Floppy Brake Line Fix

[skysurfer]

When I lifted my truck I had to install longer lines to the front calipers but didn't like the sloppy way they hung in the wheel well. This quick fix took five minutes and would only have cost a couple of dollars if I hadn't already had the hardware.


I put a 4" x 3/8" dia. spring on each of the front lines. These are light duty and can be stretched to double their normal length.

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With a 1" x 1/4" bolt and locking nut...

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...I pushed the spring through one of the convenient factory holes in the frame and fastened the bolt/nut on the end of the spring.

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The light tension of the spring allows the lines to move with the steering action but keeps them out of harm's way. Simple but effective.

 

[Old77]

nice little fix there. Did you come up with that or did you read where someone else did and then you applied it? That's like one of those things that's so simple it'd be easy to overlook a fix that straightforward and simple

I like it

 

[nxtlevl]

Nice mod....Simple and cheap to do. Love it!.......

 

[crazy4offroad]

Cool idea for a street truck, but I could see the spring getting gobbed up with mud on mine. Since I dont run shock boots I just put a loose-fitting zip tie around the shock shaft and brake line to hold the line back away from the tire. It still has plenty of slack to move around.

 

[skysurfer]

nice little fix there. Did you come up with that or did you read where someone else did and then you applied it?

I cooked that one up, I haven't seen anything similar.

Cool idea for a street truck, but I could see the spring getting gobbed up with mud on mine.

I'm thinking they would self clean to some extent when the spring extends and contracts.

 

[HotRodPC]

Great idea MacGeyver !!! Dumb question though? Are those steel braided lines??? Are those even legal??? And DOT approved??? I had a company make a hydraulic clutch line once for a 57 Ford I was working on. They did a great job on it, so I went back to have them make me some brake lines. When I showed them the sample, they said NO can do !!! Illegal and we won't take the liability. I said but.... and they said answer is NO, you may as well just leave buddy. I really thought if I was any smaller, they'd have litterally thrown me out and I wasn't even being rude.

 

[bucket]

Should be DOT legal.

I have the Skyjacker braided lines and the fittings at the caliper end can be rotated and then tightened down. It lets you install them so they naturally keep away from the tire on their own.

That spring idea is pretty slick though.

 

[skysurfer]

Braided steel lines are a common upgrade, several companies make them and I don't know of any state that outlaws them. The people you dealt with just didn't want the liability. These were an off-the-shelf item but the ones I put on my '59 MG were custom made by a local hose repair company that can make anything for any application.

They help with pedal feel as well as being durable. I'm glad they were already in place when I did the hydroboost conversion since the h/boost add several hundred pounds of pressure to the brakes.

 

[HotRodPC]

I hope so. Maybe it was the fitting ends those guys didn't have. But they talked like noway is braided line DOT approved. And maybe it wasn't back then. We are talking like 22 years ago when I did that. I loved that place though. They could make you any kind of hose out of anything you wanted. I also worked on forklifts and small cranes. Waiting for a Komatsu hose from Japan took to long, so I'd have this place make hoses for me. I feel safer with a braided line actually, and they do look pretty damn cool too. So I do hope they are DOT approved.

 

[bucket]

IIRC, the Skyjacker packaging said DOT approved. I also have some Camaro lines still in the package, Russel brand maybe. I think they are DOT also.

 

[HotRodPC]

If there coming in kits, I'd say they are certainly DOT approved. Really good to know info.