flexible brake lines

[Bernie Benz]

> From: Dikeman Brett <brett at cloud9.net>
> 
> On Oct 29, 2005, at 8:02 PM, Bernie Benz wrote:
> 
>>> From: melvin guyer <melguy1 at yahoo.com>
>>> 
>>> I have a '91 Audi200q20v, 68k miles. The flexible
>>> brake line sections to all the wheels have frayed and
>>> torn rubber coverings.  What would be the expected
>>> amount of time it would take to remove and replace
>>> these lines and bleed the brake system?
>> 68K!  Where have you been storing this 13 year old car?
>> 
>> The rubber outside cover only offers abrasion protection for the
>> braided
>> reinforcing cord covering the inner fluid conduit.  As such, age
>> cracking of
>> this outer cover is a non issue, IMO.
> 
> Any visual indication of deterioration of the hose, you REPLACE
> immediately- unless you know the age of the lines, assume they are
> all the same age and replace them ALL.  Deterioration means any sign
> of damage or aging.  This is something you only need to do maybe once
> or twice as long as you own the car.  Putting it off is insane,
> especially given it should cost about $200-250 for the parts ($75/
> side for the UFOs, $30-40/side for the rears, I think?  Top?  Front
> lines for UFO cars are cheapest from Clair Parts Express or similar-
> the rear lines are MUCH cheaper from Worldpac dealers than from any
> dealer channel as the same line fits lots of cars.)
> 
> Let's say the line is cracked when you look at it.  How do you
> know when it is going to start bulging?  When it will then fail?
> Answer: you don't.
> 
> $250 most-likely-one-time-expense...versus..."your life"?
> 
> Bernie, unless you stop giving patently dangerous advice...for the
> safety of listers, and to protect Audifans as well- I will remove you
> from the list.  The above advice is some of the most dangerous I've
> ever read in the decade I've been on Audifans.
> Brett
Mother Brett,
I have never couched my postings as "advice" nor has anyone else done so on
this list, excepting your postings (above) appearing as "directives".  This
is a list of opinion postings among adults, from which the adult can form
his individual course of action.

>From your perspective, your short sighted directive, that any brake hose
that exhibits any superficial surface crack demands the immediate
replacement of all brake hoses, IMO is a superficial and an unsafe demand on
your part.  Your demand should be that of a routine proof pressure test of
each brake line, rigid as well as flexible.  Your demand, so you (oh,
Bentley's god) set the test interval and proof pressure for this required PM
test.

Bernie