Ot, while i'm posting unusual photos, here's a vw that

[Bill R.]

i changed the brake hoses on last week... if your hoses are more than 8 years old its probably a good idea to change them.. The picture doesn't do these justice, when you looked at them after cutting the hose in two they were almost completely plugged up.. so it would allow fluid to flow through under the terrific amount of pressure that you have when you press the brake pedal but when you let up there lines were clogged enough not to let the calipers retract and he was cooking the brakes and rotors on this Volkswagen.http://www.bimmer.info/%7Ebill/vwbrakehose.jpg

[632 Regal]

whats clogged them? Looks like rust, if the brakes were bled every few years you think it would prevent this?

[Bill R.]

like the color of rust... the rubber layer below that just swells up and closes the hose.. I guess the rubber just breaks down with age..



whats clogged them? Looks like rust, if the brakes were bled every few years you think it would prevent this?

[calmloki]

Hey! I remember having that problem and fix in the olden days - problem would present as brake drag that you could hear and feel - especially on the front. Happened on more than one type 1 - wonder if the VWs were especially prone to the problem. Nice pic.
Tom Walrod - lotsa air cooled work paid the bills

[Bill R.]

change a lot of mercedes s class brake lines for the same reason..




Hey! I remember having that problem and fix in the olden days - problem would present as brake drag that you could hear and feel - especially on the front. Happened on more than one type 1 - wonder if the VWs were especially prone to the problem. Nice pic.
Tom Walrod - lotsa air cooled work paid the bills

[liquidtiger720]

so which brake lines should i fix on the e34?

[winfred]

the ones that aren't made of metal


so which brake lines should i fix on the e34?

[winfred]

dot 3 in a dot 4 car maybe? like the old brit cars how lotsa stuff turns to jello in the presence of the alcohol in the dot 3, or what usually kills the master cylinder grommets on bmws. i think it sucks how it's almost hard to find dot 4 i've been in some parts stores that don't have anything but dot 3, only one place i know of in baton rouge that still sells castrol gtlma dot 4 is the big pep boys, we get ate in a 5 liter can from our parts sorce


like the color of rust... the rubber layer below that just swells up and closes the hose.. I guess the rubber just breaks down with age..

[HDhandyman]

thanks, Bill. I guess I need to study up on my brake lines so that I can figure out how to change them. Any words of wisdom pertaining to this matter?

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

I had the LF hose fail on mine last spring. No actual hose burst, but it had started leaking internally causing a blister to form on the oustide of the hose. Brake pedal was feeling a bit soft but not drastic. I think if I'd made a panic stop with the hose in that condition it might have burst. Changed all 6 hoses for about $100 in parts.

[winfred]

it's not hard to do just simple connections then bleed, done right and god smiling you hardly need to do more then just let gravity pull fluid though the system to bleed, off memory there should be 6 flex lines on a e34 1 on each wheel and one from the body on each rear control arm, i haven't started seeing failures on e34 brake lines, it's a varly well designed system that doesn't overflex the lines, i am seeing major cracking on e38 and e39 rear lines where they meet the caliper due to the crappy angle


thanks, Bill. I guess I need to study up on my brake lines so that I can figure out how to change them. Any words of wisdom pertaining to this matter?