Braded steel brake lines

[Moparmat2000]

I have almost always used these on my mopar builds. Mostly for longevity over rubber lines. I have been looking for a set of these for my 1994 RCLB. I need to go through the brakes and ditch the RWAL while i am at it. All the listings i find are intentionally vague. Anybody have part numbers of these for a stock height C1500? Prefer Russell products if i can get them.

Thanks
Matt

 

[884x4310ci]

I use the skyjacker braided lines. I,like them they fit nice.

 

[Urambo Tauro]

I have almost always used these on my mopar builds. Mostly for longevity over rubber lines.

Just curious, what sort of longevity can one expect out of these braided lines? They sure look tougher than OE rubber, but it's always bothered me how difficult it is to inspect them. At least with rubber lines you can check the rubber for cracking, dry rot, etc. How do you know when it's time to replace a braided hose?

 

[sewlow]

Russell part # 672340

 

[sewlow]

Just curious, what sort of longevity can one expect out of these braided lines? They sure look tougher than OE rubber, but it's always bothered me how difficult it is to inspect them. At least with rubber lines you can check the rubber for cracking, dry rot, etc. How do you know when it's time to replace a braided hose?

These trucks are known for the rubber lines to break down within the housings. They'll collapse down inside on themslves, restricting the fluid flow, resulting in the calipers sticking. The lines will appear normal & functional from the outside.

*edit*
Damn. Thought you were talking about the rubber ones.
The braided will last longer than the original because they don't expand under pressure & then contract like the factory ones. Figure how long most originals last for, the braided ones should be good for better than 20 years!

 

[Moparmat2000]

These trucks are known for the rubber lines to break down within the housings. They'll collapse down inside on themslves, restricting the fluid flow, resulting in the calipers sticking. The lines will appear normal & functional from the outside.

*edit*
Damn. Thought you were talking about the rubber ones.
The braided will last longer than the original because they don't expand under pressure & then contract like the factory ones. Figure how long most originals last for, the braided ones should be good for better than 20 years!

Russell part # 672340

Thank you for the part number

And yes, all rubber lines regardless of vehicle manufacturer tend to break down and internally deteriorate over time. Also brake system metal lines have a tendency to corrode and fail from the inside. The outsides of the tubes are coated, but the insides are not. DOT 3 brake fluid has a nasty tendrncy to absorb moisture over time. This will tend to lay and collect in low spots in the lines and over time will corrode them. Theres many solutions to this.

1. you can run stainless steel hard lines. Cost prohibitive but a permanent solution.

2. You can change all the system components out, flush the existing lines out with denatured alcohol before connecting your new components, when system is cleaned out and reconnected with everything new or rebuilt, bleed it and use DOT 5 silicone based brake fluid.

3. Keep the DOT 3 brake fluid it has but use a Mityvac and bleed the system at all 4 wheels every 2 to 3 years until you get clean fluid coming out.

On my dads 1979 Lil Red Express frame off restoration about 15 years ago we installad all new stock material lines, and new components, then used DOT 5 silicone based fluid.. this will not eat paint, will not wick up moisture, however it is NOT compatible with DOT 3. Do NOT mix the 2 different fluids.

 

[letitsnow]

I think the part of the brake line that carries the brake fluid is the same in the oem line as a steel braided line, it is just wrapped in stainless to keep the line from expanding when you hit the brakes. I doubt one would last any longer than the other, but am not certain.

 

[Urambo Tauro]

From what I've been reading, these braided hoses "typically" have a PTFE inner hose. I don't know how rare it is for the inner hose to be rubber, or if such a composition actually exists for brake applications, but if so, then it would be reasonable to expect similar longevity as a regular OE rubber hose.

In my experience, OE rubber tends to last for about 20 years. But when I try to google an average life expectancy, I'm getting a lot of estimates saying 6, 8, 10 years. And I can think of a few different explanations as to why such low numbers are leading the search results...

Of course the nice thing about rubber is that while you can't see the inside of the hose, you can still get a general sense of its condition by inspecting the outside. So you can decide for yourself whether your decade-old hoses really need to be replaced yet or not. (Just saying that in general. I know OP's truck is more than 10 years old lol.)

And while I'm not seeing it anywhere on the maintenance schedule for our trucks, I'm still a firm believer in brake fluid changes every few years. Especially on ABS systems where particles can screw with the valves. But even on non-ABS systems, I've noticed a significant improvement in brake feel when old fluid gets changed on a neglected system. And there's something to be said for having the excuse to crack the bleeders every few years to keep them from getting seized (especially up here in the rust belt...)

 

[Schurkey]

Years ago, "Braided" brake hoses had the typical PTFE (generic Teflon) inner tube, plus the stainless braid on the outside. The DOT found that grit from road splash would get between the tube and the braid, result in abrasion of the tube, and hose failure.

Many of the "steel braided" brake hoses now have a plastic outer coating to prevent the grit from getting between the braid and the tube. DO NOT buy "steel braided" brake hoses that don't have the outer shielding.

The "steel braided" brake hoses are also succeptible to bending the hose too sharply (bend-radius problems) which kinks the PTFE tube. Similarly, you can't pinch a "braided" hose closed like you can with the OEM rubber hoses.

 

[Moparmat2000]

The Russell hoses do appear to have a clear outer shielding over the braded line along with a printed lay line on them to help prevent installing them with a twist on them. This shielding is hard to see from photos. Cheapest i found em was evilbay w free shipping. They have to be routed to prevent kinking and pinching. I noticed the Russell lines do not have the support brackets on them that the stockers use that hold them close to the upper control arms. I am not ok with them flopping around under there. I will likely fashion steel brackets for these spots and attach the lines in these locations with rubber coated stainless ADEL clamps to secure them.