Had a serious issue off-roading, ranger design flaw?

[Bludrok]

This past weekend, I went skiing with one of my daughters (12 years old) While there, I saw a service road and wanted to check it out at the end of the day. Unfortunately, it was closed for cross country skiing.

I went to the ranger station to ask them, but they were closed, so I used my gps to check out some other service roads, and found one that was open (I think? see below).

There was no gate closing it off, nor were there any signs. Anyhow, I proceeded and we had a great time. The Ranger did great, but I did have to winch a few times.

As I got to the exit, there was a locked gate stated the road was closed. I had travelled several miles by this point, and as I said had to winch a few times, so going back was a last resort.

I got out and scouted, and noticed I could go up and around the gate, but it was pretty steep and covered with snow. I figured I'd have to winch, and sure enough I did. Anyhow, as I got most of the way up, I got a warning that I was low on brake fluid, as well as several other errors, just how it looks after you change the tune. I got out and looked and didnt see any leak or anything, so I didnt really worry about it, but when I got back in it had an abs error and the emergency brake was engaged and would not turn off.

I got out again and had my daughter pump the brakes. Sure enough, I was leaking brake fluid out of my rear drivers side caliper. The bolt had come loose. I tightened it back up, but was totally out of brake fluid at this point. Grabbed my winter gear, told my daughter to do the same. There was no cell service, and I dont have a radio, so we started walking. Thankfully, after about 15 minutes of walking, a truck drives by and gave us a ride to a restaurant/bar nearby, where I did have cell service.

While trying to call AAA, I noticed a very small store across the street. It was late, about 6:30, so I wasnt expecting them to be open, but I know in the small remote areas lots of times the owners live on site, so I went to look. Thankfully, I just barely caught the guy. He was locking up, but hadn't quite yet. I asked if he had brake fluid and he did, so I bought all he had, which was 4x 12oz bottles.

I went back to the restaurant/bar, and asked if I could pay someone to give me a ride. A wonderful couple said they were just leaving, and gave us a ride back to my truck, which was about 5-10 miles from the restaurant. They even waited there while I put the brake fluid in, just in case there was something else and I needed a ride back to call a tow truck.

Thankfully, after tightening the bolt and adding fluid, there was no more leak and I was able to drive out. My brakes were spongy and needed to be bled, but it was enough to get out and drive home.

I went back to the bar to have a beer to celebrate and then proceeded home. A big thank you to everyone that helped that day! You guys are amazing.

So here is where I wonder if this might be a design flaw. The brake line on the rear driver side sits parallel to the ground, and can be hit by a rock or other obstacle, causing the bolt to come loose and leak brake fluid. The passenger side is not affected, because that would just tighten the bolt, not loosen. See the pictures below:

Here is the drivers side. Notice how it has been pushed into its current position from the above incident.

Here is the passenger side. This shows how the brake line comes be default.

I have now added brake fluid to my recovery gear that I keep on my truck. ?



Other than that, the off roading was a blast. The ranger did great, and now I have another story to tell.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Here are some links to videos taken from the trip:

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[Jrel209]

Pretty sure this is the third story about issues with brakes ive read on here.

 

[JimJ]

This past weekend, I went skiing with one of my daughters (12 years old) While there, I saw a service road and wanted to check it out and the end of the day. Unfortunately, it was closed for cross country skiing.

I went to the ranger station to ask them, but they were closed, so I used my gps to check out some other service roads, and found one that was open (I think? see below).

There was no gate closing it off, nor were there any signs. Anyhow, I proceeded and we had a great time. The Ranger did great, but I did have to winch a few times.

As I got to the exit, there was a locked gate stated the road was closed. I had travelled several miles by this point, and as I said had to winch a few times, so going back was a last resort.

I got out and scouted, and noticed I could go up and around the gate, but it was pretty steep and covered with snow. I figured I'd have to winch, and sure enough I did. Anyhow, as I got most of the way up, I got a warning that I was low on brake fluid, as well as several other errors, just how it looks after you change the tune. I got out and looked and didnt see any leak or anything, so I didnt really worry about it, but when I got back in it had an abs error and the emergency brake was engaged and would not turn off.

I got out again and had my daughter pump the brakes. Sure enough, I was leaking brake fluid out of my rear drivers side caliper. The bolt had come loose. I tightened it back up, but was totally out of brake fluid at this point. Grabbed my winter gear, told my daughter to do the same. There was no cell service, and I dont have a radio, so we started walking. Thankfully, after about 15 minutes of walking, a truck drives by and gave us a ride to a restaurant/bar nearby, where I did have cell service.

While trying to call AAA, I noticed a very small store across the street. It was late, about 6:30, so I wasnt expecting them to be open, but I know in the small remote areas lots of times the owners live on site, so I went to look. Thankfully, I just barely caught the guy. He was locking up, but hadn't quite yet. I asked if he had brake fluid and he did, so I bought all he had, which was 4x 12oz bottles.

I went back to the restaurant/bar, and asked if I could pay someone to give me a ride. A wonderful couple said they were just leaving, and gave us a ride back to my truck, which was about 5-10 miles from the restaurant. They even waited there while I put the brake fluid in, just in case there was something else and I needed a ride back to call a tow truck.

