brake line failure

[eurocrisp]

I was getting off exit 9... ...like you know where that is... and while applying normal pressure to the brake pedal, a seal in the flex line at the front drivers side wheel broke and let about a half a quart of brake fluid out all over the road and inside my wheel well.

This was also accompanied by my pedal falling straight to the floor.

I was surprised though to still have some stopping power. I had to mash the pedal into the floor to find it, but i was able to take backroads home safely. I have a stone driveway and I slammed on the brakes when I pulled up and the only wheel that dragged in the rocks was the passenger front.

That surprised me too.
Does our brake fluid resivoar have a division for front/rear? or is it just one tub, one fluid level with front/rear exits at the bottom? If anything i thought I was stopping with the rear wheels only but they werent doing anything at all.

We would need dual brake master cylinders to be able to control front/rear brake bias, right?

ugh. off the road for a couple days. I dunno how I feel about going back to OEM lines. How much are braided stainless ones?

edit: $160 for stainless lines???

[JScullin]

Could've used your e-brake to slow yourself.

[eurocrisp]

I didnt use the "emergency" brake because I was assuming the rears were what was stopping me. If i were to combine that with manual assist that would have just made them lock sooner and locking rear brakes are Not cool.

trust me. i remembered the e-brake.

[eurocrisp]

Closer investigation makes me suspect my lines were overtightened by the way the flanged end of the solid brake line looks. making an appointment tomorrow to get it fixed under warrantee.

[DanG]

This is by design, thankfully- All cars I've seen since the 70's have a dual-channel master cylinder- Losing pressure in the front doesn't mean you lose pressure in the back. Safety measure, obviously- It allowed you to slow down instead of flying headlong into the nearest obsticle. I converted my '64 Pontiac's brake system to a dual-channel for just the same reason.

[eurocrisp]

Yeah but that's the thing, the rears werent slowing me. The front right wheel was doing all the stopping.

[eurocrisp]

Update

Got a call from Mark Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, they said my fix would not be warantee'd because the brake line was rubbed through near the caliper where it had been chafing on my strut since I installed them with my Roush springs 3 months ago. They took one look at my blue springs and still glossy struts and were like, 'f this kid'. Stock brake lines from the dealer are $85 a piece apparantly with another $75 in labor... so i decided to go get the car. $80 later wasted on towing and another crippled drive home, ive got on order stainless Aeroquip lines from BAT along with a set of front/rear slotted rotors, mintex a/f pads, and a late style euro front grille.

driving the volvo again is weird.