I replaced my front brake hoses almost ten years ago, I believe I got the new ones at NAPA or DC. At any rate, after I replaced the springs about 4 years ago, I was jacking up the truck by the frame and realized just in time that the front hoses were stretched tight as a drum and the tire wasn't even off the ground yet! Usually the shocks will top out before the brake hose, or even before the spring is completely slack, but the Gabriels I have seem to differ from original specs -- less upward travel, more downward travel. Needless to say, it bothers me because there doesn't seem to be enough hose to accomodate the wheel dropping down in a pothole when turning.

I measured the length of mine and they are right at 14", measuring from the end of the fittings at each end. Do any of you have access to the front end where you could measure the lengths of yours? The Parts CD gives the lengths of these at 15-1/2" and implies that the left and right front are different (the picture book shows 2079 for the LF, 2282 or 2078 for the RF -- 2078 is the rear hose, and 2282 -- well, see below). The picture is with the steering to full lock, normal height. Nothing left, I'd say... I'd prefer the hose was another 3" longer.

 

I just measured the 2 that came off my 50. Both of them are 15 1/2".

 

Thanks Doc! Just to be clear, are you measuring from the flat bases of the fittings (where the threads end)?

 

Yes. I have one left over that I bought from DC a long time ago. I will try to dig it out and measure it too. Somebody else needs to double check me. I was looking at mine. I would estimate there's 2 inches of slack in them.

 

The illustration sections of Ford parts catalog are designed so partsguys can look at the pics, get the Ford basic part numbers.

Some of the illustrations were drawn years before the fact, some include more than one truck series, models thereof.

DC lists this hose as 8M-2079 / I have O-S-I (Obsolete-Supercede-Interchange) Catalogs, so I was able to find out that:

8M-2079 was replaced years ago by A8TZ-2078-A which in turn, was replaced by AJ-2282-C

So, all this replacement jazz means is...that all these part numbers I've listed including 8M-2079 were Service Part Replacements for the original hose.

8M-2079 would not have been the original brake hose part number, because: 8M = 1949 Mercury Passenger Car part number prefix!

 

Thanks Bill! I guess that makes sense...

 

Thats somthing that ive never thought about but should have when i replaced them, specialy with people lowering and stuff, i can see where it could easily be overlooked. Thanks for sharing.