Thankfully, after tightening the bolt and adding fluid, there was no more leak and I was able to drive out. My brakes were spongy and needed to be bled, but it was enough to get out and drive home.

I went back to the bar to have a beer to celebrate and then proceeded home. A big thank you to everyone that helped that day! You guys are amazing.

So here is where I wonder if this might be a design flaw. The brake line on the rear driver side sits parallel to the ground, and can be hit by a rock or other obstacle, causing the bolt to come loose and leak brake fluid. The passenger side is not affected, because that would just tighten the bolt, not loosen. See the pictures below:

Here is the drivers side. Notice how it has been pushed into its current position from the above incident.

Here is the passenger side. This shows how the brake line comes be default.

I have now added brake fluid to my recovery gear that I keep on my truck. ?



Other than that, the off roading was a blast. The ranger did great, and now I have another story to tell.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Here are some links to videos taken from the trip:

Gate was closed but you decided to go around? That’s why so many places are closed off , you go around and others we see your trail. Again it’s closed for a reason!

 

[Bludrok]

Gate was closed but you decided to go around? That’s why so many places are closed off , you go around and others we see your trail. Again it’s closed for a reason!

You misunderstand. There was no gate nor sign where I entered.

The gate I encountered was where I was trying to exit from, which is another entrance. This one said it was closed, but the one I entered at did not.

Again, I attempted to go to the ranger station to ask which roads where open, and carefully checked signs at every road I came to.

My choice at that point was to either:

a) go around the sign in order to exit the closed off area

or

b) Turn back around and go through the closed off area to exit where I initially entered from

I'm sorry if I have offended you in any way. What should I have done differently in your opinion?

 

[Frenchy]

So this is the first time I've heard about an issue with the brakes like such but it doesn't mean that it's not common. I took my Ranger off road quite a bit and never had an issue like such. What I suspect is possible that could have caused a problem is the fact of how you got your wheel and tire out so much. I see it poking on the side of the truck causing less coverage of your brake caliper. That's a good possibility as to why you may have had the issue and had a rock hit there.

As for the Forest Road that you used or service road whatever you might want to call it, I agree that you did what you could going through it and understanding that there was not a closed sign on the side you entered. Unfortunately there are some roads that will do that for who knows what reason. If it was me I would have turned around knowing that I can at least get back through. As one has already mentioned going around the gate like you did can make it to where that road gets closed permanently and that's not a good thing.

 

[Cabose-1]

Just looks like you hit something with the line. It bent and with enough force to loosen the bolt. No design flaw.

Nice pics

 

[Bludrok]

So this is the first time I've heard about an issue with the brakes like such but it doesn't mean that it's not common. I took my Ranger off road quite a bit and never had an issue like such. What I suspect is possible that could have caused a problem is the fact of how you got your wheel and tire out so much. I see it poking on the side of the truck causing less coverage of your brake caliper. That's a good possibility as to why you may have had the issue and had a rock hit there.

As for the Forest Road that you used or service road whatever you might want to call it, I agree that you did what you could going through it and understanding that there was not a closed sign on the side you entered. Unfortunately there are some roads that will do that for who knows what reason. If it was me I would have turned around knowing that I can at least get back through. As one has already mentioned going around the gate like you did can make it to where that road gets closed permanently and that's not a good thing.

I am running negative offset wheels, so you could very well be right.

I totally see your point about the gate. It was a judgement call that I believe could be argued either way. I had not considered that it could lead to permanent road closure though. If my tracks are seen, hopefully it is clear that I was trying to get out, and not in, but I doubt it will be looked into that far if so.

Thanks for the insight.

 

[Bludrok]

Just looks like you hit something with the line. It bent and with enough force to loosen the bolt. No design flaw.

The question about it being a design flaw is the fact that it can happen at all. If the line was designed perpendicular to the ground instead of parallel, it could not happen.

It was pointed out that it may be due to my negative offset wheels leaving the caliper more exposed though.

 

[pull string get cookies]

The question about it being a design flaw is the fact that it can happen at all. If the line was designed perpendicular to the ground instead of parallel, it could not happen.

It was pointed out that it may be due to my negative offset wheels leaving the caliper more exposed though.

Good point about the negative offset wheels being a possible contributor to leaving the lines exposed. I’m curious now and will see how well my factory wheels cover in comparison to your pics once I get a chance this evening. Also, thanks for sharing the vids, beautiful area, must’ve been a blast.

 

[Michel Jeanneau]

It sounded like you were running in 4 low...do tremors come with drive modes like mud, sand snow, etc? My FX4's version has a grass/grave/snow mode that put's the truck in 4H...I personally use 4H plus manual shift in snow.

Bummer about the brake issue. The only thing that's ever happened to me (once) was while using trail control where it caused an ABS module fault. Cleared it using FORSCAN and hasn't happened since

 

[Radioman]

This past weekend, I went skiing with one of my daughters (12 years old) While there, I saw a service road and wanted to check it out and the end of the day. Unfortunately, it was closed for cross country skiing.

