Brake Failure, Not a common fault thank God, But it could happen!

Axle,
A rupture in a line or something rubbing, means the something rubbing would be a brake line or brake hose. That means the integrity of the preventative maintenance was not up to the expected level of quality. ie, nobody really looked at the system. Why would anyone who genuinely inspects leave a line rubbing on other items?

If you try the brakes going down hill to be sure to be sure, how does that prevent it from not working the next time the brake pedal is pressed, ie, when you actually need it to work? A failure is unexpected, so checking only means they worked then and not NOW. The sudden rush of adrenalin will give you super powers and response to handle the situation. It must have worked in the past "cos you are still here.

Back in the days of youth invincibility, I lost the brakes on my HR ute at 60 mph. Coming over the crest of a hill on the Bruce Highway just out of El Arish, I hit a huge pothole (it was the wet season). I saw the cavern and too late hit the anchors. The brake shoes must have been still going out on impact, as somehow the shaft had come adrift from the calipers and the brake piston and cup rubbers spat out of the wheel cylinder. No split brake system in a 67 HR! I drove gingerly into El Arish, pulled into the servo forecourt, jacked her up, picked the bits out of the drum, refitted them and of course as you do, I just happened to have a brake bleeding kit in with the tools and spares, so I proceeded to do a master cylinder refill and bleed. Then there was the time when driving on a recently bulldozed track that a bowed green stick took out the rear brake lines where they went over the axle. Now by 1979 Toyotas had slit split systems, so all good? Nope, unbeknown to us, Dipstick the exploration party mechanic had been working on the brakes and we only had rear brakes. The front brakelines had a nail in them to block them off. It was a slow day at work with only the gears and handbrake to pull up at the 100 m survey station intervals.

DEAR DIARY , sometimes i like to create threads on a forum with what's in my mind at the time.

I recall, I think it was Alan Moffat, saying he would pump the GTHO’s brakes fairly often around Bathurst just to check there was something there. Of course race cars are a lot better these days.
But an old saying. “ if you race it , it will brake” (as in fail) still applies.
All part of the fun, get the adrenaline running.
Cheers
Shane

Ahhh the good old days. HT Holden 253 flat out acceleration while doing transmission testing on a trimatic, then hit the brakes at about 90 "miles" per hour to slow for the crossroads. Whoops, pedal on the floor!
Lucky that country roads were a lot quieter then. Yes a split system so the rear brakes were still working, not that you notice at that speed. Crawled back to the shop and found a front brake caliper pipe flare had split losing a bit of fluid at evey application.
Then there was the time the throttle jammed open!

Regards
A

Axle, I drove a diesel engined tipper that had vacuum brakes before air over had brakes were used. Wasn't that a joy, once the vacuum tank ran out you needed the legs of an elephant to pull it up.

No skid marks outside means plenty of skid marks inside lol.

I lost mine in my TC Cortina coming down the front side of Mt Tamborine in the 80's. What a feeling of helplessness that was. We just made it.