My 1999 F-250 Superduty (rear wheel ABS, 4x4, diesel engine), had brake hard line rupture this week. Truck and driver were stopped safely, but I now need a replacement.

It is the hardline that runs along the frame rail from the rear axle to the union that connects to the ABS module. I have been looking for a replacement unit and can’t seem to find one, my local ford dealer says they have been obsoleted

Does anyone have a source for this part?

My google searches have come up blank. While I would prefer an OEM part, but if there is a high quality aftermarket part that fits as well as the OEM unit I am open to that as well.

These are the part numbers given to me by the Ford Parts guy. He told me this is sold as the “fuel line bundle” which includes the brake line.

Diesel:
-F812 9S278 G (Superseded)
-F812 9S278 GJ


Gas (which might have the same brake line as the diesel in the kit):
-F812 9S278 E

Thanks!

 

you can NOT get factory lines..

you buy them at an auto parts store.. measure the length and type of fitting and go to the store and buy them, remove the fittings on the truck and take them with you.

bend to fit. that is how its done in the repair industry .

 

Call Horizon Ford in Tukwila. Obsolete does not mean not available. Some parts counter guys wont know where to look.

 

If yours failed because it rusted through it's a good bet they all need to be replaced. I just replaced all the hard lines in my '97 F250 HD for that very reason, and it really wasn't that bad of a job. I got a 35' or so coil of the line, a bunch of fittings and a double flaring tool and it worked out pretty well, though I had to watch some youtube videos to figure out how to actually use the flaring tool. Chuck is correct in that you can get different lengths of line that is flared and has fittings at the parts store, they just didn't seem to have the right combos for all the lines on mine. BTW, there are two different sizes of fittings used throughout the (well my) truck.

Oh, and I taped a string to the end of that long one when I pulled it out to help me pull the new one back through - worked out to be relatively easy.

 

Obsolete, no Ford dealer or obsolete parts vendor has any.

 

just 2 different types.??.. I have done cars with 5 different types on 1 car.

there are adaptors from one to another. and about 40 types of adaptors.

I have been doing this for 46 years.

(US), Metric, flair, bubble.. inverted flair, double flair, and on and on and on...

 

The only time you are going to get a Ford production hard brake line is while the platform is being made on the assembly line without any production changes unless it is a very special type like the factory braided lines by the master cylinder, and of course flexible rubber lines. For the '99, that would have been 2004.

Even with that, the guys at the dealership probably would have fabricated new line from bulk tube unless it was under factory warranty.

So the deal is cobble up sections of brake line with take up bends from store stock or learn to flare bulk tube. There is one other source however, and that is Classic Tube who can prebend up lines following the factory design. They also sell a full stainless steel kit so you never have to worry about rust through again, but it's not cheap. Neither is the standard tube kit.

You would need to enter you trucks configuration to select the kit. You could call them to see if you could get the single tube.

http://www.classictube.com/catalogse...e%20Line%20Kit

The one issue with a '99 is if the driver's side rear axle caliper is in front of the axle or has the change to the rear of the axle like the rest of the production series.

 

Why was that change made?

 

I have made many over the years (used to work in hot rod shop), and have all the tools to do it, but these days I have more money than time and was hoping for a drop in solution.

Thanks! I will try that.

Yes, rust does look like it was the culprite. Surprisingly enough the rest of the lines look good. It even looks like only a section of this line is rusty, rest is fine. I am thinking what happened is leaves, snow, ice, salt, would build up in this one location (right behind the fuel tank) and that's what did it in.

Thanks, do you (or anyone else) have any experience with this company and product? There are lots of aftermarket parts that claim to be "bolt and go" but are more hassle than just making them yourself. If it's truly drop in this is the direction I will most likely take.

Because "early 99" if I had to bet

 

I had to replace that line on my 01 last month. Line ruptured in the parking lot at work so I got a ride home on a AAA flatbed.

I picked up a 25' spool of the nickel-steel tubing (5/16") from a local Car Quest, about $65 and a tubing flaring kit from Oreilly's ($25) and a couple of new nuts.

Pulled the old tube out from the front to rear (noticed that the line was almost rusted through at every retaining clip). Put it on the tailgate and in the truck bed and bent a new one that matched (as closely as possible) and installed the nuts, then did the double flares. Fished it back in from the rear, clipped it back into the holders, reconnected everything, and then bled the system. Took me about three hours from start to finish since I'd not done that repair before. I could easily do it in half the time if I had a lift (I was on my back in the driveway).

 

Initially they were trying to do the same cost savings implementation as was done on the Crown Vic. One caliper for the rear axle, save on tooling, save on inventory.

However, both commercial service warranty complaints and off road testing in AZ showed that with the forward facing caliper, even with a shield, small stones or gravel would get caught in the areas between the caliper, pads and brackets thrown off the front tire causing issues. So an engineering change was made to return to the conventional design of both calipers on the same side of the axle.

In the aftermarket, this has led to confusion in retail stores and cataloging, and when things go wrong the incorrect caliper in installed on the driver's side, either way. Since the brake hose entry is in the center of the caliper it's real easy to misinstall the wrong caliper and have the bleeder screw facing downward, never getting all the air out during bleeding.

So the installer either needs to acquire the correct caliper or do the alternative of using a piece of wood to take the place of the rotor and pads, then while having the caliper loose flip it so the bleeder is up top during the bleeding procedure. Not an elegant way.

Almost as bad was the plan with the '05 plus redesign of the brakes when going from Akebono to TRW to have a different pad design depending on the weight class, in case there would be different friction material choices due to weight. There wasn't for the '99 to '04s. Then later in production deciding since all the friction material was still the same, switch over to only one design. So once again we have different parts depending on model year.

 

Yes, I have used their brake lines when restoring '66 GT-350s and 65-66 Mustangs and those lines were perfect.

 

That is the typical failure mode. The factory hard line coating from Bundy Tube is actually quite good, better then most aftermarket versions. But the vibration of the line in the clips wears the coating away, and the area between the tank and the frame rail is a high humidity location without much airflow. Most of the other exposed hard line have double or triple the life span.

During my entire career in brakes I promoted using stainless lines as a safety concern, to no avail to either factory engineers or NHTSA staff. Just not enough of critical accidents from rusted through lines, plus it never happens during the warranty periods. From assembly line production it would only be a few dollars, and at Sticker Price maybe $25. I would rather pay the initial $25 rather then to ever worry about the brake lines, but non-rust belt trucks are usually fine. I had even promoted using it on snow plow optioned trucks, but that assembly line inventory change would have increased that price by multiples.

 

bumping old thread......

trying to find hard lines for my 04 F250 Crew Cab Long Bed. called Classic Tube. apparently they can easily make the line for super cabs, but don't have the specs for crew cabs.. argh. said they could make one up, but would need the measurements.

so i got under my truck and measured the "finished" length of the long rear line. 128in.
the super cab version is 104in according to the guy at Classic.

so....where in the line is the extra length? between which of the bends?

and what size is the line (diameter) nuts size on the ends?

as with OP, i have made a bunch of brake lines for before, but hoping that is plan B...

interesting that the long rear line is the only uncoated line in the system. all the rest of the lines are completely encapsulated in a black covering and look fine.

thanks!

Marshall

 

Doesn't Dorman make stainless kits now..?