I went to the ranger station to ask them, but they were closed, so I used my gps to check out some other service roads, and found one that was open (I think? see below).

There was no gate closing it off, nor were there any signs. Anyhow, I proceeded and we had a great time. The Ranger did great, but I did have to winch a few times.

As I got to the exit, there was a locked gate stated the road was closed. I had travelled several miles by this point, and as I said had to winch a few times, so going back was a last resort.

I got out and scouted, and noticed I could go up and around the gate, but it was pretty steep and covered with snow. I figured I'd have to winch, and sure enough I did. Anyhow, as I got most of the way up, I got a warning that I was low on brake fluid, as well as several other errors, just how it looks after you change the tune. I got out and looked and didnt see any leak or anything, so I didnt really worry about it, but when I got back in it had an abs error and the emergency brake was engaged and would not turn off.

I got out again and had my daughter pump the brakes. Sure enough, I was leaking brake fluid out of my rear drivers side caliper. The bolt had come loose. I tightened it back up, but was totally out of brake fluid at this point. Grabbed my winter gear, told my daughter to do the same. There was no cell service, and I dont have a radio, so we started walking. Thankfully, after about 15 minutes of walking, a truck drives by and gave us a ride to a restaurant/bar nearby, where I did have cell service.

While trying to call AAA, I noticed a very small store across the street. It was late, about 6:30, so I wasnt expecting them to be open, but I know in the small remote areas lots of times the owners live on site, so I went to look. Thankfully, I just barely caught the guy. He was locking up, but hadn't quite yet. I asked if he had brake fluid and he did, so I bought all he had, which was 4x 12oz bottles.

I went back to the restaurant/bar, and asked if I could pay someone to give me a ride. A wonderful couple said they were just leaving, and gave us a ride back to my truck, which was about 5-10 miles from the restaurant. They even waited there while I put the brake fluid in, just in case there was something else and I needed a ride back to call a tow truck.

Thankfully, after tightening the bolt and adding fluid, there was no more leak and I was able to drive out. My brakes were spongy and needed to be bled, but it was enough to get out and drive home.

I went back to the bar to have a beer to celebrate and then proceeded home. A big thank you to everyone that helped that day! You guys are amazing.

So here is where I wonder if this might be a design flaw. The brake line on the rear driver side sits parallel to the ground, and can be hit by a rock or other obstacle, causing the bolt to come loose and leak brake fluid. The passenger side is not affected, because that would just tighten the bolt, not loosen. See the pictures below:

Here is the drivers side. Notice how it has been pushed into its current position from the above incident.

Here is the passenger side. This shows how the brake line comes be default.

I have now added brake fluid to my recovery gear that I keep on my truck. ?



Other than that, the off roading was a blast. The ranger did great, and now I have another story to tell.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Here are some links to videos taken from the trip:

I'm glad you had a good trip. I am pleased that your camera person (daughter?) was positioned completely out of the danger zone of the winch line.

It is hard to tell from the video but it appears that you were using a tree strap to protect the tree and not string the winch line around the tree to connect to itself. Many people don't realize the tree can be easily killed with a bare winch line around it.

 

[Bludrok]

It sounded like you were running in 4 low...do tremors come with drive modes like mud, sand snow, etc? My FX4's version has a grass/grave/snow mode that put's the truck in 4H...I personally use 4H plus manual shift in snow.

Bummer about the brake issue. The only thing that's ever happened to me (once) was while using trail control where it caused an ABS module fault. Cleared it using FORSCAN and hasn't happened since

Nope, that was 4H. Yes, I have the trail control and had it set to grass/gravel/snow.

 

[Bludrok]

Good point about the negative offset wheels being a possible contributor to leaving the lines exposed. I’m curious now and will see how well my factory wheels cover in comparison to your pics once I get a chance this evening. Also, thanks for sharing the vids, beautiful area, must’ve been a blast.

It was. Even with the brake issue.

 

[Bludrok]

I'm glad you had a good trip. I am pleased that your camera person (daughter?) was positioned completely out of the danger zone of the winch line.

It is hard to tell from the video but it appears that you were using a tree strap to protect the tree and not string the winch line around the tree to connect to itself. Many people don't realize the tree can be easily killed with a bare winch line around it.

I hate to admit it, but I had pulled my tree savers out of the truck for another use. I always carry them when off roading, but this was impromptu after skiing, so I did not have them with me. I did do my best to protect the tree though, because I am aware of the damage a winch cable can cause. It's a synthetic rope though, not a cable, so I think that helps as well.

As soon as I got home, I put my tree savers back into the truck.

 

[Radioman]

I hate to admit it, but I had pulled my tree savers out of the truck for another use. I always carry them when off roading, but this was impromptu after skiing, so I did not have them with me. I did do my best to protect the tree though, because I am aware of the damage a winch cable can cause. It's a synthetic rope though, not a cable, so I think that helps as well.

As soon as I got home, I put my tree savers back into the truck.

You would think by now (many years using a winch) that I would know how to spell it. Sorry. I corrected post number 11 but can't change it in your reply.

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