As long as you have no leak, and the hose is not bulging like a balloon, you should be OK. But, remember, hydraulic brakes are very high pressure, so when you can, please do the R&R. Good to know you keep a close eye on aging components!!
When do brake hoses need replacing?
The outer sheath on my brake hoses is starting to crack. Does this mean I need to replace the hoses? I've purchased some new ones but not real excited about replacing at the moment due to time.
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if you have DOT 3 fluid, and its more than three years old, you need to change it. When you change the fluid, swap in the new brake lines. I went to stainless.
Dot 3 is good for 10 years or 150K, the hoses have nothing to do with the fluid and are just a service item. BTW there are no SS hoses.
If cracks are appearing then would not be a bad time to replace!
If cracks are appearing then would not be a bad time to replace!
Of course there are. I have a couple on a box in my garage waiting for the day I do a fluid change. They are stainless steel braided hoses if you want to be pedantic, and everyone just says "stainless" and is easily understood. Yes, changing the hoses is not a requirement when doing the fluid, but a fluid change is the perfect moment to replace a hose with a cracking outer sheath which is not an emergency fix.BTW there are no SS hoses.
I'd like to know the origin of the "3 year" or "10 year" informations as to the life of DOT 3 fluid ...
Internals are still rubber, where it meets the fluid, outer covering is nothing but show and does not contribute to longer life!They are stainless steel braided hoses
They are supposed to contain the rubber from expansion better than the outer rubber sheath..? And to be more durable avoiding precisely the issue that OP has.
At work we have a lot of machinery and it is usual for the higher pressure, more critical hydraulic lines to be stainless braided.
But again, I am relaying what I have been told. Don't take my word for it...
At work we have a lot of machinery and it is usual for the higher pressure, more critical hydraulic lines to be stainless braided.
But again, I am relaying what I have been told. Don't take my word for it...
Actually it depends on your definition of "last". Every manufacturer that I have researched and manufacturers recommend DOT4 be changed every two years and DOT3 every three years. Its written on the bottle.Dot 3 is good for 10 years or 150K, the hoses have nothing to do with the fluid and are just a service item. BTW there are no SS hoses.
If cracks are appearing then would not be a bad time to replace!
Brake fluid is hygroscopic and it is absorbing water throughout its life. The water travels to the lowest point in the system which is at the brake calipers and collects there. This causes two fundamental issues. First it is acting as a corrosive agent that over time- and depending on where you live and the local humidity - will damage that key component of the brake system. Second, this water is at the worst place in the brake system because it will boil early and often and result in brake fade.
Another consideration is if you let the fluid absorb too much water, that water is also filling up your clutch slave cylinder. With water.
Also check the second video for copper testing and destruction of your lines. Stay to the end of the second video and see how the contaminated fluid eats the seals in the ABS. Its fine until it isnt.
So we recommend that the owner be informed. We change fluid every three years. The last fluid change I paid for in y truck was $60. I do it on the kappas for the price of the fluid which is very cheap.
(42) Brake Fluid Flush 101: How, When, & Why! - YouTube
(42) Why Change Brake Fluid? - YouTube
Rob makes good points, but the replacement interval on the bottle is put there by the maker. It's kind of like "rinse and repeat" on the shampoo bottle. Do you really need to shampoo your hair twice or do they just want you to buy twice as much shampoo?
That being said, I admit that I've not studied any at all about the life span of brake fluid. Right or wrong, the only time I've replaced it is after doing work on a line for what ever reason.
That being said, I admit that I've not studied any at all about the life span of brake fluid. Right or wrong, the only time I've replaced it is after doing work on a line for what ever reason.
Found this video describing test strips helpsul. Ordered for NASSAM manitenance class
(47) Coolant & Brake Fluid Testing Phoenix Systems Test Strip Review - YouTube
(47) Coolant & Brake Fluid Testing Phoenix Systems Test Strip Review - YouTube
Where can I find SS lines kit for the Solstice?
I ordered all the test tools. That is really the "right" way to determine when it needs to be replaced. But in my opinion ten years in a humid climate is risky. Will bring to NASSAM and collect more data. Stay tuned.
And CW does your wife do like mine and check the date on all the food in the kitchen?
And CW does your wife do like mine and check the date on all the food in the kitchen?
