God went to the lake with me this morning

Princeton_Man · July 25, 2019, 09:32:26 AM

I pulled out this morning about 4:30, destination Claytor Lake. It's a 45-60 minute drive depending on traffic and little did I know I had company with me in my truck.

The drive is about half four lane and half twisty curvy mountainous two lane. Along the way I pass through a few small towns and business centers with traffic lights and vehicles entering and turning off.

I pulled up to the gate to pay my parking and launch fee and as I opened my wallet and greeted the attendant, my brake pedal went to the floor as smoke rolled out from underneath my truck door. I immediately hit the parking brake and told the attendant that I had just had a change in plans.

I called a buddy to come tow my boat home. Then a call to a garage to tow the truck in for repairs. I inspected the brake lines and found the leak. The lines running along the top of the frame appear badly rusted/corroded. Probably due to the heavy salt used on roads by WV during Winter. For just a brief moment the thought of the coming expense entered my mind and the it occurred to me that this day had tragedy written all over it. Those brakes could have failed on I81 when the big rig in front of me hit his brakes, or at any one of the red lights I came to, or even as I launched the boat.

It's pretty awesome that he kept them from failing until I was stopped in a safe place.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Capt. BassinLou · July 25, 2019, 09:35:43 AM

Wow Jim, thankgoodness this all happened while you were stationary.

LgMouthGambler · July 25, 2019, 09:58:56 AM

Wow, that could have been a issue for sure. Thank God that you, the boat and the truck are OK. Alls I could think was the picture in the GVille thread, and us laughing about how that looked like your truck.

Princeton_Man · July 25, 2019, 10:18:26 AM

Quote from: LgMouthGambler on July 25, 2019, 09:58:56 AM
Wow, that could have been a issue for sure. Thank God that you, the boat and the truck are OK. Alls I could think was the picture in the GVille thread, and us laughing about how that looked like your truck.

Yup, I don't know if I would have reacted quickly enough or not. I thought about the picture too.

caddyjoe77 · July 25, 2019, 10:18:49 AM

Dang Jim. I too, thought of the guntersville thread photo.

Glad you are safe, and no doubt you had the good lord with you this morning.

Smallie_Stalker · July 25, 2019, 11:28:42 AM

God is good.

Glad you are safe and still with us. As painful as it would have been to the wallet, in the end the boat and truck are just things, and things cam be replaced. People can't.

He was certainly with you today.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

cd1 · July 25, 2019, 11:31:48 AM

I think you are overlooking the most obvious and troubling thing about this entire episode: the fish are trying to kill you. Think about the determination it took for a bass to travel that route to your house just to cut your brake line. You must be crushing them.

Glad you're OK. It seems like the way it ended was the one with the lowest probability.

rdudley2 · July 25, 2019, 12:07:45 PM

Man, I am glad you are ok. You are right. The big man upstairs was watching out for you. Guess he thinks you haven't caught your limit yet.
Godspeed
Rudy Dudley

Oldfart9999 · July 25, 2019, 01:08:35 PM

PTL Jim!!! All I can say is PTL!!!
Rodney

big g · July 25, 2019, 01:38:28 PM

So glad your safe, it could have been the worst not just for you but also others on the road. You certainly had a angel riding shotgun with you.

Move to Florida, no salt on our roads. Just stay out of the ocean water.

SteveTX · July 25, 2019, 02:23:12 PM

Spooky but glad you are safe.

Donald Garner · July 25, 2019, 05:20:40 PM

Jim, glad to hear your safe and there we're any injuries. Hopefully it won't take long to get your truck fixed.

zippyduck · July 25, 2019, 05:36:01 PM

Jim,
First good knowing it ended good.

Second GET A NEW TRUCK!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Bassinkorea · July 25, 2019, 06:16:46 PM

Man, this thread could have had a completely different direction, but fortunately it played out the way it did.......and I'm so glad it did Jim

Princeton_Man · July 25, 2019, 08:35:23 PM

Thank you my brothers, very glad to be hear and have this chain of events just as they were. Can you imagine if those lines broke on my way down to Guntersville while navigating that nasty traffic down near Nashville? Don't even want to think about it. I should have the White Horse back tomorrow and this may be her last year here in my stable.

It seems GM switched from stainless steel to ordinary steel brake lines in 99 through at least 06. So if any of you have a GMC or Chevy in that range, you may wan to crawl under it or take it somewhere to be inspected.

fishandkamp · July 25, 2019, 10:39:54 PM

I am not trying to start a GM vs FORD VS Dodge thread but as a previous Chevy owner and mechanic I have seen the GM brake lines rust through way too often. I had to replace mine after just 4 years. I live in MD, we do not get the kind of snow and use massive amounts of salt like your area does. It is amazing to me GM has not been sued over what is clearly a defective group of parts. How can this not be a Highway Safety issue. In fact I had to do it in my Chevy 2500 4x4 and my S-10 ZR2 4x4. Poor quality and why I chose a Toyota as my current truck. I am glad you were lucky but GM should be held responsible some how.

Princeton_Man · July 26, 2019, 08:04:14 AM

Quote from: fishandkamp on July 25, 2019, 10:39:54 PM
I am not trying to start a GM vs FORD VS Dodge thread but as a previous Chevy owner and mechanic I have seen the GM brake lines rust through way too often. I had to replace mine after just 4 years. I live in MD, we do not get the kind of snow and use massive amounts of salt like your area does. It is amazing to me GM has not been sued over what is clearly a defective group of parts. How can this not be a Highway Safety issue. In fact I had to do it in my Chevy 2500 4x4 and my S-10 ZR2 4x4. Poor quality and why I chose a Toyota as my current truck. I am glad you were lucky but GM should be held responsible some how.

I just learned about this problem the hard way but, it could have been much harder.

I'm sure for GM, it's to do with $$. Wouldn't surprise me if the lines came from China. I wonder if any lawsuits were ever brought against GM that involved the substandard brake lines?

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Pacific NW Ron · July 28, 2019, 10:05:42 AM

That could have turned out much different. Glad you're OK.

Pacific NW Ron · July 28, 2019, 10:12:28 AM

Guys, I'm not sure what you're talking about GM and the brake line problem. I worked for GM for 42 years and saw very few brake line issues. There were other issues that were much more prevalent.

FD · July 30, 2019, 03:43:38 AM

The road to my house has 10 hairpin turns where you're either on the road or in the swamp. Two years ago I was coming home from work late in my F550. Tired and hungry, I was driving way too fast. I stopped at the gate and that was the last time it stopped. As I rolled through the gate I tapped the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. Apparently one of the master cylinder bolts had fell out and that tap broke the other one.

I chalked my luck up to living life right.

Obviously your live you life right also. Glad you made it home safe.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacia est

bassmedic46 · July 30, 2019, 05:25:13 AM

God was definitely with you, Glad everyone was ok.

big g · August 02, 2019, 03:02:38 PM

Quote from: FD on July 30, 2019, 03:43:38 AM
The road to my house has 10 hairpin turns where you're either on the road or in the swamp. Two years ago I was coming home from work late in my F550. Tired and hungry, I was driving way too fast. I stopped at the gate and that was the last time it stopped. As I rolled through the gate I tapped the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. Apparently one of the master cylinder bolts had fell out and that tap broke the other one.

I chalked my luck up to living life right.

Obviously your live you life right also. Glad you made it home safe.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacia est

If this problem was from a cost savings result of cheaper brake linings then General Motors may be responsible. Do your search on line, there might be a class action suit, and you may be able to contact legal advice. This should not happen ever, just too dangerous. How did you get it fixed and at what cost? You are one lucky guy, thank God.