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Do your brakes feel softer or “mushier” than usual? Has your braking distance increased over time? These signs, alongside many others, can all be indicators that your brake hoses are failing or worn-out. For the average person, not much attention is paid to brake hoses until something happens. Like any other hose on your car, the common brake hose plays a vital role in keeping your hot rod or muscle car on the road, or race car on the track. As your car’s power increases, its ability to stop safely should also be taken into consideration. Even if you want to keep your muscle car looking as original as possible, some things can be improved upon. Safety should never be compromised. No matter if you are just upgrading your muscle car’s dried out stock rubber brake hoses or looking for new stainless steel brake hose for your custom brake setup on your hot rod or track day machine, Speedway Motors has braided brake hoses between 6- and 160-inches in length that will satisfy anyone's project build needs!

What Is A Braided Brake Hose?

In the world of brake line hoses, there are several options one could choose from. You can get a universal brake hose that is made from rubber, but for optimal performance, nothing beats a stainless-steel brake hose. A steel braided brake hose is engineered to withstand more pressure and not expand as much under extreme braking situations. The inner liner is usually made from durable plastics such as Teflon, while the outer sheath is made from stainless steel to reduce line expansion under braking pressure. Our stainless-steel brake hoses come in various lengths and in AN -2, -3, and -4 diameters with AN or inverted flare fittings to perfectly fit your application. We also carry a huge compliment of brake line adapters, brake line clamps, and other fittings so no matter the braking components on your vehicle we can help outfit your ride with braided stainless front brake hoses and universal rear brake hose for your solid axle or custom length rear hoses for an IRS.

What Does A Brake Hose Do?

Brake lines and brake hoses are not the same and should not be treated as such. A brake line is a solid tube/pipe that carries brake fluid to various parts of the brake system. Brake hoses, on the other hand, are flexible and designed to move and flex with your car’s suspension as it travels down the road, or even around the track. This holds true for the front brake hoses at each wheel and the rear junction hose that connects to the traditional solid axle rear of your street rod or muscle car. There are universal brake hoses, rubber brake hoses, and even stainless-steel brake hoses. No matter what they are made from, they are all engineered to do the same thing. A brake hose will deliver the proper amount of brake fluid at a specific pressure that is set out by the brake pedal’s input ratio. If you are replacing your car’s stock brake hoses, why not upgrade them to a stainless steel brake hose? They will last longer, have a higher pressure rating, and on top of that, they just look cooler!

When Should Brake Hoses Be Replaced?

Just like tires and engine oil, hydraulic brake hoses need to be replaced regularly. The pressure that common brake hoses are subjected to and the environment that they live in (close to the wheels where they see rain, dirt, debris, etc.) will eventually be enough to cause damage such as inner lining failure, splits/cracks, and even total fluid loss due to a cut or separation from a crimp fitting. Brake hoses can expand to the point of becoming a serious safety risk if the inner liner is compromised, not to mention decreased performance on the racetrack. In some instances, you may even incur brake drag or brake lockup due to the failure of the inner liner on a traditional rubber hose.

While there are no set intervals of when brake hoses should be replaced, most will agree that when cracking and/or flaking appears on the external rubber cover, it is time. Remember that we do not recommend repairing damaged brake fluid hoses. It may seem more cost-effective, but you run the risk of possible failure later. Consider replacing that old rubber brake hose with a more durable steel braided brake hose. Stainless steel brake hose comes with several added benefits including the ability to hold substantially more pressure.

Common Brake Hose Problems 

Brake hoses are not made to last forever. No matter if you have a stainless-steel brake hose or a universal rubber brake hose, they should be inspected and replaced periodically. As your car moves, brake flex hoses will also move. Over time, this could cause issues, and in worse case scenarios, partial or full failure. Here are some of the most common problems that damage brake hoses:

Corrosion

Corrosion can be caused by several reasons. While today’s stainless steel brake hose will not corrode, some older types are not immune to this issue. An old, rubber brake hose will have steel end fittings which we all know are susceptible to rust. Even modern steel braided brake hoses can be technically affected by corrosion. By having two dissimilar metals encounter one another, it causes an adverse chemical reaction called galvanic corrosion.

Leaks

Brake line hoses can be heavily damaged by leaking brake fluid. Unlike engine oil, brake fluid is very corrosive and can cause havoc on rubber brake hoses. Various lengths of universal brake hose are available at Speedway motors to make sure these problems won’t worsen. Do not leave it until it is too late.

Air and Moisture in The Fluid 

Brake fluid is renowned for its ability to retain moisture. Unfortunately, water has a much lower boiling point than brake fluid. If moisture is introduced into the system, it has a much higher chance of creating unwanted heat. Increased temperature only adds to speeding up the wear of standard brake hoses. Not to mention the moisture in the brake system can create corrosion issues internally in your brake system, including the calipers, wheel cylinders, master cylinder, and more, so it is a good idea to flush your brake fluid system on a regular basis to rid the system of moisture.

Friction

As your vehicle moves up and down, so do your brake hoses. Yes, rubber brake hoses are intended to flex, but they will not last forever. Over time, the repeated movement will create weak points in the hose, increasing its chance of failure.