Rear Brake Hose

[IslandBlue]

First up apologies if you've already seen my posts on Mini and MCR Forums (fora? )

Car has failed MOT on bulging rear brake hose - needs replacing, so far so good.

Garage has received hoses from 3 different factors all of which are too short (possibly by as little as 5mm). They say they are unable to tigthen up the locking nuts with out stretching the hose...

Anyone else had this issue? I've never changed a rear hose so I've really no idea.

I'm wondering if the trailing arm is at its maximum (lowest) point of travel if the car is up in the air and maybe lifting the arm slightly would reduce the tension/strain on the hose?

Any thoughts or suggestions gratefully received, I'm getting withdrawal symptoms

Thanks

Stewart

[cheleker]

Hydro or dry?

[IslandBlue]

Oops, sorry - vital piece of info (or possibly not in this case?)

It's a wet '69 998 Cooper...

[rich@minispares.com]

they are not trying to put it through the 'dry' hole are they????

[IslandBlue]

they are not trying to put it through the 'dry' hole are they????

Not sure what the "dry" hole is (sounds uncomfortable ) but they took the old one off so assume they are trying to put the new one back the same way. They're a good garage and have the other side to compare.

Is there a wet/dry difference then?

Thanks

[rich@minispares.com]

the dry 'normal' hole is at the top, the hydro cars use the hole at the bottom

[IslandBlue]

the dry 'normal' hole is at the top, the hydro cars use the hole at the bottom

You'll have to excuse my ignorance but what hole where?

[Dr.Mabo]

To be more precise.
The hose is necessary to connect the stiff metal brake pipe, ending in the rear subframe, with the movable radius arm. From the radius arm there is another brake pipe leading into the wheel cylinder of the brake. On hydrolastic radius arms the brake pipe runs along the bottom. All others have the brake pipe runing on top of the radius arm. Respectively there are two holes in the subframe for the hoses. The lower hole for wet suspension, the upper hole for dry. Of course the upstream metal brake pipe should lead into either the top or the bottom hole. That means it should be easy to figure out which hole to use when only the hose has to be exchanged.

By the way, its always mandatory for the brake system to change the hoses on both sides, eaven when only one hose is faulty

so long
the doc

[IslandBlue]

To be more precise.
The hose is necessary to connect the stiff metal brake pipe, ending in the rear subframe, with the movable radius arm. From the radius arm there is another brake pipe leading into the wheel cylinder of the brake. On hydrolastic radius arms the brake pipe runs along the bottom. All others have the brake pipe runing on top of the radius arm. Respectively there are two holes in the subframe for the hoses. The lower hole for wet suspension, the upper hole for dry. Of course the upstream metal brake pipe should lead into either the top or the bottom hole. That means it should be easy to figure out which hole to use when only the hose has to be exchanged.

By the way, its always mandatory for the brake system to change the hoses on both sides, eaven when only one hose is faulty

so long
the doc

Thanks for that explanation (and to other contributors), so if the hose is run from the upper (dry) hole on the subframe to the bottom of the arm to join the pipe from the backplate the distance will be slightly longer than if it was run from the correct lower (wet) hole...

That would explain the condition I am experiencing, possibly whoever built up the subframe got it wrong and stretched the hose (or built the subframe up on the bench with the arm in an unloaded condition).

[IslandBlue]

Well, garage have had a look and the hoses are indeed currently run from the top hole on the subframe to the lower side of the arm, which explains the problem.

That mistake goes back 30 odd years to the previous owner of the nearly new subframe which I rescued from a wet 1275GT that was written off after a front end smash.

They're going to plumb it in correctly this time!

[mk1]

Problem solved