Ruptured Metal Brake Line

[DixieWASP]

Yesterday, while my truck was already on a service lift for a transmission service, my rear driver’s side brake line ruptured apparently due to rust. Today I removed the gasoline tank to access the leaking line. All the other metal brake lines look good with no visible rust. I guess the gas tank held moisture against the line and rust it. I have circled in yellow the leaking part of the metal line.

Is this common?

 

[Intragration]

Yes. I blew a line like this last year, ended up replacing all of them. Mine was in approximately the same spot as yours, but not blocked by the gas tank.

 

[JOHNGAAA1]

Do yourself a favor. Change all the lines to stainless steel.
it is a common problem for these lines to rust out. SAFETY FIRST !!!! The kits are relatively inexpensive and just bolt in.

 

[DixieWASP]

Do yourself a favor. Change all the lines to stainless steel.
it is a common problem for these lines to rust out. SAFETY FIRST !!!! The kits are relatively inexpensive and just bolt in.

Can you suggest a business that sells stainless steel brake lines for our GMT400s?

 

[DixieWASP]

Yes. I blew a line like this last year, ended up replacing all of them. Mine was in approximately the same spot as yours, but not blocked by the gas tank.

Where did you get your new brake lines?

 

[termite]

I've heard Inline Tube makes a set but I've no personal experience with stainless. I have cut and flared the nickle copper lines on several trucks for repairs.

 

[Schurkey]

Yeah, stainless tubing doesn't rust.

But if you search, you'll find lots of folks that can't get the stainless flares to seal. Or if they do seal, it's with copper sealing washers, or repeatedly tightening the livin' crap out of them.

Not my first choice.

I built a pair of 3/16 brake tubes from NiCopp tubing. My tooling couldn't make a decent, repeatable double-flare on that stuff. I did eventually get it to seal. I did not have any fun doing it, and I screwed-up a number of flares and then had to cut 'em off.

Plain ol' double-wall seamless steel tubing for me, thank you very much. QUALITY tubing lasts decades. The cheap-crap tubing GM used in the 2000s had a short service life, but that was due to excessive cost-cutting--using crappy tubing on a safety-critical assembly.

 

[1997]

Can you suggest a business that sells stainless steel brake lines for our GMT400s?

Lines to go .... excellent product and support.

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[454cid]

Mine rusted out right behind the cab, twice.

 

[Carlaisle]

I used https://www.inlinetube.com/. Excellent product. Reasonably priced. Zero issues with fitment or sealing. They sent me the wrong length braided hoses. I sent them a picture of the hoses I received next to a tape measure and a new set of the correct length hoses arrived a few days later no questions asked. I have no relationship with them other than being a satisfied customer.

If it was my truck, I would replace all of the lines and hoses. You have experienced likely the only good time to have a brake failure. Might be a good idea to consider purchasing a lottery ticket, as well.