Brake Line Flex Connector Leak

[Trainmaster]

The 2010 Explorers have four brake lines reaching from the body to the frame and connecting to the anti-lock brake pump. To aid Ford in assembling the body to the frame, each of these lines have a short braided stainless flex connector in them. Yesterday, one of mine blew out. The stainless braid separated and the rubber hose under it blew a bubble which popped and sprayed brake fluid.

The other three look like they will eventually do the same.

The repair of course was replacing the line. Ford no longer offers any of these parts, so I bent one, double flaired a stump of the remaining line and installed the new 3/16" line. It has metric fittings.

Now I see that Inline Tube offers a set of stainless lines to replace these, with a two-week delay for them to make them. Has anyone had the same problem? Has anyone installed replacements? On other cars I've worked on, replacing the longer lines required extensive work to get them into place, like removing the radiator, etc.

Since the remaining braided brake line inserts are certainly going to fail in the future, this looks like an inevitable repair if I choose to keep the truck. What do you think?

 

[J_C]

I'd do the rest just like you did that one, using more flexible copper nickel line, but I would put 2 or 3 ~2" loops in it for strain relief. Strain relief is why the flex line segments are there, more so than ease in assembly.

 

[Trainmaster]

I'd do the rest just like you did that one, using more flexible copper nickle line, but I would put 2 or 3 ~2" loops in it for strain relief. Strain relief is why the flex line segments are there, more so than ease in assembly.

The problem is that it's impossible to get in there to make the flares. And no room for vibration coils. Have you seen this space?

 

[J_C]

I thought you were showing me a picture of the space?

If necessary, I'd not just replace the flexible segment but instead, from where you see the line in the pic, all the way up to the ABS module, or is the line more convoluted in path than just straight up to the ABS module?

If space is tight to get a flaring tool on, try something like an Eastwood on-vehicle flaring tool, or one of the other brand clones of it which are less expensive.

Eastwood On Car Brake Line Flaring Tool for 3/16 Tubing

Eastwood On Car Flaring Tool for 3/16 Tubing

www.eastwood.com