Stainless brake hoses routing - a cautionary tale

Hi all,

Having just cheated the grim reaper of a victim, I thought I would share a quick post to describe the issue which brought me a little too close to being sent home in a jiffy bag.

Today I had a front brake hose fail in quite a big way, and the nett result was a lot of buttock clenching, dropping through the box fighting for engine braking, and feathering the handbrake... There really wasn't a lot of distance between me and the back of a very solid looking lorry when I eventually stopped.... Probably 8" or so.

Like many of us, I have swapped out the original rubber brake hoses for nice stainless braided ones. And to be fair, the improvement in braking in the past may well have been a factor in my still being here today..... but are also the reason for todays incident.

As several people have commented previously, when you replace the front brake hoses on an MGF, for stainless braided ones, therevis the issue of how to route them as they don't have exactly the same shape profile as the original hoses, and the p-clip fitting kit that many come with put part of the hose in between the suspension arm and the rubber bump stop.

And yes, that's what caught me out today. The hose has obviously taken several pinches between the arm and the stop over time, and let go today big style under hard braking.

Now admittedly my stainless hoses have been on for a decade, and I do have things like lowering knuckles, sports shocks and poly bushes which make for a massively firm and low ride. But I think that many of us can think of a time when the clunk of the suspension arm hitting the bump stop tells you that the speed hump was bigger than you expected.

I had the wheels off just 10 days back and didn't spot a problem.

The chances are that most people are not driving much right now, so while the weather is nice and we are at home, pop the wheels off and have a really really good look at your stainless hoses!



Ttfn

Glad to hear you and the car are still alive and ok.
I fitted my braided hoses about 4 years ago, and my brakes get stripped and cleaned every year and major clean and repaint every 3 years, and I always check and clean the hoses when doing the brakes, usually before the MOT.
The routing of the hoses is vital and as you say, the braided ones tend to follow their own path to the caliper!
I fitted new front calipers today and it took me a couple of attempts to get the hose sitting in a way I was happy with.
I will double check them when I can move the steering better, and also nip the banjos up a bit more after bleeding.

Keep your brakes tip top !

Sundance

So how did you clean the upholstery? :omg: :oops:

Yes, pressing the pedal and finding that it just keeps going and going and going with no braking force being applied..... Is one of nature's better laxatives!

Yeah I suspect your bumhole would've been pouting out so far you could've cut washers from it! :bust:

Oh my, you were lucky.

I thought the same when I installed the SS hoses, how to route the same as the original. I made a small bracket to hold the P-clip and the bracket is held in place by the shock's lower bolt.

Yes that looks like a good idea.

Still waiting on delivery of the hoses, so will have time to experiment a little with brackets

I did exactly the same as mowog did.
They should be guided i.m.o !!!


Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G950F met Tapatalk

Arghhh!!!

Goodrich hoses have arrived, but the really awkward to get at drivers side union is totally rounded off and I can't split the damaged hose off it.

Its the really short pipe off the ABS modulator, and it looks as though its been cut down previously, so there really isnt a lot of scope for cutting it off and re-flaring the end with a new union.

Ive looked on Rimmers and there doesn't seem to be an option to buy just that pipe only the full replacement kit, and nobody on ebay seems to have any.

I really don't want to have to buy 12' of copper pipe, a pack of two sizes of unions and a new flaring kit (I lent mine out and its not come back!) if I can help it.

Any thoughts??

Give Daz Hardy a call at MGFnTFBITZ, get him to send you a decent used one over..They are still trading by post during lockdown. I had a replacement brake servo of them last week, arrived next day!

Sundance

Yep thats my next step I think. Ive checked and the union at the ABS end undoes ok, so if I can get one in good condition it should solve the issue.

Mind you, Ive just found 25' of copper pipe, 10x unions, a brake flaring tool and a litre of brake fluid for £33 on ebay... Ive not tried undoing the passenger side yet either - might be better to bite the bullet and be ready to replace

I had the same problem with the rear ones back in 2010 when I did those and ended up buying a flaring kit.... I wish I had put stainless union bolts on all round when I did them!