Why Upgrade Brake Hoses?
Why should I upgrade my brake hoses?
Brake hoses are not the first thing most people think about when they consider upgrading the performance of their car. This is mainly because brake hoses are not easily visible from outside the car and are in most cases considered ‘just part of the car’. However, there are real safety and performance benefits to not only maintaining your brake hoses, but also making sure you have the highest possible specification installed.
Most cars typically have ‘hard lines’ (steel pipes) plumbing the brake system from the master cylinder all the way to inside each wheel arch where they terminate at a fitting. From there a flexible rubber hose runs to the caliper and in many cases has clips, brackets or fittings that attach to the suspension to make sure the hoses don’t foul on any moving parts.
This rubber hose is the part that can be upgraded easily for increased performance and safety.
Types of brake hoses
Generally, there are two types of brake hoses – rubber or stainless steel.
Almost every type of road car is supplied from the showroom floor with rubber hoses. They are a flexible rubber tube that are normally woven with fabric internally (like a radial tyre!) to increase pressure capability. These rubber hoses are cheaper than stainless versions but are perfectly fine for everyday street cars that are services regularly to maintain reliability.
However, rubber hoses are prone to crack and possibly leak over time – particularly when used in competition or enthusiast type cars.
Stainless Steel brake hoses are made from Teflon inner tubing, which is then wrapped in stainless steel braid, and in some cases an outer plastic coating for extra protection. This combination of materials makes the hoses less prone to physical damage or fatigue.
Benefits of stainless brake hoses
Performance
Rubber brake hoses will tend to have more ‘give’ than stainless steel versions. The internal tubing of stainless hoses already has excellent resistance to bulging, but the stainless weave used on encase and support the Teflon adds more strength again. Rubber hoses can increase in volume but around 3% which is a lot when you consider some cars have up to 2-3 meters in total. Stainless hoses bulge much less than this. The result is a better pedal feel instantly.
Strength
Stainless hoses are extremely strong and will put up with extreme punishment. The strength of the hose itself is the reason they improve pedal feel, but it also decreases the chances of unreliability which for brakes, is VERY important!
Appearance
Although in many cars the hoses can be hard to see, buying stainless hoses with coloured outside plastic coating can enhance the look of the car. For example, many Subaru owners choose pink to suit the branding of STi and may Hyundai owners choose the light blue to suit N Performance!
FAQ’s
Are stainless hoses ADR approved for street use?
Not all brake hoses are approved. For example, some hoses are designed for racing only, meaning the car is unregistered and does not need to comply to Australian Design Rules.
Make sure the hoses you choose for your car have ADR or FMVSS-106 approval. All Hosetechnik hoses are manufactured in the UK and have FMVSS-106 approval which automatically gives approval for use on Australian roads under ADR regulations.
How do I fit the lines to my car?
Many people buying this type of product can do their own work on may parts of their car. However, when it comes to brake hoses, make sure a person with mechanical experience and the right tools is involved. Remember, brake hoses are a performance and safety item so do not cut any corners on installation.
With Hosetechnik brake hoses, you will receive all necessary parts including fittings, washers, mounting brackets etc to install the hoses. The installer will only need tools and brake fluid.
How much brake fluid do I need?
When you change the lines, you will lose some of the fluid so will need to top us the reservoir and bleed the system to completely remove air.
This is normally a good chance to make sure you have the right fluid for your needs. To help decide what type of fluid you should use check our blog here.
All information on MSB Garage is informational only, so you should always defer to a professional when it comes to installing parts to your car. If unsure, always check with your mechanic.
