my truck is in the shop to be inspected and he told me that the lines are shot. it is a 97 f150 4x4 with the extended cab and longbed. he told me i could buy a prebent set or he could bent them. he said he would stay away from the ford oem because he fixes at least one truck a month and the newer lines are junk. is there any place maybe to get these in stainless? thanks, matt

 

I'd suspect that mechanic has a boat payment due and is expecting you to make it for him.

He'd need to be a lot more specific about the fault and the mandated inspection criteria before I'd believe him.

Steve

 

he changed my heater core out for 100 dollars including the core. and his rule is if you don't believe it come on over and i will show you.

 

www.inlinetube.com

they don't show your specific application, but if you send them your old lines they can duplicate them in stainless. Get ready to drop some cash!

 

I would agree that Ford lines have been junk since the early 1990's.

I recently had to replace mine, and I did so with standard NAPA stock. However, for my rear ABS unit I had to buy a conversion threaded male-end (not available at my NAPA at the time), and a flaring tool, to have the 3/16" line fit the ABS unit's next-larger-line-up female threaded hole.

I routed the lines pretty much the same way they were - but not exactly (for example, where the rear line passes over the frame rail to go under the bed). Brake line routing, during repairs and rebuilds, isn't an exact science, so don't make it out to be more of a job than it is.

Buy a few more lengths than what you think you'll need, use what you do need, toss out any ruined line if it does happen, and return the rest (clean & undamaged) to the parts store.

 

My lines blew out on me. Lucky I was in a parking lot at the time with no traffic. I had to fab my own out of stock lenths from parts store. Just connected together and cut to lenth then used a double flare tool to put on old original flair nut that went to the back section that I could not find in any parts store. Ford dealership did not even have one in stock. Had to bend in coil shape up front near master cylinder.

 

Yeah, that Ford designed the damned thing with an odd sized flare nut, but then doesn't stock it, was just another nail in the coffin for Ford with me... but I digress...

I did not re-create the coil. My gut instinct tells me it is only there to give the assembly-line guys some slack to play with to connect the nut without fighting the tension of a brake line system that doesn't exactly meet to master cylinder. We all know what happens to a master cylinder when the brake line isn't allowing the nut to hit just right.

If the coil was in place for cooling the lines, it would be on the front lines where 75 % to 90% of the stopping power exists.

Thoughts, flames?

Best,

GD