How to Spot a Leak In Brake Hose Or Line

Inspection And Maintenance Of Brake Lines And Hoses.

    The arteries of the brake system are steel lines and flexible rubber hoses that send brake fluid to each brake when the brake pedal is stepped on. The lines and hoses must be able to hold pressure from a couple of hundred pounds per square foot up to 2000 psi. If they can’t take the pressure all the braking in that circuit will be lost. That means at least 50% reduction in braking power for a diagonally split system (most front wheel drive cars) and up to 80 % reduction in a system that’s split front to rear if the front brakes are lost (most rear wheel drive cars).

     A slow leak in a brake line or hose is as bad as sudden lost because over the time enough brake fluid may be lost that air could enter the system. Air in the system is bad because air is compressible. The amount of pedal travel may increase so much that the pedal hits the floor before the brakes apply. Indication for a slow leak in a brake line or hose can be a low brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir, wet spots on the drive way or a brake warning light that comes on all the time. If you suspect a leak check for obvious leaks around the master cylinder, calipers, wheel cylinders, steel lines, brake hose and other connections in the system. If you can’t find where the leak is there is a possibility that the leak is coming from a steel line that is in the body of the car and it is not visible from underneath the vehicle. Also the brake fluid can be disappearing in to the engine through a leak into the power brake vacuum buster. Check the inside of the brake buster vacuum house, if there is fluid the diaphragm is leaking allowing intake vacuum to suck in the brake fluid into the engine.

    Steel lines should be checked around areas where the line curves or bends. The lines can suffer external and internal corrosion because they are made of steel. Water leaks into the cars body can be very damaging for the steel lines.

    Rubber hoses need to be carefully inspected not only if you suspect leaks but any time you work on your breaks or under your vehicle. The rubber brake hoses can be damaged by foreign objects tossed up by the tires, rubbing against suspension or careless use of towing hooks. The hoses tend to harden with age, the lost of flexibility may cause the house to split, crack or break. If you see cracks or leaks the house has to be replaced with a new one. Have a helper depresses the brake pedal while you observer each brake hose. The reason you want to do that is because rubber hoses have an expansion inner lining that is not supposed to give up under pressure. If the inner liner leaks, brake fluid is going to force the outer liner into a blister or bubble that appears when the brakes are applied. Using performance (aftermarket) steel braded lines eliminates the problem with blisters, bobbles and road debris damage to break hoses. For more information on steel braded brake lines please read the article (coming soon).

    Never allow a caliper to hang on the brake hose. Use a piece of wire to hang it. The weight of the caliper is going to damage the brake hose. Some time a small piece of rubber can plug the line in result of internal damage. It doesn’t happen often but it is possible. This prevents brake pressure reaching to the wheel causing a brake pull when the brakes are applied. The same thing is possible to a steel brake line. Crushed or kinked line can prevent fluid getting to the caliper. In some cases pressure will get through but when the brakes are released the blockage stops the brake fluid going back to the master cylinder causing the brake to drag.

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