kevsgt

So I am going to attempt to do brake work myself for the first time. Going to replace the front rotors with new stock ones from NTO ($80 total). It sounds like aftermarket rotors with holes and slots is both overkill and a gimmeck, so I figured I would save some money with solid stock rotors.

I figured I would upgrade the brake hoses as well. Do I need to do all 4 hoses, or can I just do the fronts while I am changing out those rotors? (rear rotors still have some life on them). I was thinking about these J&M lines from AM, which are sold as a front set, so I assume that means just swapping the front and leaving the rears stock would be ok?

They also sell a kit from Russel for about the same price but it includes all 4 hoses. I'm guessing the price difference is related to quality, as well J&M includes brackets, while Russell uses a bunch of zip ties I think.

Derf00

65-70% of the stopping power on modern cars comes from the front brakes. You'll be fine with replacing just the front ones.

Any reason you are looking at Stainless Steel brake hoses? Depending on the quality, for a DD they're not usually the best idea. Yes the brakes will feel more 'solid' due to the lower flexing of the hose inside the braiding. The problem is the braiding itself and the lack of inspecting the average Joe does on these, as in non-existent.

The braiding acts like sandpaper against the brake hose and over time the hose will wear through at the contact points. Contact points include bends in the lines and connection points where the hose and braid are crimped into the ends. Any type of dirt that gets in there will make things worse faster.

You are supposed to inspect the lines every six months or so for this type of wear and replaced every 2-3 years. Although I think that 2-3 year interval is just for hoses without a Teflon liner I would still replace them every 3-4 years max.

http://www.essexparts.com/shop/ss-brake-lines.html
http://www.stoptech.com/technical-su...rake-lines-q-a

kevsgt

Interesting, thanks. I really just figured they were an upgrade but didn't consider any downsides. Now that I am aware, I could def make a habit to inspect them periodically. Knowing that I will need to replace them in a few years does mean more cost down the line tho. I guess putting the stock rubber ones back on is always an option.

Anyone else have these with their DD? Signs of wear? How long until you decided to replace them?

jz

I've never had them on my DD. I have had them on my "fun car" for decades and have never seen an issue with the braiding causing early wear. I do look for ones with the coating to remove the risk of dirt and debris getting in the braiding.

kevsgt

quick question on the new rotor install... should i get brake cleaner and/or some sort of grease or anti-seize compound for this job?

Scott2

Ok, do disagree with the guidance you have been given on changing only the front lines. But, you do know that once you change one brake line that you need to bleed all four wheels. Ford has a very specific process for this on our cars. You must start with the caliper furthest from the master cylinder and work down to the one closets to the master cylinder (passenger rear, driver rear, passenger front and finally driver front). The point I am making once you decide to go with SS lines is that you might as well do the rears at the same time. Doing this now will save the extra work of bleeding the lines twice if you decide to go with rears in the future. You may also want to consider installing speed bleeders as well unless you have someone to help you bleed the brakes.

kevsgt

Are you sure I need to bleed all 4? That sounds reasonable, but the instructions for the Front J&M lines on AM only bleed the fronts and don't say anything about having to do all 4.

Derf00

That process is to remove all old brake fluid from the system. The thought process behind it is if you're replacing a brake line it's usually due to failure so therefore you should bleed all four corner to remove all contaminated brake fluid and potential bubbles from having a leak.

If you replace a front line, bleed both fronts. If you replace the rears bleed the rears. Regardless, if you bleed the rears now or later, it won't matter because if/when you replace the rear hoses you WILL have to bleed the rears again regardless of whether or not your bled them before.

Speed bleeders are a good idea if you plan on going SS all the way around.

jz

I agree. I can't see any reason where you "need to" bleed the rear if you're only changing the front lines. That being said, it's always a good idea to bleed all four brakes because of how corrosive brake fluid (especially old fluid) can become. I recently replaced the rear hard lines on my Jeep and I bleed all four brakes once I was done. Was it necessary to bleed all four? No. But I've already pulled out the stuff for brake bleeding, so it just makes sense to do all four. It's always good to get old brake fluid out of the system. Depending on the mileage of your car, it wouldn't be a terrible idea to bleed all four.

kevsgt

SO what are speed bleeders? I do intend to have a buddy to press the brake pedal. Does that negate the need?