One Braided Line

[BOWHNT]

Front passenger wheel rubbed a hole in the braided brake line. Where’s a good source for buying a replacement? I’m having trouble finding any. ‘99 K1500 Burb.

 

[Frank Enstein]

Russel makes universal DOT legal hoses and a bunch of adapters. You can get them @ summitracing.com but you have to know the sizes on both ends and how long the hose needs to be. they range from 9" to 27".

 

[Schurkey]

Far as I know, nobody sells "singles" of the brake hoses that come in "kits". You could contact the folks that made yours and ask. Don't expect much.

Another reason to verify the fitment--the "steel braided" brake hoses never seem to fit properly. Many of the ones I've been sold are too long, they don't have the metal-tube section the OEM hoses have for proper routing; and they're not keyed at the chassis end to prevent twisting.

I think every set of "steel braided" brake hoses I've ever installed have needed mods or tweaks--generally but not always a matter of wrapping either the hose or some vehicle part with "soft" rubber hose so the brake hose isn't abraded--and doesn't abrade something else.

Hose on my '88 K1500. Other side similar. Idiots put a heavier-rubber protector on the hose, but left it two or three inches too short. Only the shrink-wrap is high enough. And they wouldn't have needed even that, if the hose had been built with a metal-tube section by the caliper to prevent contact with the control arm, instead of making it all-hose to the short banjo fitting.

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Note metal section of OEM brake hose.

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[BOWHNT]

Yes, they are way too long. Whoever installed them tie wrapped them in place loosely. This one simply worked it’s way towards the wheel and rubbed a hole through it. I lost all brake pressure and was 300 miles from home. Fun!

 

[El Tigre]

Yep ,I added zip-ties to upper control arms.

 

[Schurkey]

Yes, they are way too long. Whoever installed them tie wrapped them in place loosely. This one simply worked it’s way towards the wheel and rubbed a hole through it.

Don't tyrap/zip-tie brake hoses. Maybe secure some sacrificial "padding" with tyraps.

I lost all brake pressure and was 300 miles from home. Fun!

You should have only lost pressure to one of the two hydraulic circuits. If that was a front brake hose, the rear brakes should still work (although brake pedal travel would be longer.)

Yep ,I added zip-ties to upper control arms.

Don't tyrap/zip-tie brake hoses. You want the caliper movement (up--down--left--right based on steering and suspension travel) to be accommodated by the full length of the hose, not just part of the hose.

 

[El Tigre]

Many folks insist on lifting these trucks. So ,many accessories like brake hoses will error on the side of being a little long to prevent some finding them a little short. Anyway that's my opinion on why they seem too long.

 

[El Tigre]

I should have said using zip ties to secure a loosely tightened zip tie to the control arm where free to slide up/down through it's "collar" holding it back from the front tire's edge.

 

[Erik the Awful]

The most important thing with braided steel lines is to make sure and secure them away from the tires with a metal bracket, while giving them room to flex. They will rub through a tire in a few short seconds. Don't rely on zip ties to hold them.

 

[Schurkey]

I should have said using zip ties to secure a loosely tightened zip tie to the control arm where free to slide up/down through it's "collar" holding it back from the front tire's edge.

"Steel braided" hoses are like a dull hacksaw. they'll eventually wear through anything they rub against--or they'll erode the steel braid so the liner is unsupported and pops.

Whatever is clamped to the steel braid needs to be TIGHT, (or specially-designed) so the braid doesn't wear through whatever it's rubbing against. But the hose needs freedom to flex, too. That's why I put soft rubber around the control arm. It'd take years to wear through that, and it won't hurt the steel braid at all.

The most important thing with braided steel lines is to make sure and secure them away from the tires with a metal bracket, while giving them room to flex. They will rub through a tire in a few short seconds. Don't rely on zip ties to hold them.

That "metal bracket" in this case might be a short, small tension spring. The spring would hold the hose in place while still bending and flexing with the hose as it moves.

Earl's Hose used to do that sort of thing with brake hoses; the spring was permanently-attached at the factory. I think they quit doing that since I bought mine for the Lumina. My more-recent braided brake hose kits have been off-brands or Russell.

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