xtremerevolution Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Alright, tell me about these. At what point should one replace their brake lines? Has anyone here ever had theirs flat out burst or fail? If so, what condition was the car in (rust, mileage, etc.) Mine are 203k on the regal and they feel perfectly fine. They don't look cracked or worn on the outside, and I drive the car pretty hard. However, my cousin Jason is set on replacing the 122k mile brake lines on his car, which is a California car. So what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Jace Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 60 bucks for the lines, diy, put them in along with the new rotors and pads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SrMichi Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 On my old 92 lumina i changed them around 110,000 the car came from long island and the under body was rusted pretty bad so bad that one of the metal brake line burst while i was trying to brake for a red light In NYC. i almost went into a intersection and got t bone by a truck Edit: the rubber lines where cracking and brake felt spongy. 10x better after i changed them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 visually inspect them for dry rotting, but generally they are very cheap, and while they may not need it it probably would not hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Jace Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Always better off safe then sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Always better off safe then sorry I personally have better things to spend my money on than brake lines that still look perfectly good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 yeah its really not necessary on a 10 year old west coast car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Jace Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Well since you looked at them you would know Andrei that they're made of solid gold, shoot out rainbows periodically out the braids and they're all covered in blood.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloick Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 i wouldnt worry about them if they look good. the camaro i had a few month ago was pure flakey rust. they were beyond bad. i could have rubbed right through them with my thumb and index finger, and they held fine. my buick broke a break line when it was 4 years old and 40k miles. it was right above the downpipe where it got super hot. it was the only bad spot on the entire car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairdo12 Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 The steel lines are double walled so if you see the outer one split then it should be time to replace. If your brake fluid was serviced often and you didn't allow it to absorb much water then the insides of the lines should be pretty decent too if the outer check out fine. Find the lowest point in the lines and check them, that is where the most water would be on the inside. I had a steel line rupture once. It wasn't a total brake failure, my pedal just slowly sank to the floor. I still had plenty of stopping power for about 6-7 stops. I did use the E-brake and Neutral to hold the car at stopped at one red light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intern8tion9l Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 i blew my left rear a couple years ago, and just replaced the right rear because it looked like death above the rear subframe. car has 140k something. if i had a functioning ebrake i might have let it go a little longer, ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 ^ how's the car look rust-wise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 rubber lines: I also clean and inspect them to make sure that they are crack and rot free, and if they are good I will coat them with a thin layer of silicone grease to prevent rot. metal lines: do a full fluid flush periodically as needed, and I now coat the underside of my cars in rust prone areas with marine grease. I basically rub it on all the brake and fuel lines and make sure to get it everywhere the car could be as risk from rust. I will also spray the lines and connections with PB Blaster to help the grease penetrate and prevent failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intern8tion9l Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 ^ how's the car look rust-wise? Not a spot on the body. Underside was only really showing it good from like the rear floorboards back. It's probably from salt.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 ^ how's the car look rust-wise? Not a spot on the body. Underside was only really showing it good from like the rear floorboards back. It's probably from salt.... Yeah salt would definitely jack shit up. Good thing he doesn't have salt here in the san fernando valley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Jace Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Ignorance is bliss, especially when you havent even seen the brake lines. Honestly there's no questioning needed, I'm replacing them because I don't what to be some neglectful idiot that has his brake lines go out on him because I don't know the last owner, nor do I know if they maintained it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Last thing you want is a blown brake line on the I5! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 brake lines don't just fail like that. they aren't a common problem, but rather a rare occurrence in states that see all 4 seasons, rust, and salt. you should be a LOT more concerned about your tires, which have less than 1mm of tread left on them. but hey, what do we know, you're the w-body expert. it wouldn't bother me as much if you didn't talk about how you can't afford all of these repairs and how you're on a limited budget. my dad's old truck, 165k miles. no brake line failure. my regal, 203k miles, no brake line failure kristina's honda, 115k miles with chicago winters, no brake line failure kristina's dad's camry, 190k miles with chicago winters, no brake line failure kristina's mom's windstar, 140k miles with chicago winters, no brake line failure kristina's sister's regal, 120k miles with chicago winters, no brake line failure my old roommate's escort, 133k miles with detroit and chicago winters, no brake line failure my buddy kevin's mercedes 300sd turbo diesel, 304k california miles, no brake line failure my buddy lewis' escort, 220k miles, no brake line failure Jason, you're my cousin, but you're paranoid about this brake line thing. you were complaining about the cost of $85 tires. jack up the car, inspect the brake lines, and then make a decision. you're stubbornly insisting on new brake lines based on nothing but fear and uncertainty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Ball Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 My grand prix I drove with a leak. Wasnt very fun. My regal blew a line a few months back. Has 298,500 km, some rust. If they look rusty, they might be fine. You have to feel them, but be careful. You dont want to make hole. If your worried, replace them yourself. I did mine, no problems now. Brakes are as good as new. Except I got free front pads which squeak everytime I brake. Lesson learned. Dont put on cheap free pads that come with your car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 My grand prix I drove with a leak. Wasnt very fun. My regal blew a line a few months back. Has 298,500 km, some rust. If they look rusty, they might be fine. You have to feel them, but be careful. You dont want to make hole. If your worried, replace them yourself. I