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Brake caliper hard line crack - stuck in Myrtle Beach

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ac brake rack
1K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  WildBoar 
#1 ·
Started off this morning in my 1997 D1 for the soccer tourney (in from Raleigh) and the brakes seemed soft and then completely gone.

I have a crack in the bend of the caliper hard line (front left).

Anyone local that can recommend a shop here in Myrtle to get me back on the road to Raleigh?

Thanks!

-Derek
 
#2 ·
You didn't mention if it is a cracked fitting or line but here are a few options:
You may be able to buy 3/16" compression fittings at a lowes or home depot and piece the line together to give you decent brakes.
You might be able to buy a short brake line from an auto supply to replace the line or cut it to use with the compression fittings.
Another option would be to silver solder over the crack temporarily just to get home.
And finally if you remove the line and find a reman caliper at an auto supply with a similar line that will work, you can remove the line from the reman unit and install it in your unit.
A less desirable temp fix would be to possibly remove the bleeders and use them to plug the lines going to the other half of both front calipers.
This would give you weaker brakes that would be better than none at all, but you would have to be ultra careful on the road.
 
#3 ·
Thanks Robert. I have some more info.


Just back from underneath it and noticed rub marks on the inside of the rim. Looks like the top caliper bolt went missing and allowed the bend in the hard line to become a pivot point of movement and therefore formed a crack in the bend of the line.

That complicates things a bit.
 
#12 ·
It's too bendy to repair in place. Any auto repair shop can fix it. They can reuse the nuts from the bad pipe. They can just copy the bends from it. The caliper bolt is metric 10 fine thread. Shouldn't be too hard to find.
You're done for the day but repair is simple.
 
#13 ·
Sorted or missing caliper bolt with a replacement. Advance Auto had the compression coupling and the length of metal brake line to make the patch. Quick 1 man brake bleed to get the pedal hard. Might get me home! Thanks for the guidance everyone.

-Derek
 
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