expeditionware break hoses

[jastutte]

today when i was doing the oil change on my 96 discovery i noticed some dampness on the driver's side front brake hose. since last september, when i bought the truck, i have needed to top off the brake fluid twice. so, i knew i had a small leak somewhere, i just assumed it was right there at the reservoir. had my wife come out and start the truck and pump the brakes. as she did this i could see a small amount of fluid running down the hose. so, i need a new one. has anyone used expeditionware brake hoses? are they any good. even with the shipping costs it is cheaper than anything i can find around town and they look pretty cool.

thanks,

jeremiah

 

[joey]

I haven't personally used them (I just build my own), but there is not much that can go wrong with a brake hose other than rust or rubbing a hole in it.

I had to rebuild mine from the front to both rear brakes 3 years ago... just bought a 50ft roll of brake line and a flare kit... about 2 hours later I was driving again for about $30.

 

[Disco Mike]

John offers a few different sets, great replacements but a little over priced. You can usually find a set of 4 for under $100 and make sure to do a 3 pint DOT 4 brake fluid change when done.

 

[jastutte]

thanks, guys. i think i'm going to do this myself and even assemble the brake hoses. we'll see how that goes. i just went and looked at the bleeder screw on the front caliper and i t looks like an allen fitting. is this correct? any tips, hints, or other helpful advice is always appreciated.

thanks,

jeremiah

 

[Disco Mike]

No, the bleeder screw has a rubber cap on it, remove the cap, out a hose on the bleeder screw to drain the old brake fluid into a plastic bottle and open the bleed screw with an open end wrench.
Usually takes at least 3 pints of a good DOT 4 fluid.

 

[jastutte]

ok. messed with the brakes today. immediately gave myself a blood blister jacking up the truck. after that things went well. pulled off the tire and easily loosened the top fitting for the brake hose. then things got bad. i stripped the nut that connects the hard line from the caliper to the brake hose. any ideas how to remove this?

on the positive, side i was able to bleed out the air bubbles i had introduced to the line. first time ever messing with brakes. other than the stripped nut, seems pretty simple. which is good, since, i will be putting new pads on my vw bus soon.

thanks,

jeremiah