Right Front Brake Hydraulic Hose Failure

[fymbscu]

Had an unexpected brake hose failure on my 99 Explorer as I pulled into a parking lot this afternoon. The brake light did not light up on the dash and I pulled into a parking space to find that my brake pedal went all the way to the floor. The reservoir wasn't down all that much, but brake fluid had been sprayed all around the right front wheel and that hose was visibly leaking. Was able to wrap the hose in duct tape and add brake fluid to the reservoir and nurse the Explorer home. Had the brake fluid on board because this is not the first brake hose leak I've had. Here's the history:

8/25/15 BENDIX 78792 Front Left Brake Hose
11/20/16 ACDELCO 18J1442 Front Right Brake Hose
8/9/18 Wagner BH134795 Front Left Brake Hose
2/22/19 RAYBESTOS BH381157 Front Right Brake Hose—Too Short

Now, I haven't posted about this topic before but certainly did search the forums previously. Seem to remember a discussion about the hoses on the right side being generally shorter and someone even substituted hoses from a larger vehicle to address the issue, but I was not able to find that topic again today. In my case, the hose that is leaking now, was definitely shorter than the one it replaced at the time of installation, and I even had to change out the bracket in order to make it work. No doubt, the fact that it was shorter than expected contributed to my problem today.

I no longer have the original Motorcraft hoses that were replaced, but I still have the Bendix and ACDelco hoses on hand, the Wagner and Raybestos being installed on the vehicle. Upon further inspection, all of them utilize Sunsong rubber hose. Does that mean that Sunsong is the actual manufacturer for all of these brands? Seems like I've averaged about 3 years to failure for brake hoses.

My greater concerns are that this time the leak has not been accompanied by the brake light indicator on the dash and that the brake pedal gets spongier much quicker and more dramatically than the previous leak episodes. I dare say I even nursed the first failure for weeks, adding brake fluid as necessary, until I finally replaced that hose. This time, the failure seems much more catastrophic as I had to really watch my speed and distance just to get home safely.

Any additional insight greatly appreciated.

 

[Rick]

Sunsong would probably be the hose manufacturer. Other companies may have bought their hose, attached the ends and called it their own... Or they are all the same Chinese parts with different names. LOL

 

[J_C]

How rapidly it degrades is a function of how big the leak is. The brake warning light, AFAIK, only triggers from a leak once the fluid level gets too low so your catching it right away is why it didn't come on... but just for piece of mind, you could siphon more fluid out of the reservoir to make sure the fluid level sensor and dash light still work. I would not operate the brakes, just ignition on should have the brake warning light come on. Also when you turn the key initially, dash should light the warning light (among others) momentarily as a visual check that the bulb works.

Is the hose failing or the metal rusting out? Are you supporting the calipers when brake pads are changed (or other work requiring caliper removal) or letting the caliper hang from the hose and strain it?

 

[96eb96]

Sunsong would probably be the hose manufacturer. Other companies may have bought their hose, attached the ends and called it their own... Or they are all the same Chinese parts with different names. LOL

I have all replacement brake hoses from Sunsong going on over a decade. OEM quality for sure. They make the rubber for many brands. I replaced on other cars and saw that brand too.