96 Ranger Brake Fluid Leak

bill connelly

bill connelly

New Member
Been told I need new brake cylinders and drums. Adding fluid each week or so maintains working (?) brakes ...

Who and what's the best way to handle this? Local dealer says parts no longer made by Ford, need generic brand. What's the options here?

Engine also has strange sounds. Dealer exam best idea? Suggestions welcomed.
 
Hello Bill and welcome to the forum! Brakes and engine problems on a 1996. You didn't state how many miles, but if the engine has any SERIOUS issues, you may be better served by getting a different vehicle. I know... we love our Rangers, but at some point, you may have to move on. Brake parts like drums, cylinders, shoes and spring kits can be purchased easily at Advance Auto Parts / O'Reilly's / AutoZone / NAPA. Won't break the bank. If you aren't the mechanic type, you will need to find somebody who will do it for you. Non-dealership repair shops will do it, Midas / Menke and such are other options. They will, of course, NOT want you to bring your own parts because they will buy the parts wholesale and sell them to you at retail.
 
Went with our local Ford Dealership and their "FastLane" shop. Seemed reasonable.
You mean my Ranger's not gonna last forever?
Who ever heard of such a thing ...
Lol
 
I know! VERY hard to believe! LOL Actually, with enough money, desire and patience; you can keep it going quite possibly forever! :)
 
Oops. Mileage is more like 220k. My memory bank is a little corrupt.

Also discovered a busted emergency brake line ... Causes delay in releasing emergency brake ... But still works. Right passenger side ok, but left branch sticking on first release in the morning.

Getting it repaired next afternoon at Ford's QuickLane shop for $140 parts & labor. Sound reasonable?

Pic attached.
 

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Sounds like a dealer price? That's disconcerting.

I've lost confidence in other places I've tried.

Maybe I'll look elsewhere next repair.
 
Sorry, didn't mean to cause you alarm. What I meant by that is dealers typically have a higher $$ shop rate than say a privately owned repair shop. This is primarily due to the costs involved in maintaining the dealership franchise and access to the dealer network for parts and repair info. Kind of "you get what you pay for". You MAY have found a lower price at an independent shop, but it also MAY have taken longer or have been less satisfactory. For parts and labor, I think $140 is fair.
 
I'm headed back a 3rd time now for this "EBrake" line problem that got associated with fixing the brake cylinder leaks.

Frustrated that they can't just fix this. The emergency brake still doesn't release a braking component (?) after it's been sitting overnight on a slight incline in my driveway. Feels like it's stuck on, but releases with a little movement attempt... Clunk.

Back again on "Tuesday at 2" which seems to be their favorite open spot, week to week. Possibly get another "just wait 4 years and you can put an antique plate on it" joke.

Humans and their "gotta have a new car" illness. A 150 there runs $48,000.
 
All they did was drive around the parking lot and since it didn't recreate an overnight sticking of the emergency brake ... Concluded nothing was wrong.
I had gotten upset with "Tuesday at 2" appointments, so I also left again feeling like a fool.
After sitting over night, the parking brake seems to stick, but releases.
Any ideas?
Lynchburg Apple Ford QuickLane doesn't know much more.
 
When they replaced the leaking brake cylinders, did they replace the shoes, or did they just spray them with BrakeKleen? If they didn't replace them, that could be the problem. Personally, I would always replace the shoes if brake fluid had gotten on them. If the shoes got soaked with brake fluid and then you set the e-brake, that could cause the shoes to stick.
 
Thx ... Makes sense to me. I'll pass that along tomorrow evening when I drop off the truck for an overnight test/stay. They suggested I bring it back and leave it ... To try and reproduce the overnight issue ...

Your solution sounds like it though. Theirs sounds like an inconvenient waste of time.
 
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Well, most dealerships / shops aren't really concerned with whether it is convenient for YOU... as long as it is convenient for THEM. :)
 
I took it back a final time and they say nothing is wrong. It had stuck one final.time in my driveway, but hasn't done so since.

My parking break pedal does feel like it is stressing when applied, maybe going to break. I replaced it several years ago after the metal pedal broke off from use. I'm guessing when it tightened up after adjusting things, it might be stressing a little.

I've had another incident on wet pavement that I believe is the antilock braking mechanism working, which is abit uncomfortable feeling.
I guess it's working?

I walked over to my Dealership that day with my dog, finding a painted stoned on the way. It had hearts and the word Love on it. I took it back to them and apologized for yelling on their recording machine along the way.

Not afraid of being labeled weird. Gay and 65 in Lynchburg ... You have to build up a tolerance for the hurtful along the way. Risk being called weird when making amends.

No one said anything distasteful ... even seemed to appreciate it.
 
We all do things occasionally that we regret or have to apologize for. I do it all the time; it's just part of my personality.

There's a lot of hate in the world today. Building up a tolerance is necessary to survive.
 
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