How to Install a Braided Hose Kit
When the brakes are applied in a car equipped with soft, rubber brake hoses, the hose expands slightly from the pressure of the brake fluid. This in turn can lead to a spongy feeling brake pedal. A common performance upgrade is the installation of braided steel brake hoses, which do not expand when the brakes are applied and which give better brake feel, with more immediate response from the brakes.
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Things You'll Need
- Floor jack
- Jack stands
- Socket set and ratchet
- Line wrench (for brake line fittings)
- Brake cleaner
- Brake fluid
- Rags
- Torque wrench
Instructions
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1
Loosen the lug nuts that hold the wheels on. Use a floor jack to raise the vehicle. Lower it securely on jack stands at all four corners and finish removing the wheels.
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2
Spray brake cleaner on all of the brake components, including the caliper, rotor and brake hoses. Clean the rubber brake lines in particular where they bolt up to the hard lines. Dry everything with a clean, dry rag.
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3
Soak the rubber brake hoses where they bolt to the hard lines with a penetrating liquid like WD-40 or similar. Let the fluid soak in for a few minutes to ease removal of the brake hoses and avoid bending a hard brake line.
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4
Loosen the fittings for the old rubber brake hoses. Use a workshop manual if it is difficult to determine how and where the brake lines are bolted to the car. Use a line wrench to loosen the brake line fittings. A line wrench partially encircles the brake line bolt and prevents stripping of the bolt.
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5
Remove the rubber brake hose at both ends. One end will go into the caliper or into a short hard line that then goes to the caliper while the other end will go to a hard line that goes to the master cylinder. Drain the brake fluid from the system into a container.
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6
Install the braided steel brake lines, tightening the nuts hand tight. Ensure that there are no kinks or twists in the lines and they are not interfering with the any suspension parts or bodywork. Tighten the fittings on the brake hoses according to the directions that came with the new hoses. For stainless steel brake hoses, the recommended tightness is usually 14 ft-lbs, for aluminum its 6 ft-lbs. The max is 24 ft-lbs and 10 ft-lbs respectively.
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7
Bleed the brake system thoroughly to avoid any air in the brake lines and hoses, using DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluid. Replace the wheels and lower the car off the jack stands and onto the ground.
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