My 1999 Ranger 4×4 popped a brake line when I went to put it in gear and leave home this morning. I pressed the pedal to see if I could locate a leak underneath, and it is leaking from the driver's side, basically right underneath the door, at a connection in the line. It looks to be where the steel line connects to a line that has corrugated plastic over it. The steel line looks fine from the outside with no rust all down the frame rail. I have never tackled a brake line job, but I know how to do the bleeding process when it is done. How should I go about figuring out which line busted at the connection? Just disassemble it?
I was thinking about installing the OEM cruise control system soon, since I discovered my truck is pre-wired for it, but I didn't feel like messing with the master cylinder because the system needs bled. I guess this could be a good time to do that if I want to do the conversion, lol.
I think that "corrugated plastic" part you're looking at is the plastic mounting plate. On the top side which you can't see it has a grooved track where the brake line goes. I don't think you'll find a connection under there. More likely, corroded brake line.
If you don't have the tools, flaring tool and tubing bender, and the parts, brake line and fittings, I'd suggest you do a google search for, 98-01 Ford Ranger Intermediate Brake Line Kit .
For less than it will cost you to buy the tools and parts to make your own section of brake line, you can buy the section of brake line you need, pre-bent, with the double-flared ends and fittings.
I've done brake line repairs both ways. Buying a coil of tubing, doing the bends, and making the double-flares on the end of each section, and I've bought the pre-made line sections.
Using the pre-made lines is the way to go.
Cruise control came with the tilt wheel... and leather wrapped steering wheel I believe. You might want to get an entire steering column with it from the junkyard. My 07 Ranger doesn’t have it. Sometimes I think I should’ve ordered it with it, but I didn’t. At the time I had a short drive to work and didn’t travel much. And figured it was just more stuff to pay for, more stuff to brake and more weight in the vehicle and more wires and complication under the hood. But good luck! I have the factory repair manual for my 07. It’s not exactly the same, but close. If you need any info, let me know!
That may be right, my truck has the fixed steering column, but it has a carpet interior and the original radio had a CD player. I replaced it with an OEM radio from a B3000 that had a tape deck and CD player cuz my display was out and I like to keep old vehicles stock. Beyond that, I'm really not sure what makes my truck an XLT, it's quite a basic vehicle, even for 1999, haha.
Here's the write-up I've read a few times to get a handle on what needs done to install the cruise control feature if you're curious.
It sounds a little tedious, but I recently converted a DirecTV antenna into a functioning radio telescope, so this shouldn't be too much of a challenge, haha. I am probably going to have the steel lines themselves professionally replaced. I'm not really comfortable with messing around with the steel lines, mainly due to lack of experience. I've done rubber end lines, they're easy. I've never messed with the hard lines, and having not messed with them has me a bit more skittish of messing with them.
I had my line replaced professionally and they did a great job. The line broke in another location when they bled the system, so they replaced the whole thing.
I've noticed a hissing noise from underneath the dash when I press on my brake pedal. When I pump the brakes and the engine is off, the brakes firm up each time and then are rock solid, like they should do when there's no engine vacuum.
The pedal does feel a little soft when driving, and it felt like that before the line broke. Is the booster itself on the way out, or could this be a check valve issue on the booster?