did mine, no problems now. Brakes are as good as new. Except I got free front pads which squeak everytime I brake. Lesson learned. Dont put on cheap free pads that come with your car. You also live in a state where your car sees a lot of rust and snow, and salt. I say we just inspect them when we do the brake rotors and pads and go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Jace Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 85 dollar tires really aren't going to make that much of a difference, they really worth putting the money into right now because cheaper tires can do just as good. It doesnt take a w-body expert to know not to take any risk on your brakes, and I'm willing to pay the 80 bucks for the lines even if it is just solely for the reassurance that my brakes wont go out on me. Of course I'm getting tires put in regardless ASAP, there's just no point in having the best tires out there for the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 you talk about tires, quality, and cost as if you've owned several sets. I can tell you from experience that really cheap tires are a very bad idea. worse of an idea than spending money on brake lines that aren't bad. how do you even know the previous owner didn't replace them? have you checked them yet? as I said, you're going to replace them because you're afraid of what you don't know, not because you need to replace them. unless its a known issue, I would replace issues that currently *do* exist first, and ones that are known to fail as preventative maintenance to prevent further damages, not ones you *think* will exist based on uneducated fears. you put brake lines at the very top of your list. I should take your old ones, put them on my regal, and drive with them on for another 80k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Jace Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 And you talk about my brake lines as if you've actually looked at them. I've already taken the car to be checked out by a mechanic when I went to get it smogged and the he said that the brake lines need to be replaced. And no, he's not just going to say that so he can make money because he's a family friend and he's been pretty straight up with me about everything on this car. So if both him and Claudiu say that the brake lines should be replaced, and considering they've driven the car more than you have, and considering one of them works on cars for a living, I'm going to have to take their word for it. As for the tires, getting the best tires out there would be like getting rear slotted rotors vs normal rotors. Its just not really worth spending an extra 80 bucks on something I'm only using to get around town with, and being a granny driver, performance tires really won't do me much good. But hey, if it makes you happy I'll be more than willing to get those tires because to me it really doesn't matter. It's just that everyone else says I don't need to get really expensive tires my first set, so generally I tend to go with popular consensus with what people tell me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 And you talk about my brake lines as if you've actually looked at them. I've already taken the car to be checked out by a mechanic when I went to get it smogged and the he said that the brake lines need to be replaced. And no, he's not just going to say that so he can make money because he's a family friend and he's been pretty straight up with me about everything on this car. So if both him and Claudiu say that the brake lines should be replaced, and considering they've driven the car more than you have, and considering one of them works on cars for a living, I'm going to have to take their word for it. As for the tires, getting the best tires out there would be like getting rear slotted rotors vs normal rotors. Its just not really worth spending an extra 80 bucks on something I'm only using to get around town with, and being a granny driver, performance tires really won't do me much good. But hey, if it makes you happy I'll be more than willing to get those tires because to me it really doesn't matter. It's just that everyone else says I don't need to get really expensive tires my first set, so generally I tend to go with popular consensus with what people tell me. Driving the car will give you absolutely no indication of the condition of the brake lines. You have to lift the car off the ground and stick your head in there and take off the wheels to properly diagnose their condition. Has anyone done exactly that? If you're hell bent on replacing everything that can potentially break as easily as your brake lines and cause you injury, I can make a list of what needs to be replaced and brake lines won't be on the top of that list. Hell, I don't see you trying to convince me to get your valve cover gaskets and fuel injector o-rings replaced as much as you're pushing for brake lines as the #1 thing to replace. Here comes another BBQ. Then again, I'm sure your mechanic friend knew all about that too. Regardless, I want to see those brake lines when they come off. What to you constitutes an expensive tire? I'm not entirely sure if you know what the differences between tires are. I referred to your choice of tire simply because you were complaining about a $75 tire. What did you expect? $50 a tire? You've got what most people would consider to be a sports car. Good quality tires doesn't automatically mean they're performance tires. You bought a grand prix GTP and have told me you want it to handle well. If you wanted to buy a granny car, there were plenty of land yachts for sale in your area, so don't tell me you'll be a granny driver. You ever hear that saying, "I'm too poor to be cheap"? Try getting cheap tires and see how long they last you, and don't be surprised when a belt loosens up and your tire shreds on the highway, or when you get sold a dry rotted tire from a cheap tire shop and it breaks off your car at 70mph. I'm sure you've seen plenty of those tire pieces on the California highways. Well look what I found. http://www.clubgp.com/newforum/tm.asp?m=4540484&p=1&tmode=1&smode=1 "SS Brake line just broke." "Seems you're not the first for this to happen to. " http://www.clubgp.com/newforum/tm.asp?m=4532927&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=brake%2Cline&language=single&tmode=&smode=&s=#4535706 "Certain things like brake lines I'll only buy from Goodridge for these unexplained reasons." http://www.clubgp.com/newforum/tm.asp?m=4939071&p=1&tmode=1&smode=1 The only brake lines that should be considered are the Goodridge lines. The rest.....wouldnt mess with. Well, looks like the cost of your brake lines just shot up to $120. Here's one guy who's brake line broke on him. http://www.clubgp.com/newforum/tm.asp?m=4978431&p=1&tmode=1&smode=1 Notice the rust on his car that's not on yours? Yes, that's how brake lines fail. Not from driving like a granny. At the very least, I hope you do this job yourself. That is after all why you bought the service manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Jace Posted August 7, 2009 Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 The anti-bbq prevention measures were a given, I was assuming I didn't have to list those provided you knew I was never a big fan of engine explosions. As for my mechanic friend, he might not know the specifics about the individual car, but for what he does know about I'm willing to take his word on it. As for everything else, that's what w-body is for And like I said, I'll get the 85 dollar tires vs the 60 dollar tires if it makes you happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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