More damn problems...brakes this time

Still working through the buckaroo issue but had a small disaster with a ruptured brake line.

Rear brake line has blown running along the chassis crossmember above the rear drivers side airbag.
Gonna need to start replacing the brake lines but that section is a real PITA to get to, any suggestions how to do this?
Maybe a stupid question but is it possible to lift the bodywork off the chassis or simpler to thread a new line through or run a braided hose?

Cars off the road for a while now anyway!

What sort of model are you talking about? I have recently replaced all the brake lines on my '97 P38 which was pretty easy. If yours is a P38 then I can probably offer some advice.

its often easier to make new one in sections you can get proper joiner unions for the job

It's a P38, any advice on the job and tools needed will be greatly appreciated.
The brake lines seem solid up to the wheel arch where they turn up.

Any suggestions for a good source for the lines and unions would be great too.

Cheers guys.

Quick word: when you come to bleed `em do it as per RAVE; doing it normal way (starting at furthest corner etc) does get brakes working, but not too well. By the book.

JD. said:

It's a P38, any advice on the job and tools needed will be greatly appreciated.
The brake lines seem solid up to the wheel arch where they turn up.

Any suggestions for a good source for the lines and unions would be great too.

Cheers guys.

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:behindsofa:

Here is a shopping list for parts & tools required. All this can be bought from Ebay if you don't have them :

25ft coil-3/16" o.d. copper tube
10-M10 x 1.00mm pitch brake tubing nuts for 3/16" tube (Short type)
1-Brake tube flaring kit
1-Mini tube bender for 6, 8 & 10mm tube
Junior Hacksaw + spare blades
Smooth flat file for deburring
Pair of safety goggles
11mm Combination spanner
4.5 litres-DOT 4 Brake fluid
Pressure Brake Bleed kit....very useful, makes it easy !!

I did mine a few years ago in just over a day including tea and fag breaks. I replaced the long run in one piece and also the two pipes which run along the rear axle to the calipers. The worst part of the job is the amount of ****e that falls on you so best to wear a hat & goggles. The run from the axle and from left to right is the hardest bit but you will see that the pipe is clipped at the front of the crossmember and can be pulled out with your fingers. Remove the r.h. front wheel arch protector and you will see a connector on top of the chassis, where it rises. Do not use a tube cutter on the pipe as it closes the bore in and the flaring mandrel will not fit, use a Junior hacksaw, deburr with a smaooth file and blow the filings out. Tape up the open end of the pipe when feeding it through to prevent ingress of dirt etc. Remember to fit the tube nuts on the the pipe..right way round !! before you flare it. The copper tube bends easily but I found that the small hand bender made a far neater job. I would replace the pipes across the axle whilst you are at it.
Access to a vice is handy.

Absolutely no need to lift/remove the body apart from putting the air suspension on high and leaving the tailgate open. Jack the rear of the car up and use axle stands if you don't have access to a pit/ramp

Good luck

Cheers for more input guys...awesome reply Irish, thanks for takin the time to write all that out...parts list escpecially handy!

Not had much experience doing DIY brake lines, always happy to give it a go though!
A mate of mine with more mechanical experience than me says it can be an issue joining copper brake lines to steel...harder to flare the steel iirc?
Is this right?

No need to "Join" the brake pipes to steel.
What you are doing is making up complete pipe assemblies with new nuts to go into the existing threaded fittings. The copper tube flares easily as it's softer than steel. Soak all the tube nuts that you are going to replace overnight with Plus Gas as they are bound to be rusty, except the one at the front of the car behind the wheel arch which will be pretty clean and should undo easily. Cut through the old steel pipe close to the tube nut, you can then get the 11mm ring end of the combination spanner, which will be a better fit and remove the old nut and remaining part of the old pipe. Try not to bend the old pipe, you can use it as a pattern for bending the new one.
When you fit the new copper pipe to the fitting, the flare will form itself to the seat in the fitting. Don't go mad tightening them up, they don't have to be mega tight.
I have made many replacement copper brake pipes over the years and have never had a problem or a leak.....yet !!!
Don't know why they sell a £50 grand new motor and use crappy steel bundy tubing for the brakes when the extra cost difference of copper pipes which last a lifetime is only a couple of quid.

Search this on Ebay 200534067585. You are looking for the 3/16 Male nuts.

Irishrover said:

Don't know why they sell a £50 grand new motor and use crappy steel bundy tubing for the brakes when the extra cost difference of copper pipes which last a lifetime is only a couple of quid.

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It's not just the brake pipes John, the power steering pipes on the 96 Dt I'm breaking are positively dangerous they are so rusted. I'm amazed there have been no big legal cases in the US as a result of accidents caused by failures.

I can vouch for Irish's method. This was what I followed when I did mine earler in the year. I did it over 2 different days but it was a piece of ****. Only advice I would give is to make sure you replace the flexy pipes. There were two on each wheel and the old ones were really poor.

Just repiped a L322. Not a pleasant experience

Got mine to do prior to the MoT...glad it's easier than it looks as I had a poke around today and it looks horrible at first sight (mine are really crusty at the back...ones on the axles are copper already as I did them last year).

I've bought some Cupro-nickel pipe (from Unipart/Partco) on the assumption the extra fiver was worth it. Just got to find someone who sells the dies individually for the Draper flaring kit as my dies are knackered now.

Anyone got any tips for bleeding them using the one man pressure bleeding kits that use a spare tyre for pressure? Did mine last year using an old trailer tyre and the pressure was always way too much or (very shortly after) not enough...

Cheers,

Malcolm

I tried it single handed, with only limited success. The pedal would drop overnight and have to be given a quick press in morning to get it back up. Only got the system right with assistance. Get a 2nd person, if you can, & follow RAVE. It DOES make a difference.