I got mine on Amazon
Amazon.com: StopTech (950.62505) Brake Line Kit, Stainless Steel : Automotive
But there are any number of places that will sell them to you.
RTE
Amazon.com: StopTech (950.62505) Brake Line Kit, Stainless Steel : Automotive
But there are any number of places that will sell them to you.
RTE
That one is the rear. This is for the front
Amazon.com: StopTech (950.62006) Brake Line Kit, Stainless Steel : Automotive
Amazon.com: StopTech (950.62006) Brake Line Kit, Stainless Steel : Automotive
I've heard that some of the aftermarket SS lines will rupture, so I've since removed them from my list of mods. How long have you had yours on and what kind of driving do you typically do? I'm going to be putting new calipers on in a week or so, so now would be the best time to order some.
I plan on autocrossing a bit this year and hopefully a couple trips to the drag strip.
I plan on autocrossing a bit this year and hopefully a couple trips to the drag strip.
LOL “heard”?
I’ve used them on several cars for years.
PunisheR is over 500 hp so the brakes see use
I’ve used them on several cars for years.
PunisheR is over 500 hp so the brakes see use
Thank you, I'll check them out then.
Yeah, just read posts from people saying they split apart.
For years I never read anything bad until just this past year when I got the Sky. But I was always under the impression that they were so much better, so it was confusing to read.
Yeah, just read posts from people saying they split apart.
For years I never read anything bad until just this past year when I got the Sky. But I was always under the impression that they were so much better, so it was confusing to read.
That is not correct.The outer covering on Aeroquip lines is woven stainless steel and the inner liner is PTFE - Teflon.Internals are still rubber, where it meets the fluid, outer covering is nothing but show and does not contribute to longer life!
I have always made up my own lined for my race cars and they last pretty much forever, barring mechanical issues - I had one line where the steel braiding must have hit a stone or some such and it broke one or two of the steel strands of the outer sheath, which resulted in a pinhole through the inner plastic layer. Fortunately I discovered this right before my race. Unfortunately I needed the race credits so I disconnected the line (it was a rear on a live axle car) and stuck spare bleed nipple in the union and went out and raced without rear brakes.
Interestingly, there was only about a second per lap difference in average lap time and that may have been a result of me knowing that I was running without rear brakes.
I thought the same for a while but the stainless ones are almost always a PTFE liner now. Maybe someone still makes a really cheap sheathed rubber version just for bling.
The stainless weave itself offers all the additional stiffness of one of those paper Chinese finger trap toys, which is to say, not much. The rubber ones are typically reinforced with kevlar and under normal conditions 99% of the extra "stiffness" that people claim SS offers comes from the fact that you were forced to put in new fluid and bleed during the install.
And if you want to get real racy - all the big boys use hose with an additional PVC layer over the stainless these days. So much for the bling.
The stainless weave itself offers all the additional stiffness of one of those paper Chinese finger trap toys, which is to say, not much. The rubber ones are typically reinforced with kevlar and under normal conditions 99% of the extra "stiffness" that people claim SS offers comes from the fact that you were forced to put in new fluid and bleed during the install.
And if you want to get real racy - all the big boys use hose with an additional PVC layer over the stainless these days. So much for the bling.
I understand it is difficult to drive brave when you don't have faith in your brakes!That is not correct.The outer covering on Aeroquip lines is woven stainless steel and the inner liner is PTFE - Teflon.
I have always made up my own lined for my race cars and they last pretty much forever, barring mechanical issues - I had one line where the steel braiding must have hit a stone or some such and it broke one or two of the steel strands of the outer sheath, which resulted in a pinhole through the inner plastic layer. Fortunately I discovered this right before my race. Unfortunately I needed the race credits so I disconnected the line (it was a rear on a live axle car) and stuck spare bleed nipple in the union and went out and raced without rear brakes.
Interestingly, there was only about a second per lap difference in average lap time and that may have been a result of me knowing that I was running without rear brakes.
Just my opinion, but I agree with Rob in changing the DOT3 brake fluid every 3-5 years. I have been doing it for 30 years on all our cars, and we stopped having frozen wheel cylinders, that was always an issue on my cars once they reached 6 or so years old. I consider it cheap insurance.
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