Whoa!!!! Look ma, no brakes........!!!!!

[modmidget]

Last weekend we drove our '68 Charger to a car show in a very small town called Cool, CA which is about 10 miles out of Auburn, CA on Highway 49.  I didn't know that the first 6 miles of Hwy 49 from Auburn was about a 6% to 8% grade, downhill, to a narrow 2 lane bridge crossing a river.  I also didn't know that there was a 90 degree right turn onto the bridge at the bottom of the hill..... AND I didn't know my front drum brakes wouldn't last to the bottom of the hill.  What a surprise it was when I was approaching the bridge and discovered I had NO BRAKES!!!!!!  Luckily the car did slow down enough to make the sharp right turn without hitting oncoming cars head on and, after the car show, I found a much safer route to come home.

I think I might consider installing a disc brake conversion kit this winter. 

[bakerhillpins]

Sounds like you are describing a heat fade issue? Or did the brake cylinder/lines fail? Also sounds like you are saying that you rear brakes didn't help much.

Did your emergency brake work?

[Brock Samson]

  Yeah I know about that grade...

 I'm glad you and the Charger came through unscathed..

 Yrs. ago following my G.F. in her 74 LTD station wagon with her 4 kids aboard, she rode the brakes all the way down, instead of putting the Trans. in 2nd... the result was the front drums caught fire,.. she   frantic, nearly crashed the Ford pulling over to abandon ship.  I was able to put out the small fire with water from a plastic spray bottle I was using to keep cool, it being over 100 degrees that day... She was very nervous about continuing the journey home and wanted to pull into the next station to have the brakes checked,.. I was OK with that and followed her into the station, and so she approached the counter ahead of me and I followed in time to hear the guy say they were closing for the three-day weekend, this being the Fri. prior to a holiday and she and the kids could stay at a hotel down the street till a mechanic returned to work on Tuesday...  
He didn't realize I was with her and the kids, and was busy feeding her a line about the wagon catching fire and how the wheels could fall off... I gave him quite an earful I'll tell ya'  
I actually had to drag her out of there and drive the wagon myself the 30 or so miles to her home.. Where i was able to check the drums and fluid myself and found all was well,.. the heat had ignited the built up grease which of course scared the heck out of all of us...
'N as I recall they didn't even need new fluid or anything beyond a good cleaning...  
I allways remember that as a textbook example how women can and will be taken advantage of, by non scrupulous business people, and is unfortunately not the only example I've witnessed.

[modmidget]

It was just brake fade from heat, bakerhillpins.  I don't think the rear brakes were doing much, so I'll have to check them this winter.

Luckily, I didn't have a fire Brock, and when I got across the bridge it was all uphill to Cool.

I did notice that the front brakes were grabbing and jerking the car to the right more that they had in the past after our trip to Cool. 

[Highbanked Hauler]

It was just brake fade from heat, bakerhillpins.  I don't think the rear brakes were doing much, so I'll have to check them this winter.

Luckily, I didn't have a fire Brock, and when I got across the bridge it was all uphill to Cool.

I did notice that the front brakes were grabbing and jerking the car to the right more that they had in the past after our trip to Cool. 

   Do you have still have the original master cylinder in the car?   Reason I ask is my 500 had the original master in it and as soon as i starter driving after putting it together it was pulling to the right badly so i checked  the brakes and they weren't dragging. It got worse and about 200 miles the MC quit no warning. I pushed the pedal and nothing so I was lucky and very rural so I got it home OK.  If yours is the original check it!!!!!!

[bull]

I think I might consider installing a disc brake conversion kit this winter. 

Yes, let's do that!

[tan top]

Last weekend we drove our '68 Charger to a car show in a very small town called Cool, CA which is about 10 miles out of Auburn, CA on Highway 49.  I didn't know that the first 6 miles of Hwy 49 from Auburn was about a 6% to 8% grade, downhill, to a narrow 2 lane bridge crossing a river.  I also didn't know that there was a 90 degree right turn onto the bridge at the bottom of the hill..... AND I didn't know my front drum brakes wouldn't last to the bottom of the hill.  What a surprise it was when I was approaching the bridge and discovered I had NO BRAKES!!!!!!  Luckily the car did slow down enough to make the sharp right turn without hitting oncoming cars head on and, after the car show, I found a much safer route to come home.

I think I might consider installing a disc brake conversion kit this winter. 

scary

sounds like boiled brake fluid !! boiled brake fluid of solid disc braked cars a few times when i was younger !!(don't ask ) scary feeling ,  vented really work 
glad it turned out ok!

  Yeah I know about that grade...

  I'm glad you and the Charger came through unscathed..

  Yrs. ago following my G.F. in her 74 LTD station wagon with her 4 kids aboard, she rode the brakes all the way down, instead of putting the Trans. in 2nd... the result was the front drums caught fire,.. she  frantic, nearly crashed the Ford pulling over to abandon ship.  I was able to put out the small fire with water from a plastic spray bottle I was using to keep cool, it being over 100 degrees that day... She was very nervous about continuing the journey home and wanted to pull into the next station to have the brakes checked,.. I was OK with that and followed her into the station, and so she approached the counter ahead of me and I followed in time to hear the guy say they were closing for the three-day weekend, this being the Fri. prior to a holiday and she and the kids could stay at a hotel down the street till a mechanic returned to work on Tuesday... 
He didn't realize I was with her and the kids, and was busy feeding her a line about the wagon catching fire and how the wheels could fall off... I gave him quite an earful I'll tell ya' 
I actually had to drag her out of there and drive the wagon myself the 30 or so miles to her home.. Where i was able to check the drums and fluid myself and found all was well,.. the heat had ignited the built up grease which of course scared the heck out of all of us...
'N as I recall they didn't even need new fluid or anything beyond a good cleaning... 
I allways remember that as a textbook example how women can and will be taken advantage of, by non scrupulous business people, and is unfortunately not the only example I've witnessed.

that was a scary story brock 

[charge69]

Scary story of how a woman is treated in yesterday's world.  With the cars of today and no one knowing how to work on them  at home because of all the computer internals, it's gotta be worse.  Men too!  Glad you were  there and helped.

[BrianShaughnessy]

Front drum brakes suck.     

Lucky you made it out alive. 

[modmidget]

The car does still have the original master cylinder, but I'm looking at a disk conversion kit that includes a new one. Below is a link to the kit I'm looking at.  Does anyone know anything about this kit?  Is it a good kit?  Will it fit my 14" Wheel Vintiques magnum 500 wheels?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1963-74-chrysler-dodge-plymouth-disc-brake-conversion-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2a0b0fb11fQQitemZ180574204191QQptZVintageQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories