2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Brake lines rusted through on my '01

[2broke2smoke]

drove home 75 mph ...



drained / changed transmission fluid ...



pushed brake and put it in gear ...



pedal went to floor and brake light came on ...



it rusted through were the lines come down to the frame from the antilock brake

controller ...



frame still has paint on it but right where the brakes have a 90 and meet the frame running towards the rear is rusted through#@$%!



anyone sell pre bent Stainless lines ...

 

[icman95]

Had something similar happen to me with my 01 this past spring. I asked the mechanic to look for stainless lines to replace them as he was using regular steel coated in some sort of vinyl/plastic to protect it. He did quite a bit of research and found many of his sources steered him away from stainless because of the way it interacted with some of the fittings in the brake system that aren't steel. I guess he said there are some brass ones. I'm not sure this idea is right, but I trust him and he trusts his people, so he kept looking and found something different. NICOP lines. Nickel and copper alloyed with the steel to make a line that is VERY corrosion resistant. According to his sources it's the newest, latest, greatest available in brake lines. I hadn't heard of it before, but then again, neither had he. Even the local Napa where he gets his parts didn't have any. They special ordered it for him and he put it in my truck front to back. He said he liked the stuff a lot and it was easy to work with. Of course, it didn't come pre bent, just in a roll, so every little bend was done on the shop floor. Because it's only been in since the spring, there's no real way to tell how well it holds up over time, but if all the hype he got about it is true I shouldn't have to worry about it for a very long time.



That being said, I can't help but think that there must be some aftermarket company that has pre bent stainless kits for it. Part of the problem with getting the stainless was that he told me none of his suppliers locally had any, nor do they usually carry it. That seems strange to me, but it's not the first time I had a shop tell me that. Another one down the road told me the same thing a few years back when it was time to do the lines in my wife's Durango.



Good luck

 

[TAYERS]

circle track racing sells prebent ss lines. mine rusted out more than once. was thinking about using these but they are pricy. about 245

 

[Crowhurst]

NICOP lines. Nickel and copper alloyed with the steel to make a line that is VERY corrosion resistant. According to his sources it's the newest, latest, greatest available in brake lines. I hadn't heard of it before, but then again, neither had he.

This is known as CUNIFER (Cu=copper, Ni=Nickel, Fe=iron) in Europe and has been used for many years for brake pipes. For example, I used it in 1987 when I built a Westfield 7SE. (A Lotus 7 series 3 copy). That vehicle's brake pipes are corrosion-free after 23 years. CUNIFER brake pipe comes in coils, and you can bend it in your hands. Couple that with Aeroquip stainless steel braided covers on the flexible brake hoses, and brass unions, and you have a decent set-up.

Nick,

 

[SBall]

My 01 too!

Just took my 01 in for inspection and was told the brake lines had rusted through on one side. I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT!!!!

A warning to anyone who uses their exhaust-brake and drives unloaded; you may not even realize your service brakes have rusted through on one circuit until panic stop time! I was just about to load up the slide-in camper and go on a trip. Thank goodness the inspection guys found the problem first.



My inspection shop guys told me that this has become a real problem in the last 4 years and they think it's related to the road salt solutions they're using lately.

I cannot believe the vehicle manufacturers haven't been using better materials for brake lines considering the underlying safety issues. Thanks guys, for the education regarding cunifer. I'll have to look into that.



In the mean time, I'll be checking my brake fluid reservoir much more frequently, and maybe perform a brake pedal-mashing stress test before any long trips.



Steve

 

[Crowhurst]

Here's a Cunifer supplier in MA:

Federal Hill Trading Company

Nick.

 

[icman95]

Wow, Nick, that's great that they have lasted so long! I'm really happy to hear that because it means I probably have nothing to worry about for the rest of my truck's life. I'm just surprised that none of the parts stores around here have heard of it. If it lives up to its reputation as well as yours did I'd think that everyone would want it. I don't think it's a cost issue as my mechanic told me that a roll of regular line was $40 and this stuff was $60 for the same size roll. That's not a terrible price difference for something that will last 23 years. I guess we're behind the times a bit.

 

[Crowhurst]

Ken, I guess that decisions by automobile manufacturers concerning materials choice will depend on whether or not initial purchasers of new vehicles will be influenced enough to buy brand A rather than brand B, just because brand A has Cunifer brake pipes, rather than steel. If not, then the extra $ 20 will come straight out of profits. If such purchasers will only keep the vehicle for a few years, the issue probably won't concern them. The Atlantic Ocean is very wide when it comes to such matters. Here's an example: The Airstream travel trailer is now sold in Europe. The European models all have a hot-dipped galvanized chassis and a sophisticated non-corroding composite floor. You in the USA have to accept a mild steel chassis that corrodes quickly, and a floor that absorbs water and rots out. Why? Because the population of the USA keeps buying them, but the company decided that the European market sales numbers would benefit from the extra features. Perfectly logical.

In a nutshell, how many people walk into the Dodge showroom for a new truck and are influenced by power seats, power mirrors, GPS, rear view TVs, etc, as opposed to the number who are influenced by corrosion resistant brake lines? We know the answer, and so do the marketing managers. Perfectly logical and understandable, but unfortunate for us shadetree mechanics wish to carry on using excellent simpler trucks from the pre-computer era.

Nick.

 

[Batman]

EGR sells pre-bent stainless break lines. Easy to install also.

FWIW, I was originally going ot go with the Cunifer lines until I found out that Dodge uses metric and standard fittings throughout the truck. I couldn't locate anyone that knew exactly what fittings I needed, so I decided to go the pre-bent route.
g

 

[2broke2smoke]

thanks guys ...



went to the local dealership and they had them in stock for 20$ a piece ...



bird in the hand ...



will look at ebc when i get back to work and high speed ...



would like to give this truck to my son in a few years ...



kinda scary when you realize i drove home at interstate speeds, changed transmission fluid and the brake line broke with minimum pressure ...

 

[2broke2smoke]

Well guys got them done and here's some FYI ...

3 lines ...

3 different size/threads; 1 metric fine thread, 1 metric course thread and one standard fine thread (my eyeball estimation) ...

ensures that each line is connected to the proper corresponding line on the frame ...

at the top they took a 12mm wrench, on the bottom they took a 9/16" wrench ...

ensures that you don't confuse the top and the bottom ...

would have been an extreme PITA if not for the preformed lines ...