Removing Front Brake Hoses

[Odoyle]

I'm trying to replace my old front brake hoses and can't figure out how to remove them. Any tips?


Do I clamp the brake line behind the brass fitting?

This is the new hose

[spectorbob]

Put a wrench on the flex line and hold it while you put a line wrench on the hard (rusty) line and remove that fitting. After removing that, the flex line is retained by the metal clip. A line wrench has a little different design than a regular wrench, because they are easy to round off.

[4uall]

this might help

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... &sk=t&sd=a

[spider2081]

Being you are replacing the rubber lines I would cut them close to the metal fitting. Then a deep socket will will fit over and capture the remaining fitting.
Lots of PB Blaster or what ever penetrating oil you have. Once the rubber line is cut and the fluid is vented it is fairly safe to heat with propane torch if needed. The flare nut wrenches are a must. Work the nut back and forth so the metal brake line does not twist.

Photo of Vise Grip nut pliers. This is a special tool not easily found. Comes in 3 sizes you need the smallest size if the line nut is rounded or messed up.
https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/ ... r2=piv-web

[wizard124]

My experience with flare nut wrenches is they still want to round off. Maybe if I had top quality tools like Snap-On or Mac my experience might be different.

If you have room to work, try using a big set of Vice Grips clamped down over flare nut wrench to prevent it from flexing open as you apply torque.

[njoconnor]

[quote="spider2081"]Being you are replacing the rubber lines I would cut them close to the metal fitting. Then a deep socket will will fit over and capture the remaining fitting.
Lots of PB Blaster or what ever penetrating oil you have. Once the rubber line is cut and the fluid is vented it is fairly safe to heat with propane torch if needed. The flare nut wrenches are a must. Work the nut back and forth so the metal brake line does not twist.

Photo of Vise Grip nut pliers. This is a special tool not easily found. Comes in 3 sizes you need the smallest size if the line nut is rounded or messed up. end quote]

I found the two smallest sizes at Wal-Mart's online store. SHip to store had them in my habds in about 4 days. I think I spent less than 40 on both. Needed them for one of my brake llines, and both in a few other spots on the car.

Use LOTS of PB Blaster. Knock on them with the side of a wrench. I have Craftsman flare wrenches, and they worked the best of all the tools. Patience helps as well.

Neil

[124JOE]

yes I would cut the rubber hose and remove the clip. pull the line out of the bracket and
grab both the brass end with vice grips and the steel line with vice grips
holding the steel line firm unscrew the brass end

then screw the new hose on tight and replace the clip

[DieselSpider]

I have a set of KD Flair Nut wrenches and they are too springy due to being designed to get into tight spaces. Sometimes when there is enough room I put a pair of ViseGrips over them the prevent that. Other times I just use the smallest Wedge Jaw Vice Grip that I have and forget about the Flair Nut wrench. It all depends on how bad things already look to me. Thankfully I live in the South far away from road salt so generally things are not that bad unless the vehicle is used to launch boats in salt water.

[Ptoneill]

Worse case...cut the steel line directly above the brake line fitting, pull the hard line take it to any brake shop have a new fitting placed on it and have it reflaired...there is plenty of length in the front lines to make up for the 1/2 inch cut. Then just remove the old line from the caliper and reinstall.