tommytipover Posted July 26, 2017 Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 (edited) It seems there are more brake failures in motorsports lately. I've been involved in road racing since I was a duckling back in the '70s and it seems drivers used to complain about iffy brakes, poor pad life and such, but now it's pedal to the floor, total hydraulic failure, car in the woods. Maybe it's just the internet age that rebroadcasts every crash over and over but there seems to be a rash of flex hose failures. Are the pre made factory-crimped SS flex hose these days just not up to the task? I know back in the day people had to make their own using raw parts from Aeroquip or Earl's but now a days you can get just about any length and fitting spec right off the shelf. What are your theories? Is it just Asian-made crap? Are people doing it wrong? Are they just fatigue failures due to age or improper installation? I'm almost thinking that making my own flex lines or using good OEM rubber might be the way to go but I'm really interested in your all's opinion. Edited July 27, 2017 by tommytipover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmabarone Posted July 26, 2017 Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 Brake lines should be considered an item with a lifespan. With that, I know of a couple guys running NASA GTS that run factory BMW brake lines over the SS options (including DOT rated lines) and they replace them every other year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eman911 Posted July 26, 2017 Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 I would be more inclined to trust OEM replacement hoses over generic braided. Never had a flex hose failure on the street or racetrack. Had plenty of hard line rust away. Thank you Iowa DOT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bremsen Posted July 26, 2017 Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 I suspect its some combination of all of the above. I agree with @jmabarone in that they should be inspected regularly and replaced periodically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Bill Strong Posted July 26, 2017 Administrators Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 I replace mine every year. and I only use Goodridge hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee hornerevan Posted July 26, 2017 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 Frequent blake breeding helps extend the life as well. Gets water and other corrosion-causing contaminants out of the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMoneyWasters Posted July 26, 2017 Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 I had a rear braided steel hose break while racing at AMP last year (yes it was cheap ebay part-lesson learned). Hoses were on car for nearly 3 years. I added it to my every 2 years list and bought better hoses from known quality source. They are really stressed thru continuous brake pad changes, so it makes sense they don't last forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmabarone Posted July 26, 2017 Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 38 minutes ago, BigMoneyWasters said: I had a rear braided steel hose break while racing at AMP last year (yes it was cheap ebay part-lesson learned). Hoses were on car for nearly 3 years. I added it to my every 2 years list and bought better hoses from known quality source. They are really stressed thru continuous brake pad changes, so it makes sense they don't last forever. Don't tell me you let the calipers hang from the hoses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Infiniti Posted July 26, 2017 Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 (edited) It is peoples belief there is something wrong with OEM design and racing dictates a "upgrade" , I say hogwash, buy stock replacements and forget it. Every time I see a chump with a hyd failure I stick my nose quickly in to see if there is something to learn from their moment, the common denominator seems to be braided aftermarket hose either rubbed through or burst away from the fitting. Rubbing is the mechanics fault , burst is scary and I can only ASSume because the item is not up to task. We have raced with stock 22 yr old hoses and random rock auto clearance (DOT/OEM design) with zero failure, not only that, the stock hoses are a set and forget, i.e., with us they have no predetermined life span nor replacement interval and yes, during service, the calipers do get improperly hung by the hose occasionally. Fire suit on, ready for the fallout Edited July 26, 2017 by Team Infiniti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvumtnbkr Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 9 hours ago, hornerevan said: Frequent blake breeding helps extend the life as well. Gets water and other corrosion-causing contaminants out of the system. I thought this for a long time as well. The problem is, I can't find too many Blake's that are willing to try breeding anymore. I can only find Tyler's at this point. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvumtnbkr Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 7 hours ago, Team Infiniti said: It is peoples belief there is something wrong with OEM design and racing dictates a "upgrade" , I say hogwash, buy stock replacements and forget it. Every time I see a chump with a hyd failure I stick my nose quickly in to see if there is something to learn from their moment, the common denominator seems to be braided aftermarket hose either rubbed through or burst away from the fitting. Rubbing is the mechanics fault , burst is scary and I can only ASSume because the item is not up to task. We have raced with stock 22 yr old hoses and random rock auto clearance (DOT/OEM design) with zero failure, not only that, the stock hoses are a set and forget, i.e., with us they have no predetermined life span nor replacement interval and yes, during service, the calipers do get improperly hung by the hose occasionally. Fire suit on, ready for the fallout We have 3 ss lines and 1 oem on our racecar.... not sure why. They are all in good shape. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommytipover Posted July 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 10 hours ago, wvumtnbkr said: We have 3 ss lines and 1 oem on our racecar.... not sure why. They are all in good shape. ... 'cause one SS line failed, right at the crimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvumtnbkr Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 29 minutes ago, tommytipover said: ... 'cause one SS line failed, right at the crimp That could be a cause... I actually think I got distracted about 6 years ago when building the car and never changed out the last 1. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee hornerevan Posted July 27, 2017 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 12 hours ago, wvumtnbkr said: I thought this for a long time as well. The problem is, I can't find too many Blake's that are willing to try breeding anymore. I can only find Tyler's at this point. Wait a second! Really? I thought he was too busy Yanking on his Crank! ... ... ... At least that's always what he tells me... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvumtnbkr Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 18 minutes ago, hornerevan said: Wait a second! Really? I thought he was too busy Yanking on his Crank! ... ... ... At least that's always what he tells me... To clarify, the team name does not specify WHO's crank is being yanked. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee hornerevan Posted July 27, 2017 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 But you don't have cranks Rob! You're eccentric! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvumtnbkr Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 2 minutes ago, hornerevan said: But you don't have cranks Rob! You're eccentric! Gm 3400 powered now.... 1 crank, 6 rods. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee hornerevan Posted July 27, 2017 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 4 minutes ago, wvumtnbkr said: Gm 3400 powered now.... 1 crank, 6 rods. STOP RUINING MY JOKES ROB! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvumtnbkr Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 1 hour ago, hornerevan said: STOP RUINING MY JOKES ROB! Actually, I have 1 crank (FC) and a bit eccentric (FB). I guess that is why I like hanging out with all these Chumps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators E. Tyler Pedersen Posted July 27, 2017 Administrators Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 13 hours ago, wvumtnbkr said: I thought this for a long time as well. The problem is, I can't find too many Blake's that are willing to try breeding anymore. I can only find Tyler's at this point. 1 hour ago, hornerevan said: Wait a second! Really? I thought he was too busy Yanking on his Crank! ... ... ... At least that's always what he tells me... 1 hour ago, wvumtnbkr said: To clarify, the team name does not specify WHO's crank is being yanked. 1 hour ago, hornerevan said: But you don't have cranks Rob! You're eccentric! I am glad I came back in to check this thread......ohhh the jokes from team names and having great drivers be a part of your team Anywho back on topic. I have started replacing brake lines after 4 years of owning the car. We have never had one fail, but I found a nice feller in Fort Wayne who makes his own lines. He is pretty awesome and we talk racing every time I visit his shop. He makes them right on site for me to see. His are higher grade quality than what I have on the car. The only reason I have slowly been replacing mine is because I had to work on one during a race and it took me 12 minutes. That folks is a podium right there. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.