Brake Hose Removal Nightmare!

[RamblinDMC]

What is the best procedure to removing the front brake hoses without destroying their brackets? My dad and I have gotten the driver's side nut off, but the hose won't slide out of the bracket. It's stuck, but it does wiggle slightly. Is there something we're missing?

Thanks,
Jayce

[sdg3205]

Remove the hard lines and carefully route out of harms way (release from plastic clips if need be).

Soak it in PB blaster. If you're not saving the hoses, whack it backwards with a hammer.

If you're saving them, same process but use a rubber mallet so you don't damage the threads and keep a wrench on the other side to coax it back and forth. Have a beer. Get back under the car, apply more PB blaster and repeat.

Edit - clips only apply to rear lines. My bad.

[JohnZ]

Take a look here!

[Ryan S.]

Darn, I wish I had that tool. It took me like 3-4 hours of hammering to get one line out when I replaced my lines. Other three lines comes out easy. What do you call that tool and where do you get it? I hope it is not an Italian only tool.

[JohnZ]

I think it might be called "ball joint remover". In fact, it is needed when you remove ball joints! But it worked well in that situation!

There are several shapes of that tool... luckily I managed to fit that one into the tight space!

It was more than a year ago.... now everything is new and clean around there... no more rust!

[vwdmc16]

Exactly, I had to use a ball joint tool on my rear brake lines as well!

[vwdmc16]

The Cheap version that i used:

[JohnZ]

As long as it fits in there... any ball joint remover can do the trick!

[RamblinDMC]

We were finally able to get the front hoses out. Ended up using an air hammer with a chisel end on it to force them out. One of them even split apart the hex socket on the bracket before it finally came loose.

Thanks for the suggestions!