Driving With Sketchy Brakes

I am really glad I broke that brake line. I had checked the drum brake on the other rear wheel, and it was all good, good pads, good contact, I was satisfied with my rear brake condition. Breaking this brake line installing the air bag I got a new line, that is the wrong thread. Thinking I could get it in there and tight anyway I had to take the wheel and drum off to really wrench on it. Well look at this, there are NO BRAKE PADS on this side. There is no contact either, which means a seized wheel cylinder.

I am not really sure how power brakes are supposed to perform with half the brakes out. In my case I expect the power is lost in the bad back brakes, because most of the pedal pressure is gone without the rear brakes. I inspected the front brakes, and they are in perfect working condition. At the point that I realized I needed a new wheel cylinder, brake pads, and brake line on the one back wheel it was too late to make it to Nappa before they closed. I really hate to do the 2 hour trip, for just one thing, and so I wanted to restore my brakes to seemingly perfect as they were when I got the van. That way I can more safely go to an electrical job, or whatever else I might do in the city, and buy my brake parts then. This is where my tig welder saved the day. A mig with Argon would have worked too, but my mig only uses flux core wire. I cleaned up the end of the broken brake line and welded it up. Then I bled the working rear brake, and now have what feels like good brakes again, even with one wheel not working. This will just be for one trip to the city, and then the rear brakes will get replaced