Hello All,

One of our work vans is a 2012 E250 Super Duty. It has 4 wheel ABS. Last night I noticed fluid on the ground near the front left corner of the van. I looked around and saw one of the brake lines was leaking. The brake line that is leaking is coming out of the ABS pump. It is hard line coming out of the ABS pump then has a small section, maybe 6 inches of braided flexible steel hose and then it goes back to hard line. It rusted right where the braided flexible steel hose meets the metal. Pictures attached.

I called a Ford dealer parts department and asked him for the brake lines. He said they are discontinued. I guess I'm going to have to make my own lines.

My question is, would it be ok to just make a new hard line without the braided section? The way I see it, that is my only option. I can't think of any reason that the flexible section would be necessary since there is no movement in this section of the brake line. What do you guys think / what would you do?

Thanks in advance

 

If both ends are fixed, my uneducated guess is it’s flexible to aid installation. Can you work a loop into the replacement in case it needs to flex?

Sixto
07 E350 5.4 198K miles

 

I had the same thought that the flex was there to make it easier for them to install it at the factory. I can't recall another time I've seen a brake line that runs down a frame have a flexible joint in it. That is a good idea to see if I can make a small coil in the line.

 

Of course, correct me if I am wrong
Ford and other manufacturers got cheap in the 90s and started using the flex lines to save weight (and brake line) IMO
The pig tails used to work just fine but that was too easy and they never somd any replacement parts
Now days they rust out so often nobody can keep the parts in stock and now they are obsolete
Good going Ford (again)

 

I would fab up a line with a few corkscrews in it like the older ones and be done with it
Those old corkscrews were for wreck damage, they should have stuck with them