Brake hose?

Don4107 · September 10, 2013, 08:50:36 PM

What is the best way to go for brake hose. Factory crimp hose less than a year old is leaking. I want to be able to make a hose on the road if needed. Parker push lock?

Thanks
Don

akroyaleagle · September 10, 2013, 10:23:04 PM

Mine are all replaced with DOT plastic hose. The ends can be reused if need arises to make a new one. Just buy a few extra ferrels.

Oonrahnjay · September 10, 2013, 10:50:18 PM

Quote from: Don4107 on September 10, 2013, 08:50:36 PMWhat is the best way to go for brake hose. Factory crimp hose less than a year old is leaking. I want to be able to make a hose on the road if needed. Parker push lock?
Thanks
Don

Don, are you talking about the flexible hoses that go between the valves or other fittings on the chassis to the brake cans?

chessie4905 · September 11, 2013, 05:55:35 AM

Around here, the hoses to the chambers are dot nylon/plastic also.

bobofthenorth · September 11, 2013, 08:29:19 AM

ICBWB where I am I think the DOT will pull you off the road if they find anything other than DOT spec hoses running to the cans. And they're so cheap at NAPA I don't know why anyone would bother trying to homebrew them. When I'm under there with the grease gun I pay close attention to those hoses and if there's any doubt its easier to just change them.

belfert · September 11, 2013, 09:24:11 AM

My bus is a 1995. All of the air lines are DOT plastic. The only exception is they used flexible air hoses to the brake chambers instead of DOT plastic line. There are bulkhead fittings that convert from the plastic to threaded connections. I had the tag axle flexible hoses replaced in 2011 and they haven't leaked yet.

Don4107 · September 11, 2013, 10:10:23 AM

More info. Only talking about DOT spec stuff. I replaced all three hoses on the DD3 chamber that I rebuilt last fall with premade factory crimp hoses. One is already leaking at the crimp.

Last time I did major worked on a bus air system I made up lines from with the plastic tubing and fittings that I assembled. This was some time ago and I was wondering what the state of the art is now. Not happy with factory crimp that I can't repair.

PS. I already carry 3 or 4 extra hoses and a handful of fitting just in case.

Thanks
Don

Oonrahnjay · September 11, 2013, 11:00:50 AM

Quote from: belfert on September 11, 2013, 09:24:11 AMMy bus is a 1995. All of the air lines are DOT plastic. The only exception is they used flexible air hoses to the brake chambers instead of DOT plastic line. There are bulkhead fittings that convert from the plastic to threaded connections. I had the tag axle flexible hoses replaced in 2011 and they haven't leaked yet.

OK, I spent many years writing parts manuals and specification lists. Apologies if this is too pedantic, but I have three kinds of brake piping on my bus:
1) Solid stainless metal pipe (mostly around the brake pedal/valve);
2) Poly-plastic "DOT" tube, Conforms to SAE J844. (Note - this is solid-wall tube, it is not reinforced by woven fabric -- it is "tube" not "hose".)
3) Brake hose, also "DOT" approved; with crimped on metal attachment fittings and the flexible wall reinforced by woven fabric- that woven fabric is what makes it "hose".

Don, it sounds as if you have asked about genuine "hose" assemblies. If you have one that's leaking, it was just made incorrectly. I'd try to return it but even if you have to buy a new one, they're cheap. My hoses (non-compounding relay valve to brake canisters on the rear axles) needed to be 22" (2), 20" and 19" to fit well but a 22" will fit OK at all the points if the extra is secured with zip-ties so I carry one of those for a spare. Fronts are 28" so I carry another spare the right size for those. The hydraulic parts place down the road from me said that he could make hose assemblies that could be disassembled and put back together but that's *way* more expensive than the non-disassemblable kind so I just used the NAPA hose.

Chessie, I'm not saying you're wrong but if anybody was to be found running plastic DOT pipe to the brake canisters around here, they'd be off the road until flexible hose assemblies were installed (the picture in your mind should be of a guy with a grey uniform wearing a smokey-bear hat standing there with a ticket book in his hand watching the work being done). I'm not saying that plastic tube wouldn't work, not saying that it's not commonly done in some places, not saying it's not safe, not saying that the Federales won't let them go -- but you won't find solid tubing used on the brake canisters on my bus.

Don4107 · September 11, 2013, 12:44:53 PM

Our 5b has the inversion valve mounted on the front of the drop box so it moves with the diff. I suppose you 'could' use tubing from there to the DD3s but hose sound better to me. The relay valve and the pressure line to the inversion valve are from the rear bulkhead so they must be hose.

What brands of hoses fittings are designed to be reusable?

Don

Oonrahnjay · September 11, 2013, 01:05:54 PM

Quote from: Don4107 on September 11, 2013, 12:44:53 PMWhat brands of hoses fittings are designed to be reusable?

Yeah, Don, your set up is a little different from mine (my rear relay/anti-compounding valve is bolted to a plate on the chassis - four hose assemblies go to the canisters; two to each canister, one for service brakes and one for emergency/parking brakes) but the principle is the same.
As I said, I didn't seriously consider using the rebuildable/disassemblable assemblies so I didn't pay any attention to the brand name but the guy at my local hydraulic supply shop said that he had all the components and could make them up in minutes.

Sorry I can't help more, BH NC USA