]

Or, as the OP has indicated the tires are rubbing the brake lines....could they be pinching the line shut at full turn? Thats where my money lies.

Ron

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

how are your wheel bearings? sloppy bearings will cause this. pinched lines or ice would= hard pedal.

loss of pressure or a huge gap between the brake pad/piston and the rotor.

also check the caliper mounts

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Yeah but if the line pinched the pedal wouldn't move hardly at all because its trying to force large amounts of fluid to the large piston area to get the brakes but pintched it gets trapped in the tiny lines.

 

[whocares]

True, but where it has been rubbing is probably weaker. I think it would stand to reason that the line could be ballooning, resulting in the loss of brake pressure. The tire turns and pinches the line, brakes are applied, line swells above the pinched area, brakes dont work. I'm just guessing based on the little bit of info provided. However its happening, it cant be a good thing.

Ron

 

[doyouquaxu]

check your steering stops. on my truck when i installed my lift spindles and upper control arms, i had to clearance my steering stop. at full lock, the brake caliper will hit the lower control arm/steering stop and cause you to lose pressure just like you described.

 

[joe.dollar]

Thanks for the replies guys. Took me a while to get back to this. Lines aren't getting pinched by the way. Just rubbed slightly by the tires. The loss of braking effect is not like being on ice. The pedal is nice and firm throughout the turning range until the very end. Then, whoosh, she goes right to the floor. No fluid leakage of any kind and lines are very new, so no bulging in thin spots or anything. I am leaning towards the steering stop idea. I will check into this and report back.

Thanks all.

 

[97nooptions]

sounds like youre stretching the lines, which basically is making the hydraulic system seem larger(more capacity) and acting like its low on brake fluid, ive dealt with trucks that did that. sometimes you can take the hose where it bolts to the frame and make a little bracket to drop it down an inch or so.with only a two inch lift it should work

 

[vtec]

Happy New Year everyone.

I have a 2000 Ranger. Extended cab, 3L, Auto.

She's had a 2" lift kit installed. It's also got full size explorer rims and bigger tires.

I have discovered a weird problem.

When I turn the steering wheel left or right to the max, I lose my brakes. Pedal hits the floor and I have just absolute minimum braking via my rear brakes (as far as I can tell). Discovered this in a parking lot, and was inches from hitting a parked car. What a surprise.

To elaborate a bit, my brakes are FINE until about the last half revolution of steering wheel before maxing out. They are also fine when driving normally and when making moderate turns. Anything sharp though, and no brakes.

My vacuum line to the brake booster is fine. I do know that my tires are rubbing the brake lines occasionally. This I can see from a bit of scuffing on the brakelines. Would the tires contacting the brake lines cause this? I've had my wife turn the wheels while I look around under the hood and I cant see anywhere that the steering components could be affecting the brake system.

Any thoughts?

Caliper hitting lower A arm also need help solving problem

 

[BroncLander]

Master Cylinder seems like to me. The piston has a seal gone. Just my guess. Get past the point and the master cylinder just cycles within itself.
The wheel being fully turned is perplexing, but what if it's not the entire cause? Idk.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Caliper hitting lower A arm also need help solving problem

I would start a new thread. This ones 13 years old...hes either fixed it or totalled it by now

 

[BroncLander]

I would start a new thread. This ones 13 years old...hes either fixed it or totalled it by now

Imagine if he responded with "Hmm I'll try that"