Brake hoses used on bagged front suspension?

[westofb]

Okay, I have a 71 chevy that had issues with front suspension...RUST...in cross member and lower control arms, real bad in the spring pockets...I have no idea why the coil springs did not shoot out of the bottom of the truck...LOL. I had an 85 truck for parts so I swapped the entire front suspension including cross member to my 71 frame. I bought parts from Airbagit, I got everything for the 85 front suspension, bags, the bag mounts, and 2.5 dropped spindles. I finally got it all cleaned up, painted and installed. To ease the transition from the newer suspension to the older truck, in removed the hard brake lines from the 71 and installed them on the 85 front cross member (unbelievably, the cross member had predrilled holes for mounting the hard lines to it, exactly in the same places as the 71). I drilled the spot welds on the brackets that are used to transition from the hard lines to the rubber lines to the calipers and welded them onto the new x member. I then bought new rubber lines for a 71 disk brake front and installed them...but this is when I ran into problems. I have installled the drop spindles before on newer trucks and had to make slight alterations to the angle that the hose leave the caliper to gain clearance at the upper ball joint, I had to slightly bend them, so far so good. However, if I drop the front suspension with the way everything is now installed, as the truck squats, it starts putting tension on the newly installed hoses. So my question is, is there some way to buy 71 style caliper hoses that are a little longer than stock? Maybe like 2 inches longer? I think that would allow my suspension to fully travel without stretching (I am sure tearing them if I went to full drop). Sorry for the length of this post...just wanted to tell everything I had done...any info would be appreciated.

[VA72C10]

I don't have an exact answer...but I've seen universal style braided hoses on ebay from CPP and POL at different times for around 30-$40. Might be long enough and would be more durable being braided...

[DZL1]

Try this guy, They can custom make you some hoses. Dont know prices though.

http://brakehoses.biz/

DZL1.

[lolife99]

I used '73-up hoses on my blazer.
Not exactly the same,... but much longer.

Also we need some pics of your project! You know we all love pictures.

[fiddy9apache]

crown brake lines, there cool and come in different colors

[westofb]

Originally Posted by lolife99

I used '73-up hoses on my blazer.
Not exactly the same,... but much longer.

Also we need some pics of your project! You know we all love pictures.

will try to get some pics of the truck...well it is just a partially finished frame at this point...lol. I thought about the 73 and up brake hoses but they would be almost twice the length of the 71....how do you keep them from hanging up on other components? I figured someone has used other stock parts for this situation...if there was only a book with pics and measurements of brake hoses....I am sure there is some off the shelf part that would work. Just thought maybe some here had a quick answer.

[lolife99]

I don't have any pics right now.
I used an "adell clamp" on one of the upper bag plate bolts to secure the hose.
It has plenty of travel without stretching the hose.

[smashingchuck]

Keith you are the only other person I know (besides myself) that actually calls the clamps by their proper name. I did the same thing (of course I'm using the new hoses - newer truck). I've got them secured with a clamp on each ball joint bolt. I also moved the hole where they go through the frame up about two inches. This is the best picture I have.

*edit*
found a few more. I have two clamps on each line for some reason there was only one on in the last picture but you get the idea.

[lolife99]

That's what I call them,... but I think it's spelled "adel".
I guess a few years working in the "hardware store business" helped me a little. Ha.

Good pics!

[Slick67]

4 wheel drive hoses for a 72' I believe.......that is what I have.

[texastrendz]

the factory brake hoses are long enough. all you have to do is move to the hard line tab out. drill out spot welds, which you have already done, straignten out the hard line a little. it will reach. i know it works, this is what i did to mine.

[bedsled71]

i cut the tabs off on the crossmember where the hardline and flex line connect and moved it because i had the same issue