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Rusted brake lines

halo15

Elite Explorer
Joined
June 9, 2006
Messages
69
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15
City, State
PA
Year, Model & Trim Level
1999 mountain 5.0
1999 mountaineer AWD 5.0 with rusted brake lines. Trying to avoid bending my own and noticed Inline Tube has sets of pre bent stainless in stock.

1-Anyone here ever use them?

2-They are listed to fit 1999 Ford Explorers. Will these cross over in fitment for my Mountaineer?

Thanks
 



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Yes if listed for '99 Explorer it should fit '99 Mountaineer.

This is just one opinion but pre-bent lines are a pain to install, more work than bending your own as you string it, because you have to remove so much off the vehicle to put them on and may still end up bending and unbending to get there, and that bending is harder to do with stainless. I'd only consider them for a frame-off restoration.

I should clarify, that the line over the rear axle would be easy with pre-bent stainless, the line from front to rear left "might" not be too bad once you have the tank guard crossmember off, not sure about getting it through the engine bay if you don't have the vehicle fairly highly lifted off the ground, but then the front wheels are going to be the challenge, especially the right passenger side.

I have not used them on an Explorer, but I've done a few runs with CuNi aka NiCopp tubing. It's really easy to bend by hand, just make sure you use some form (if not a made for purpose, tubing bending tool) if trying to do a tight radius bend. By form I just mean something round like a floor jack handle, piece of pipe, baseball bat, etc., and try to avoid the cheapest generic tubing that has wall thickness less than 0.028", which is also harder to flare without buckling in on itself.

You don't try to recreate the entire shape of the run before installation, just sort of string it and bend as you go since it's easy to bend. When it takes an *interesting* path (like ABS module to the right front wheel), I find it easier to estimate the length with just a little to spare, by taking some 12ga solid core household wire and roughly stringing it along the same path to get a length approximation, then cut the line a foot longer than that (including an extra ~2ft for 3x approx 2.5" diameter coils near the ABS for strain relief instead of flex pipe), or if you're meticulous about doing it, can cut the line just a few inches longer then have already flared the other end. Do put a cap or masking tape over the end so it doesn't pick up rust/debris as it's strung along.
 






Yes if listed for '99 Explorer it should fit '99 Mountaineer.

This is just one opinion but pre-bent lines are a pain to install, more work than bending your own as you string it, because you have to remove so much off the vehicle to put them on and may still end up bending and unbending to get there, and that bending is harder to do with stainless. I'd only consider them for a frame-off restoration.

I have not used them on an Explorer, but I've done a few runs with CuNi aka NiCopp tubing. It's really easy to bend by hand, just make sure you use some form (if not a made for purpose, tubing bending tool) if trying to do a tight radius bend. By form I just mean something round like a floor jack handle, piece of pipe, baseball bat, etc., and try to avoid the cheapest generic tubing that has wall thickness less than 0.028", which is also harder to flare without buckling in on itself.

You don't try to recreate the entire shape of the run before installation, just sort of string it and bend as you go since it's easy to bend. When it takes an *interesting* path (like ABS module to the right front wheel), I find it easier to estimate the length with just a little to spare, by taking some 12ga solid core household wire and roughly stringing it along the same path to get a length approximation, then cut the line a foot longer than that (including an extra ~2ft for 3x approx 2.5" diameter coils near the ABS for strain relief instead of flex pipe), or if you're meticulous about doing it, can cut the line just a few inches longer then have already flared the other end. Do put a cap or masking tape over the end so it doesn't pick up rust/debris as it's strung along.
I agree with you JC.
I used NiCopp tubing. I pre bent all the brake lines first. I used copper coat hangers to get the shape. Than bend up all the tubing. When I had all the tubing bent, I replaced it.
I also replaced all rubber flex hose. Its just may it easy to remove the old lines.
I did have trouble getting the lines in front of engine. I had too splice it under the engine for the pass side front wheel.
Also you will need 8 inch long flex brake line at the ABS unit. I purchase that from ( I think) classic tube or in line.
Stainless steel tube does not bent. I replaced my fuel vapor line 1/2 stn stl and I needed large size pipe bender to bend it.
It took some time, too bend it all up.
And the same amount of time too install.
Did the fronts first. Than the rear lines.
Remove the old rear lines from the frame, when replacing them and check the fuel vapor line.
 






^ Putting the 3x ~2.5" coils in the line replaces the flex brake line segment, especially with CuNi which bends more before fatigue. It doesn't look as tidy. I don't care. ;)
 






Bending your own isn’t hard at all with the right tools. I installed the pre-bent Motorcraft fronts in my 5.0 a few years ago. With the front end kinda disassembled it wasn’t bad…although they weren’t fully pre bent, in order to aid in installation…you still had to make 2 or so bends.

I made a replacement rear axle brake line last year, out of a piece of straight tube. Used a pair of those pliers that allow you to bend brake line…and they honestly worked way better than I expected. It came out looking factory

A piece of advice though….tape your fittings to the flared ends. I fabbed up a gorgeous line just to realize my fittings were stuck between bends and had to start over lol
 






Guess I’ll be bending the lines. Vehicle will be out of commission for the next month as I start going through everything. Had to do this once before on my Jeep TJ using classic tube pre bent and it was a bear getting everything in. Having a mid rise maxjax took some of the pain away. A lot of parts places say they don’t carry anything for the mountaineer. Didn’t realize they were so interchangeable with the explorer. Thank you all for the info!
 






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