replacing brake hoses

[John U]

Just getting ready to replace my brake hoses with braided steel DMCH replacements (when my garage warms up!!)
any words of advice from someone who has recently done it?

thanks
John

[DMCMW Dave]

Just getting ready to replace my brake hoses with braided steel DMCH replacements (when my garage warms up!!)
any words of advice from someone who has recently done it?

Get your swear word dictionary warmed up, especially if it's a automatic. Worst part is getting the old ones out of the brackets, especially on the frame end. No real tricks, just brute force and patience (a tough combination!).

[jackb]

I just did this a few weeks ago. It's not tough.
I agree, the hardest part (still not very hard though) is getting the rear hoses out from the frame, I just kept the jamnut on the tip of the threads (to protect the threads) and got a few good knocks with a small mallet and they came right out.
No big deal.

[Rich]

When our D was ready for a brake fluid flush we gave the new hoses and a bottle of Castrol DOT4 to our local independent shop when we dropped it off and got a two-fer job.

No swearing, torches, PB Blaster, rounded nuts, busted bleeders or kinked hoses. Just a nice, safe brake system renewal and a solid bleed job from a pro.

Maybe not the how-to info you were looking for but it IS an option whether the D needs a flush or not.

And it's one way to learn if your mechanic likes working on your car. You can work up from there because there's absolutely nothing weird about this repair as far as they are concerned. You can't have too many auto mechanics who are willing to work on your D when you really need them. At least those of us not located near a DMC-centric facility.

[gulwng3]

PB Blaster, drink a beer, more PB Blaster, let garage warm up, then carefully break the nuts loose without twisting the brackets off the frame. Not too difficult a job. Remember to not kink the lines when reinstalling.

Good luck,
Andy

[tommyrich]

I have done a few of these and have had luck with heating the outside of the bracket with a blowtorch. I found it best to cut the hose, leaving a couple of inches to pull on. Then carfully heating the bracket with the torch while pulling and twisting on the hose. It will smell like heck, but you will find it works rather well. Sometimes they just don't want to come out any other way. This way helps to avoid bending the bracket.
On one car I went so far as to build a tool by weling a socket on a c-clamp, but even that wouldn't free the hose until I heated it. Be sure to have a fire extinguisher handy.
Good Luck,
Tom

[Ryan S.]

Get your swear word dictionary warmed up, especially if it's a automatic. Worst part is getting the old ones out of the brackets, especially on the frame end. No real tricks, just brute force and patience (a tough combination!).
+1
Other 3 lines came out easily but one £$#%^ hose took me over 3 hours to get it out. Yes, I have automatic. You might get lucky. You need a small hammer or mallet to pop it out.
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?8857-Help-flexible-brake-line-is-stuck&highlight=Brake+hoses

[Mark D]

Use line wrenches to remove the hard line fittings from the flexible brake hoses so you don't round off the hard line hex ends. To prevent bending the metal tabs on the front frame and rear trailing arms counteract the torque you're appyling to the hard line fitting by holding the hose end fitting jam nut in place with a wrench. Soak everything with PB blaster first...this is the easy part.

The worst part is removing the hose fittings from the frame at the front suspension and at the rear from the trailing arms... those stupid metal tabs that the hose ends pass through are very thin so when you are trying to loosen the jam nuts the tabs like to twist and crack the epoxy where the tab is welded onto the frame/trailing arm.

If you have difficulty removing the jam nuts from the hose fittings you can use a dremel to cut a notch in the nut which will allow it to expand so it can free up and spin. Holding the crimped ferrule on the hose with a pair of vice grips will help prevent bending the metal mounting tab as you wrench on the jam nut.

Once the nuts are off cut the hose as close as possible to the end fitting. I used a small drill press vice and a deep well socket to push the fittings out of the metal frame tab. Soaking with PB blaster didn't seem to help at all here ... it looked like the brake hoses were installed when the epoxy on the frame was still a bit soft so the fittings were basically glued in there. Attempts to tap the fittings out with hammer were futile and just bent the tab. If you don't have a small vice a C clamp will work just as well.

See MSPaint schematic diagram below :rock_on:

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=24923&d=1391008425

For the rear hose ends that pass through the frame I soaked the jam nuts with PB blaster. Since the frame is sturdier here compared to the wimpy metal tabs it's easier to remove the nuts since you can get a lot more torque on them. Once the nuts were free I knocked the hose end fitting out of the frame with a mallet.

[tommyrich]

I tried the C-Clamp, but as you said, I think it is embedded in the epoxy. That's why the torch works well. It softens the epoxy and they pull right out. But not before creating a nasty smell!

[John U]

Thanks for all the advice and the fancy diagram....can't wait to try it! :cry:

[John U]

I assume that the hoses for the front are longer than those for the rear, correct?

[DMCMW Dave]

I assume that the hoses for the front are longer than those for the rear, correct?

Yes


Sent from phone

[John U]

thanks

[John U]

Just finished the front left side hose.
Couldn't get it out using the c-clamp (tried it without cutting the hose)....kept slipping off the side.
Tried the blow torch on low, but didn't want to burn the epoxy (it definitely started to get brown).

Then....I had a great idea....surprised no one else recommended it....I'm usually not one to come up with such a great idea... :relative:

Ball joint remover....absolutely fool proof! Worked perfectly....no cursing!!! :rock_on:

[JohnZ]

That's a sight for sore eyes to read! Tell us tell us!

:rock_on:

[John U]

Here is the ball joint remover in action on the front right side. Literally took less than five minutes to remove. I put a piece of cardboard between the fork and the epoxy in order to prevent marking up the epoxy (should have also done it on the left side!)
Remember to wear safety glasses....if your brake hose is stuck in there tight, and pops out, you could get some nasty poisonous brake fluid in the eye!

[JohnZ]

Lovely! I'm seriously worried about taking out those hoses... they seemed to me hard as a rock!

Gotta try that!