2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Front Brake hardline failed. Sources for new lines?

[planetb]

Was backing up to hitch up a trailer and my brake light on the dash came on and the pedal went to the floor.. A little scary trying to keep a 2500 from moving

I found EGR brakes sells replacement hard lines, are there any other sources for hardlines for a 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 ? I sent EGR an email to find out what it would cost for all front hardlines.

Im pretty sure a local shop would not be cheap I could bend them myself, but need to get my truck on the road for winter

Thanks

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I have bought pre-flared lengths of brake line at NAPA, Carquest, etc.

 

[planetb]

Just looked at my lines again. They are in pretty bad shape. Gonna get them all replaced or find replacements it looks like. Only has 60k miles on her but them lines are rusting up bad..

Found these so far.
http://www.egrbrakes.com/pdf/PreBent_OEMBrakeTube-HardLine_replacements.pdf
http://www.circletracksupply.com/pr...ckups-1998-thur-2001.5-2abs-4abs-2wd-4wd.html

 

[JR]

Buy a roll of copper nickel brake line, should run around $40-$50 bucks for a 50 foot roll. It is resistant to sodium chloride, salt, beet juice, or whatever else they might lay down on the roads in your area. I have done brake lines in the past with standard replacement lines from Napa or somewhere similar and by the 3rd winter they were junk again. Copper nickel is much easier to work with as well, and you will never have to do them again. A few of the local parts stores carries it locally here, or you can order it online through ebay or somewhere similar. Even if you don't do the work yourself, you can take the roll into your local repair shop and have them use it. I highly recomend it.

 

[PDM]

I think this is one place to get the copper-nickel line JR mentioned:
http://www.fedhillusa.com/

I had a link to another place that would rent the flare-tools and send a box of fittings, you pay for only the fittings used, and the use period was a week or two to get the kit back to them and get the deposit credited back. Anyways, can't find the link at the moment, perhaps someone else has it.

A pressure bleeder is handy, and this one adapted from a garden sprayer is fairly cost effective:
http://www.motiveproducts.com/

 

[planetb]

I have the pressure bleeder, it’s very handy! I flushed out 2 cars this summer with it. I was a little surprised to find my brake line on one side of the truck like this. I am not sure yet what I will do, I have bent my own lines before, but its soo cold out already and already have 3 other projects going on in my garage, so might end up having it towed to a shop and fixed or maybe try and get a full replacement kit and do it myself. biggest problem is the truck wont fit in my garage.. If the temps get better I might rip into it and see if I can maybe just redo that side. I think I have some leftover copper-nickel line from my rebuild of another car.

Attached is a picture of the leaking line (broken), You can see why I was not thinking about getting some replacement lines and bending them myself as the section is totally done.

 

[JR]

I'd say shes a little over due! Last winter I had my front end torn down to do the ball joints and while I was at it I replaced the brake hoses (which includes the fitting in the picture) and the hard jumper line that runs from the driverside. I can understand about not wanting to work outside, I've had to do that myself in the past. Those prefabbed lines are pricey! I bet you could buy a roll of the copper nickel and some fittings and pay someone to do it for around the price of buying all those prefabbed lines and doing it yourself...

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I am not familiar with the copper/nickel. Is it a steel alloy? I know that plain copper lines aren't strong enough.

 

[JR]

Yes it is an alloy..."Cupronickel" or copper alloy strengthened with nickel. DOT approved and has been used on high end imports like Porsche, Aston Martin, and Audi for decades. Cupronickel has been used in heat exchangers and condensors for many years because of it's combined strength and corrosion resistance.

 

[sg5054]

Very easy stuff to work with. I am just finishing replacing all my lines front to back, top to bottom. Easily bent by hand and flares beautifully. Steel lines are a waste of time and money.

 

[mwilson]

Easiest way to do that line on front that goes along the crossmember to the other side is to get it out in one piece (as much as you can). Take the Copper / Nickle line and start at one end, perform one flare, slide the nut on and begin to form the bends. As you complete each bend zip tie it to the old line. Using the zip ties at each change of direction you can replicate the old line. When you get to the other end slide the other nut on and then do the final flare.

I have done two trucks that way and the new line went right in as designed.

Mike.

 

[sg5054]

Mike is right on the money here. That is how I just did the whole chassis that way. Looks like factory.

 

[planetb]

Would copper/nickel lines better then Stainless Steel? I know SS is hard to bend as I've used it about 5 years ago for a 1974 T-bird. I have some extra tubes of SS in my garage and looks to be the same size. I could not find the roll of what I believe was copper/nickel that my brother used last year. My only other problem right now is what fititngs to get (sizes, metal) .

 

[JR]

It is better than stainless in the sense that it is much easier to work with. Stainless looks better and if you've got it you may as well use it but be ready for a bit of a fight when it comes time to making bends. You will need a tubing bender for sharp radius 90s I've ran lots ss tubing for instrumentation and pneumatic valves and a tubing bender is the only way its going to look right. The other problem is going to be flaring the average DIY flare tool does not make good flares wit ss tubing it is too hard. Most brake lines are 3/16 but the fittings will vary depending on which lines your doing. Most are standard but some are metric.

 

[planetb]

It is better than stainless in the sense that it is much easier to work with. Stainless looks better and if you've got it you may as well use it but be ready for a bit of a fight when it comes time to making bends. You will need a tubing bender for sharp radius 90s I've ran lots ss tubing for instrumentation and pneumatic valves and a tubing bender is the only way its going to look right. The other problem is going to be flaring the average DIY flare tool does not make good flares wit ss tubing it is too hard. Most brake lines are 3/16 but the fittings will vary depending on which lines your doing. Most are standard but some are metric.

Thank for all the info. Will see how things go here in the next couple weeks weather wise. Might try and get the old lines that are bad off this weekend. This should be a lot of fun!

 

[planetb]

So just to give you the route I went. I ordered the Circletrack kit. Girlfriend (wife, been together 10 years) told me to go this route and she would put in half as my birthday gift. The kit showed up last weekend and looks to be very nice and hope to find out how it installs/fits in the next couple weeks. Its been snowing/icing here and cold the last week, so have not been able to do anything outside and my friends shop it booked solid until 2 weeks from now, same story with my 2 car garage (has 2 projects cars in it right now in non rolling state) I picked up all the rubber lines from rockauto. So should be to ready to go.

Some pictures below :

 

[JR]

What are they made out of?

 

[planetb]

Stainless Steel tubing and fittings. I wanted to get there Kevlar Braided Stainless Steel Flex Hoses also, but at $200 for a set vs $6 - $15 for the rubber lines each, rubber won out on this years budget

 

[planetb]

Well did the install today! 9 hours of hell! I feel like I was in a UFC fight. This kit from Circletrack (EGR brakes) is wonderful and I believe worth its $340 price tag. There is no way I could have completed all the work in 1 day.

Here are some pictures :

JUNCTION BLOCK before removal. It was in bad shape!

Sandblasted the JUNCTION BLOCK and give it a good coat of primer and paint. My camera died so dont have a picture of the finished paint job. :

Old lines :