My rear brake line broke on my L99 SRW today. The metal one that is in between the fuel tank and the frame. Guess I'll be doing that hutch mod now.
I've got a few possibly stupid questions, but I'm exhausted and have been on the ill side this week.

Stupid question 1: Is there a possible temporary fix that will keep my truck in commission while I get a custom SS line bent up?

I think I read that the line can come in 2 different sizes. If I put a caliper on the line and measure it, will it be the right size? I read that some are coated to make them seem like 1/4" lines but are actually only 3/16" ??

If I just get the steel line from napa. Can I wrap that in hockey tape to keep the protective coating from scratching and starting the rust process all over?

Does any one know what size line I should buy for the repair?

Any and all comments or words of wisdom would really be appreciated. When all of my faculties are working properly I still struggle to not screw this mechanic stuff up. And like I said. I'm not feeling 100% so I could be in real trouble here.

Time for more searching. Thanks for all the help.

 

A co-worker and I just changed that same line on an '02 F250 Crew Cab 4x2 Short Bed Truck at work last thursday. We did not pull the tank and were able to remove it from all the plastic clips in the frame. The Crew Cab required ~ 12 feet of 1/4" brake line. We used (2) 60'', (1) 20" line, and (2) couplings from an auto parts store. We were able to feed it behind the tank, make the connections on each end, and reinstall it in most of the clips securely. The line came out a little long, so we put an "S" bend in it in an open area of the frame near the front. 3/16" lines are usually the smaller ones that branch off to the wheels along the axle.

 

Did you use the steel line or copper nickel stuff? Also it looks like the rusted section is only a few feet long with rubber lines at either end making up the rest. I see a few folks mentioning they bought the same length. Are you replacing multiple sections because that's just what we do, or am I maybe looking at something different?

 

It was the standard steel line. It connected to the hose above the rear axle just behind (after) the tank and at a coupling in the front near the crossmember going under the engine. We used multiple sections because we couldn't buy a single piece that long with the ends attached and I didn't have my double flaring tool kit at work.

 

Just get the steel line and put some KBS coating on it and it will never rust again.

 

The new nickle line is the hot ticket! Thats what I would use!

 

I told you my brain wasn't working. Like you said, it's 11' long or so. I got it out this morning and will head to the autparts store later. Advanced Auto only sells 25' rolls of the nickel copper. Which I'm sure is a good thing as I'll need to probably do the other side too. They have the flare rental tool there. I've never done any flaring before. Any words of wisdom?

 

i use the copper/nickle line, and encase it in vacuum hose. then slide it in the frame and zip tie it to the old line.

 

I picked up the 25' roll of the coated 1/4" line from advance for my truck. It bent pretty easy and the original line lasted 14 years so I didn't bother with any of that fancy copper stuff. The rest of the truck will probably rot out before that line would.

My truck took about 16' of line from the coupling under the cab to the hose for the rear axle.

There is just the one line on the drivers side for the brake lines. It splits on the rear axle, so it's the only one you need to replace.

The flaring tool is pretty simple. Read the instructions, make sure you put the nut on the line first. Go slow and make sure you put that nut on before you flare the end. It's no fun to get it flared, then realize you need to cut it off because you forgot to put the nut on.


I dropped my tank to do it. It made it easier to get to, but looking back, I'm pretty sure I could of fished the line through and not had to mess with the tank. Gave me an excuse to do the hutch mod.

 

All depends where you live ^.

I replaced all our blown lines on our trucks with the coated lines. I have found the coated lines are good for about 2-3 years in our area before they are rotted out. All of our newer trucks will be getting the nickle lines from now on!