Today I took the old girl into my local Foreign Car shop to have my
brakes looked at due to the fact that the pedal is getting "soft"
After a couple fo hours the lead tech told me that the problem was
with my original brake hoses and that they needed to be replaced both
front and back. He went on to say that if they are not replaced the
constant binding on the front especially will cause the roters to
overheat and warp. He did say that the calipers and pads appear to be
in good shape and should not need replacing.
I thought that since it was only the hoses that needed replaced I was
looking at a relatively inexpensive fix. Imagine my surprise when he
gave me an estimate of 541.00(USD)!! This price only included rubber
hoses and not the improved steel (TDI?) ones
My questions to the group is this a fairly easy job for someone like
me who knows very little about car maintenance? Is this a normal price
to have the job done professionally? Finally is there a good place on
the web that I could purchase the hoses and just have them install
them?
Replacing the old lines is not terribly hard if you have a place to
work with room and lighting. You will need a set of flare nut
wrenches- these aren't cheap, but still a LOT less than the price you
were quoted. On some older cars the hoses can become corroded into the
calipers or wheel cylinders and become very difficult to remove. I
have sheared off a few trying. Since this car is only 14 years old it
shouldn't be a problem unless you live near a large body of salt
water.
Thee is a lot of talk about the stainless lines. We have discussed
this on a few BMW groups. Numerous reports about them giving a better
feel are available, but this is usually after replacing old rubber
lines. I replaced the front rubber lines on my motorcycle (dual discs)
with original rubber and could feel the difference. Replacing old
lines with ANYTHING new can make a difference.
If you want to pay the extra $$ and can find the DOT approved lines
then sure. The problem is with some of the stainless lines that the
swaged ends originally came from racing applications where they were
replaced on a regular basis (once a season or so). The stiffness of
the lines tends to cause excess stress at the ends and they can
fatigue and rupture. The stainless lines are good in close quarters
where the outer sheath can keep the lines from wearing through from
friction. Unless you have a high performance set up or regularly drive
quite hard where brake heat and fade is a problem, then I don't see
the need. This is not necessarily the case if they are DOT approved,
but the general recommendation is that unless you are racing the
rubber lines are sufficient (and by general, I mean most any motor
vehicle application). Still, they do look cool! And if the original
lines only lasted that long, then I would be looking for an
alternative source as well.
Try this- get a micrometer and check the diameter of one of the rubber
lines in the middle of its span. Then have someone stand on the brake
pedal (motor on so as to get good brake action) and check the diameter
again. This will usually give you a good idea if the lines have lost
their ability to retain and transmit the pressure. SOme lines get so
bad that you can feel them expand by just holding your hand on them
during the above test.
Old, soft lines should not cause the pads to stay in contact with the
rotors, UNLESS they are decaying inside and sending particles into the
master cylinder and the calipers. Brake pads not releasing fully from
the rotor can be caused by:
1) dirty calipers with lots of crud and rust on the sliding surfaces
not allowing the caliper to move (if so designed) or the pad to stick
and not return. COuld even be a small stone stuck in there.
2) Dirt, rust, or other contaminants in the caliper causing the piston
to stick in its bore.
3) Dirt in the ports in the master cylinder not allowing the fluid to
return through it.
4) insufficient play in the brake pedal or weak pedal return spring
(or weak spring be in the vac assist) causing it to press on the
master cylinder not allowing the return port to be clear of the MC
piston.
5) A driver who rests their foot on the brake pedal.
6) bad seals in the caliper or master cylinder
7) all of the above.
8) some of the above
9) some other stuff
FCP has the rubber lines for around $25-42 and the stainless for
$60-100 depending on the car. Hell! That makes the labor to replace 3
or 5 lines around $340 to $480. I think there are ten folks here who
would do it for half that, just for fun! I knew some guys who would do
it for a six pack!!
Just my metric $.02 worth.
__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvo
'93 960 Estate
