Braided Brake Hose
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,930
Likes: 15
From: Calgary Alberta
Braided Brake Hose
My offset trailing arms have the hex stamped next to the parking brake bracket - this is where the flex brake lines go. I have new stainless steel brake lines. I removed the powdercoating from the hex using a small flat file. I, being the retard that I am, assumed that the portion of the flex hose which looks like a nut was supposed to fit inside the hex on the trailing arm - thus acting as a wrench. I was afraid of ruining the hole on the arm, so I filed down the flats on the flex hose until it fit in half way. But then I realized that the clip that gets put through the groove is supposed to hold the line tight. So, apparently the flex hose is not supposed to fit inside the trailing arm hole, and by filing the sides down on the braided line, it will no longer clamp the hose tightly. The clip just goes through the groove and the line wiggles...the flex hose is probably crap now. Is the hex supposed to fit inside the stamped portion of the trailing arm...or did I just cost myself a new braided brake line?
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
If I understand what you're saying, the hex goes against the stamped flange, with the notched round portion sticking through. Then the clip goes through the notch to hold it in place. The hex is there so you can tighten the flex line to the hard line.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,930
Likes: 15
From: Calgary Alberta
That's what I thought, but whats the point of the clip if I can push the brake line through the hole? What I am trying to say is, I cannot pull the brake line out of the hole because the clip prevents it from pulling out, but you can push the brake line out of the hole because nothing is retaining it on the other side (the hex just sits in the stamped hole). I'll have to get pictures tonight...its really hard to explain without any pics. Does that make sense?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 895
Likes: 4
From: whitman massachusetts
Clips
You use the clip supplied with brake line in conjunction with the "horseshoe" type clip that you are to supply on the other side of the bracket. It pushes on and uses tension to tighten up the line junction.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
That's what I thought, but whats the point of the clip if I can push the brake line through the hole? What I am trying to say is, I cannot pull the brake line out of the hole because the clip prevents it from pulling out, but you can push the brake line out of the hole because nothing is retaining it on the other side (the hex just sits in the stamped hole). I'll have to get pictures tonight...its really hard to explain without any pics. Does that make sense?
-B
-RCH
HALL
ECII
XKPN
-EPE
-T
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
I see what you're getting at now. The hexes look a bit small on those brake lines - I'll try to get a picture of mine for illustration.
I've never seen one with two clips - on every brake line I've seen (and this goes for just about any car I've ever worked on) has the hex portion retained against one side of the bracket and the clip holding it in on the other.
I've never seen one with two clips - on every brake line I've seen (and this goes for just about any car I've ever worked on) has the hex portion retained against one side of the bracket and the clip holding it in on the other.
Last edited by I'm Batman; Jan 23, 2008 at 07:59 PM.
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Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
The smooth round portion above the hex should pretty much fill the hole. I'm not sure if the brackets in the T/As or the brake lines are wrong, but if the hex part is falling through, something is not right.
Here's a fuzzy picture of an installed brake line for reference.
I have an original 77 trailing arm core in my garage. I'll check the hole size tonight for comparison.
Here's a fuzzy picture of an installed brake line for reference.
I have an original 77 trailing arm core in my garage. I'll check the hole size tonight for comparison.
Last edited by I'm Batman; Jan 23, 2008 at 08:21 PM.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,930
Likes: 15
From: Calgary Alberta
Well, I assumed that the hex was supposed to fit in the stamped hole, So I filed the flats on one of the brake lines so it would fit in. I didn't file the trailing arm hole - I was afraid of messing that up, so I opted to just file the brake line ti fit. It originally didn't fit in the hex, and all I had to do was put the retainer clip on the outside and it was nice and tight. The problem with doing it this way though is that becase the hex is not in the stamped portion, it does not act as a "wrench". Why would the trailing arm holes be stamped for a hex if the line isn't supposed to fit through it...and only the round portion goes in it?
