Brake Hoses - Recommend

[PHOENIX]

My brake hoses are looking pretty bad, need to replace them soon.
What hoses would you recommend?
The cost difference between stock and the stainless covered doesnt seem to be much.
Is there a noticable pedal feel or performance difference between the rubber (stock) and the covered hoses?
What brands are you guys running and part numbers if you got them.

83
C10
1/2ton
2wd
I dont have the heavy duty brakes.


I might also purchase rotors, on a budget though, need to keep eash rotor under $100.00.
Rotor recommendations welcome.
Would like stock size, silver in color and maybe cross drilled.

Thanks

[Slonaker]

I replaced mine with whatever the auto parts store had, so I can't help you there. I did want to warn you, though, that it was a whole lot of work getting in there. I also stripped out (hex heads, not threads) a couple of lines getting them out. It was probably the most frustraing project I have ever completed on the truck.

Slonaker

[bigblock73]

Eddie, I used stock replacement parts when I did my front brakes on Yeller this spring. I buy all my "stock" parts from NAPA.

Rotors were $150 for both, hoses were $54 for both. I also bought new calipers, bearings, hardware kit, caps & seals, and pads...basically EVEYTHING.

I did not experience any problems removing my old hoses during the teardown, I suspect you may not either since both our trucks are Arizona trucks...and your truck is 10 years newer than mine. But Slonaker has a good point, I can see how it could become a nightmare.

[Slonaker]

Actually, my truck was not difficult because of corrosion. My truck looks like an Arizona truck underneath, fortunately.

It was difficult because of all of the stuff that was in the way. I could not get any real wrenches in there. I even bought a set of crow's foot flare wrenches, and still stripped the fittings. I ended up having to use vice grips to break everything loose, and that is really difficult to do up inside the frame rails.

I ended up giving up on mine, and replacing them when I did the cam, motor mounts, and a bunch of other stuff while everything was out of the way. I bet you cheated, and did the stuff with no engine in the truck.

Slonaker

[PHOENIX]

I hope I have better luck then you did with the brake lines.
Do you remember where you encountered the problem(s)?

Jeff, what are the details on those calipers and rotors?
Are they remanufactured, new gm or new other?

I was looking at the Russel hose kit $79.00 (front and rear).

Thanks guys!

[87 STEPPER]

I replaced mine a few years back and i used Russels SS hoses and yes theres a big differance in peddle feel and responce if you want i can look up the P/N i think i paid under a 100 bux for 'um but dont hold me to that .

The way i see it if your gonna do a job like that allways go with the up grade if you have the chioce.

[PHOENIX]

RUS-672310
SummitRacing's redesigned web site its pretty cool for finding parts.

[bigblock73]

Slonaker, YES, I cheated (engine was out)

Russell, they are NAPA new replacement rotors and calipers, their best ones, I think they have like three different levels or whatever. I cleaned them real good and painted them with rotor/caliper paint I purchased from The Eastwood Company.

I had no idea there would be a difference in pedal pressure between rubber and ss...guess I learn something new every day.

[Justins76]

Originally Posted by Slonaker

It was difficult because of all of the stuff that was in the way. I could not get any real wrenches in there. I even bought a set of crow's foot flare wrenches, and still stripped the fittings. I ended up having to use vice grips to break everything loose, and that is really difficult to do up inside the frame rails.

That sounds exactly like what happened to me. The fitting got rounded off where it passes through the frame and meets the flex hose to the front caliper.

[MylilBowTie]

I used a cut off wheel and air drill with a grinding stone on end. It help out a lot to me, it was messy but I didn't strip or mess up anything. I cut it on the outside of the frame and ground it down enough to get it thru the frame. Then bent the metal brake line back just a little to much better access it everything. Loosened the flat washer nut and the remainder of the old brake line hose. Slid the flat metal washer on the metal brake line and moved the brake line back thru the frame. This made it easier to tighten with the line wrench on the outside of the frame. Pushed it back where it needed to be in the frame and tightened up the flat metal washer nut to hold the line in place. Moving the line should hurt anything, but you will need to check for leaks. Chances are if its the metal line leaking it needed replaced anyway.

[Slonaker]

Originally Posted by Justins76

That sounds exactly like what happened to me. The fitting got rounded off where it passes through the frame and meets the flex hose to the front caliper.

I'm glad to hear it wasn't just me. I swear, everything that can go wrong when I work on this truck, does.

Originally Posted by PHOENIX

I hope I have better luck then you did with the brake lines.
Do you remember where you encountered the problem(s)?

My plan was to unscrew the sheetmetal nut with channellocks or a big crescent wrench, pull the hose and line through the hole in the frame, and break the two apart there where I could work on them. I could not get anything on the sheetmetal nut. Anything big enough to go around them was too big turn inside the frame rail.

Then I thought I would unscrew the hard line from the hose so I could put a socket on the sheetmetal nut. Nothing could grab the fitting on the line. I tried a flarenut wrench, but you can use them at an angle. I could not work it in that tight spot. I bought a crowsfoot flarenut wrench, and was able to get it in there, but it still stripped out the fitting. By then, I was so angry I just put everything away.

I eventually picked up some nice replacement lines to replace the stripped ones at a junkyard from a truck with no sheetmetal or engine. I picked up a couple of the flimsy sheetmetal nuts as well, just in case. Yes, Jeff, it was easy that way!

At one point, I had the engine stripped down to a shortblock and heads while replacing the cam. All the accessories were off, and it was pretty easy to get tools in there. I used vicegrips to remove the stripped lines, then a big socket to remove the sheetmetal. It was pretty easy then to install new hoses and replace the hard lines with the junkyard items.

Since then, I have seen a tip from someone here saying that the best way to get the sheetmetal nuts off is to tap them with a hammer and a long handled screwdriver. I assume he meant thet you do it sort of like how you would removed a stripped nut with a hammer and chisel.

Good luck...

Slonaker