Ever since I got this used boat, I've been plagued with brake issues.   The trailer essentially had no hours, boat was kept on the water.  Been eating brake fluid but not leaking.   2015 Ranger 520C.   It's got the daisy chain flex brake lines, and the last caliper has the only bleeder.   Hard to bleed out all the air.

I didn't like the actuator that came on these, A84, I changed it once because snubber got trashed by loss of fluid, so I put a A60 on it after I had my last oops.   It continued sipping brake fluid after the repair, as before.   Figured it was just displacing air.

I'm getting ready to leave for a long tow, so I figured I better address this and bleed the brakes/diagnose.  I have experience towing in the mtns and have a brake go.   Weathers been so hot, 100+ humid, not conducive to working in the garage(or fishn).   We got a break this week.

As I was bleeding, I noticed some fluid on the floor and dripping, nothing was coming out the bleeder line.   I felt around and saw it was oozing below.   ON inspection, come to find out, the back brake shoe on the last caliper is missing.  GONE, not there...   I didn't think that was possible, but think again.   Human error?   

The caliper piston wore down into the rotor acting as the brake shoe until caliper extended and started to leak.   No sign of brake fluid.  No squealing.  Small amt of fluid must've evaporated from the hot rotor.   

Good thing I found it, (too late) but an example of a dealer that supposedly thoroughly checked the boat and didn't or messed up.   At $600 a pop, these vortex assy's aren't rebuildable.   Last one I couldn't even get it apart.   I have a spare used caliper and rotor, but no axle kit.   Easier just to replace the whole shabang.   Right before a holiday, and trying to get parts in a hurry is par for this game...

Not saying never buy a used boat, as even new ones can have issues, but they get repaired on their nickel - maybe - been there, done that.

Enjoy the outdoors.   It's the last bastion for sanity.

 

Wow! You said never get a used boat. Unfortunately for me that's all I get. And here in Florida I avoid the salty dogs if I can. Nothing but trouble and problems. Boats, motors and trailers.

 

Long story short I was given a salty dog abandoned in Florida woods for 10 years. Free if I removed it. I wanted trailer and possible outboard if it still ran. Hull was rotten. I rebuilt wheel hubs with new bearings and tires to get it rolling.

 

I drove it across state 200 miles at upwards of 80mph at times.

 

I made it safely but once hull was in landfill i took trailer apart. Holding worst looking 4 leaf spring at waste high I dropped it on concrete to bust off some rust. 2 out of 4 solid steel leaf springs shattered on impact with concrete like glass.

 

Saltwater corrosion had eaten through 3 out 8 leaf springs. Fortunately the bad ones were on bottom of stack. Axle connecting leaf spring at top was least corroded.

 

I'm lucky axle stayed in place under old boat for that trip. Good thing I removed motor and all the weight I could ahead of time. That could have been a disaster.

 

I wish I could buy new but used and cheap on a retiree budget is where I'm stuck at. I just need to really look more closely at doing thorough inspection myself or hire one and be more discriminating next time.

 

In your case I'm wondering how the brake shoe was missing. Is it possible to wear it out of there? Or maybe it was not installed or installed correctly? Was there any remnants to show it had been there? Are rebuildable brakes available?

Back shoe, caliper, rotor?

 

I'd like to empathize, be surprised, confused, mad, etc. right along with you, but I can't really understand what's going on.

that has to be human error.

Completely missing a brake shoe ❓

First I've heard that.

Reminds me of when my partner in the guide service picked up his brand new boat from the dealer and as he pulled into the ramp, his rear starboard hub was on fire.  Flames shooting all out from behind the tire.  He just backed it into the lake and we listened to it sizzling. 😆 

On 7/3/2025 at 5:54 PM, Big Hands said:

Back shoe, caliper, rotor?

 

I'd like to empathize, be surprised, confused, mad, etc. right along with you, but I can't really understand what's going on.

Disk brakes don’t have shoes😎

Tom

The rest of the story.

Two weeks ago, what's the chance of launching on Lake Champlain at 9:30 AM on a Mon, and the guy launching in the boat next to me started taunting me for escaping the heat.   He was from SC also and was in a 2016 Ranger?   Slim or none?   He acknowledged they had hub issues back then.   I didn't know that.   My last was a '09.

The last old hub bit the dust as well, lost its brake lining.   I caught it before it was catastrophic, just eating up the tire, and ordered new.   Now I got to swop out in the 100+ heat.

They used these "organic" brake shoes, and they didn't bond them right, left a space between, and the steel back plate rusts in between and eventually delams.   Once they get to a smaller thickness than can fall through the "crack" when the caliper is relaxed, then it's steel on steel until the backing plate falls off, too.   Ironically, I was cutting the grass one day last year and I found a rusty caliper shoe laying by my driveway entrance.   I figure it came from somebody else's vehicle.   DAH!

Dexter has not responded to my inquiry about the suitability of daisy chain brake lines.

I got a new pair of shoes as a stock item.   And they're different.   They managed the issue.   I just happen to have a 10 year old trailer without many miles and original brakes/hubs.

I'll go back to my twice a year brake/hub inspection protocol I used throughout my tournament days with the old "cool" hubs.   Beat having the numerous road failures.  These 'lifetime' hubs are a bad joke.   Can't repair and costly to replace.   The first two failed on the rear axle, but just slung grease.   I tried to repair but couldn't get the support bolts out to get the rotor off.   They are some sort of one way fastener and the impact just spun 'em.   It also voids "warranty" to take apart, but well over of 5 year (lifetime) warranty period.   If I'd known that, I'd changed to a different hub, but stuck with it now for another cycle.   One of those inferior designs that they make all their money supplying after sale parts to replace them.   Been there, done that many times.   Otherwise, the old boat performed flawlessly on the big pond and the 2300 trek back and forth.