ruptured brake lines

[yo_sushi]

Driving along last night suddenly the brake peddle fell to the floor and I had very limited braking, I limped the car home and had a feel around but in the dark i couldn't see anything, got the car up on some ramps this morning took the rear wheels off and saw this:
http://www.smellslikesushi.com/stuff/1979/brake1.jpg
http://www.smellslikesushi.com/stuff/1979/brake2.jpg

Pretty gratefull the car got me home, but I guess I'm looking at replacing the rear brake lines...should i go for steel ones? and are there any preffered manufacturer?

[anthonydalrymple]

Braided steel are nice & are worth the extra $. I could be wrong; but it looks like the failure was due to other causes. That brake line looks to be way too close to the exhaust IMHO......

[JACook]

This is what happens when exhaust shops put dual exhaust systems on single
exhaust Fox bodies. Had the same situation happen on my '65 Mustang. The PO
had converted to duals, but didn't bother to change the brake plumbing. It's a
miracle I'm still here to talk about it. :eek:

A braided line is not the answer to this problem. The best thing to do is to convert
the plumbing on the rear axle housing to the later style. You will need the later
brake hose, and also the hard lines on the rear axle. Then get a union fitting, and
run a short length of brake line to the center over the driveshaft tunnel, and
secure the hose/hard line connection with a bracket similar to what's there now.

The dual exhaust brake hose mounts to the top center of the axle housing, well
away from suspension and exhaust.

Brakes are important. Do it right.

[MurPHy]

Convert to the later style brake line. Regular OEM rubber flex hose is just fine. You will need to reroute your hard lines too at the axle, get a double flare kit and some brake line (3/16" I think?) and go to town. Fabbing up your own brake lines is VERY VERY easy.

[Zap's 85 GT]

Hitt the junk yard and get the later dual exhaust frame mount, banjo bolt, and axle hard lines(or you can make your own as they are pretty easy to bend and flare).

Getting the proper brake hose to fit a dual exhaust 7.5" rear axle is tough. Parts stores will usually sell you the one for an 8.8" axle and it will not fit correctly without a lot of bending and modification. I used the original bracket from my 85 GT and swapped out the rubber hose with the later 86-93 one so it had compatible hydraulic fittings.

[yo_sushi]

Thanks for all the replies guys, will order some stuff up later this week and hopefully get under the car this weekend. Will post update pics.

[yo_sushi]

got the bad lines off yesterday and fitted a temp replacement hose ($9 from rock auto), here's what the shot line looks like :eek:
http://www.smellslikesushi.com/stuff/1979/line.jpg

I've got some new Russell steel lines and new front calipers and pads etc coming in soon so I've just used a stock rubber line for now to get the car mobile.

[TWR2003]

Looks about what a 30 year old hose might. Are your front lines this old too?

T

[yo_sushi]

Not sure about the fronts as I didn't get a look at them, I've got a complete new setup (braided lines, new front calipers and pads etc...) coming in in a few days so I will be replacing the lot.

[JACook]

Hopefully your braided line for the rear is the later style. Braided lines rubbing
against the exhaust pipe will do exactly what your rubber one did. It'll just take
a little longer is all.