Brake lines busted on my F150

[Todd v.]

Sage advice.


Or do this. I have done 3 Jeeps this way. Not hard, just dirty, and sometimes a bit awkward getting the lines fished. Be sure you practice double flares a couple times so your sure you have it right before trusting your life to your work.

And don't forget to put the nut on the line before you flare it....

 

[Streetgang]

And don't forget to put the nut on the line before you flare it....

 

[Idempotent]

The exact same thing happened on my 1996 Ford Taurus this fall. I was pulling into my driveway, and bam, brakes go all the way to the floor and stopped working after that. I went to the mechanic and I was charged $300 for him to replace all the lines (I didn't opt for just one side thankfully). My friend works at the mechanic and he showed me the lines they replaced; they were completely corroded/rusted all the way through. So maybe Ford skimped on that part and didn't use stainless steel like they should've, because this is a very common problem reported on older Fords from that period driven in environments like ours that see significant amounts of winter snow (and thus salt).

Anyway, yeah, it sucks, and my car isn't even worth $1,000, but a new car would cost me a lot more than $300, whereas spending only $300 to keep this car on the road for another 5 months or so now was definitely worth it.

 

[Todd v.]

The exact same thing happened on my 1996 Ford Taurus this fall. I was pulling into my driveway, and bam, brakes go all the way to the floor and stopped working after that. I went to the mechanic and I was charged $300 for him to replace all the lines (I didn't opt for just one side thankfully). My friend works at the mechanic and he showed me the lines they replaced; they were completely corroded/rusted all the way through. So maybe Ford skimped on that part and didn't use stainless steel like they should've, because this is a very common problem reported on older Fords from that period driven in environments like ours that see significant amounts of winter snow (and thus salt).

Anyway, yeah, it sucks, and my car isn't even worth $1,000, but a new car would cost me a lot more than $300, whereas spending only $300 to keep this car on the road for another 5 months or so now was definitely worth it.

Brake lines are a common thing on almost any car here in the salt belt... Some are better than others and I do most of them on 4x4 trucks of all makes. Lots of times people only drive them in bad weather where they use salt on the roads and it never gets washed off so they just rust....

 

[Bigdtc]

Brake lines are a common thing on almost any car here in the salt belt... Some are better than others and I do most of them on 4x4 trucks of all makes. Lots of times people only drive them in bad weather where they use salt on the roads and it never gets washed off so they just rust....

This. I work at a shop and there are certain years of vehicles, especially Ford vehicles, that corrode somewhat quickly.

 

[smokedog]

Same thing happened on my 97 ford and I replaced a section only to have it break again in another area and had to have it towed to a buddies shop and he fixed them all for me and said I was lucky. Fix is better than a truck payment.

 

[midcountyg]

Had it happen to my 99 dodge p/u. The guy I got to replace all the rusty lines said he had never used that much steel tubing on any single vehicle before. He is a friend of mine, and it only cost me 200 bucks. After the pucker factor of the brake pedal going to the floor in a panic situation on Severn River bridge, I told him to replace any line that looked rusty. I was lucky nobody was in the lane to my left, or I would have plowed in to the back of a semi.

 

[eddiek2000]

And don't forget to put the nut on the line before you flare it....

Double flare it.

 

[eddiek2000]

Had it happen to my 99 dodge p/u. The guy I got to replace all the rusty lines said he had never used that much steel tubing on any single vehicle before. He is a friend of mine, and it only cost me 200 bucks. After the pucker factor of the brake pedal going to the floor in a panic situation on Severn River bridge, I told him to replace any line that looked rusty. I was lucky nobody was in the lane to my left, or I would have plowed in to the back of a semi.

Happened to me too. My 98 Ram in the summer of '09. Not fun after a 13 hour plane ride from Alaska then rolling through a red light and getting a red light ticket.

Luckily it was a piece of line that I could fix in the parking of an Autozone the next day.

 

[Dead Eye]

My old '95 Ford Bronco, built on a F150 chassis, did the same thing. For less than $25 for the line, and I already own a tubing bender, I did the job myself. Enough ground clearance that I didn't even have to jack it up. Get a can of Kroil penetrating oil, and soak the bleeders really good the day before. The lines already come to the correct length, from Auto Zone, with the flared ends and nuts. Use your old line as a pattern, and pre-bend the new tube, before you install it. You still might have to carefully "snake" it through a few areas, but still, it's not that bad of a job. Bleed the brakes, afterward, and yes, make sure that you change them in pairs. Chances are the other one is also corroded, and with the new one in place, the old one on the other side now becomes the weak link.

 

[kerplooey]

Just buy a Toyota, then you won't have to worry about brakes!

 

[Tankfixr]

Replace all the lines once one goes.

The rust will eventually find its way into your ABS module, then you'll be talking serious bucks.

 

[Todd v.]

Double flare it.

Or bubble flare, depending on the year. Definitely not interchangeable.

 

[Blaster229]

this is a job posting?

 

[Todd v.]

this is a job posting?

More like a side job posting....

 

[Dead Eye]

this is a job posting?

An "I don't make enough money to pay someone else to do it" posting.

 

[Biff_N]

I came across this place while looking for brake lines for my Mustang. I don't know their prices but full sets of pre-bent stainless lines would make a diy job much easier. Good luch

http://www.classictube.com/

 

[Goosehunter]

why aren't they stainless steel?

hell exhaust systems are now, I haven't done exhaust work of any kind since the 80's

 

[Biff_N]

this is a job posting?

Either way I think this thread is more relevent on the jobs forum that the one asking about the best .308 ammo. I can only guess how that one ended up on here. What is the tie in there? Hopefully nothing news worthy.

 

[joemac]

Don't weigh the cost against what your truck's "blue book" value is; weigh it against what a reliable replacement would cost. An occasional $500 repair tab is nothing, compared to a $500/month car payment, each and every month. Good reliable transportation is worth far more than its blue book price.

Also, fwiw: it's good insurance to bleed your brake system completely, at least once every 5 years. Once the fluid picks up moisture is corrodes lines from the inside out.

Possibly the best advice I've ever heard given on the internet. My '93 ranger is still kicking, when something breaks I replace it. Did the rear brakes lines a year ago. The brake fluid change recommendation is a good one.