Warning for you guys running Braided Stainless Brake Lines..

[jpnjim]

I ended up taking off one of the final items on my 98' XJ that I had bought from Rusty's 8 years ago.

 

Too bad too, because I had held the Goodridge stainless brake lines I got from him in 2002 in pretty high regard till now.

 

Maybe I'm asking too much by thinking stainless brake lines should last 8+ years, but I've run 20+ year factoryrubber lines without issue. :dunno:

 

 

 

 

 

The gf has been DDing my 98' XJ, so I haven't driven it myself in a few weeks.

The other day I moved it to a different parking spot, and the brake pedal (that had seemed a little on the low side lately) just about hit the floor.

 

The rusty banjo ends of both the Goodridge lines were wet with brake fluid (where they attach to the calipers). Looks like the banjo ends are not stainless like the braiding.

 

I replaced the copper washers with known good ones ('new' are hard to get without buying the line too),

but the ends were still weeping fluid, so I'm not even sure the copper washer/gaskets are the issue.

It almost seems that the rusty banjo ends themselves have become porous.

 

Long story short, a trip to the parts store for some factory style rubber TJ ft lines, and the weeping issue disappeared,

and the low pedal went away with it.

 

So check those aftermarket lines for wet banjo ends, while you still have brakes.

I'm running SS lines in the 'Trail Jeep' too (sourced from RE 12+ years ago), I'll be checking those for rust next.

[socal1200r]

Good advice...I've always been a fan of s/s lines, especially on the motorcycles I've owned. I've always thought of them as a one-time investment, install once and forget about them, except when it's time to change the brake fluid. I'll have to check the ones on my motorcycle now, and make sure I'm not losing any fluid at the reservoir, the brake levers are firm, and there isn't any "weeping" of fluid at the banjo ends...

[jpdocdave]

i know most people love them, but i don't use them. i had a goodrige ss line do the same thing to me on a steep down hill trail. lost brakes completely (another reason i love manual trans) i use rubber hoses, you can find them in a length that will work for whatever you need. i had the parts guy find me one for the rear of my xj after lift, wasn't hard, and half the cost off stainless. sure stainless hoses don't bulge and supposedly have a better pedal, but they also don't stretch, just break, rubber will stretch, which is important on a wheeler.

[87Warrior]

Had a pair of the Rubicon Express SS brake lines on my TJ. One day I was driving in town, when a Toyota cut me off going down a steep hill... Pressed the brakes and pedal went to the floor. Luckily I was able to cross the double yellow and down shift to a near stop. The line burst from the inside out. The lines were only a few years old. I always inspected the steel braids when greasing the chassis and they were smooth and in good shape. Replaced with JKS lines and have had no problems in the last few years.