Stainless Steel Brake Hoses
Discussion
I am in the process of changing all my brake hoses to stainless - in the process I discovered that all the male ends on all the new hoses are the same, including the connector into the front caliper.
But the old rubber hose has a different caliper connector - still male but shorter, and with a different (recessed) tip. The new one seems to fit but I'm a bit concerned that it's not right.
Anybody else found this?
I'll post some pics tomorrow if it helps.
Also when I took the caliper off, the brake pad friction material fell off the metal backing of one of the pads :yikes: :yikes: :yikes:
But the old rubber hose has a different caliper connector - still male but shorter, and with a different (recessed) tip. The new one seems to fit but I'm a bit concerned that it's not right.
Anybody else found this?
I'll post some pics tomorrow if it helps.
Also when I took the caliper off, the brake pad friction material fell off the metal backing of one of the pads :yikes: :yikes: :yikes:
GreenV8S said:
They are not OK, if the seat is wrong they're the wrong part.
Well you said that last night Peter, and that was my view too, I don't like taking chances with brakes. I made up a short copper pipe with correct end on for the caliper and used that meantime. It only needs to flex for pad changing, and to allow the caliper to slide slightly as the brakes go on and off. Give me time to get the right hoses.
tvrgit said:
Well you said that last night Peter
True, I just wanted to respond to the implication that if some supplier insists it is the right part then it must be the right part. If the sealing faces don't match then it is categorically the wrong part. If your supplier says that despite having a different seat it is still the right part then change suppliers. If it seems like I'm laboring the point then sorry, but it's a potentially serious fault on a safety critical system, and I don't want to leave anyone thinking it's OK to bodge it.
Just an update - I emailed the supplier yesterday, just got a reply which agrees that they seem to be the wrong fittings, if I send them back, they'll get the ends changed for me by Goodridge, even although the hoses have now been "used".
Can't say fairer than that.
Here's a pic that shows the difference between the old hose connectors - ordinary connector on left, caliper connector on right:
>> Edited by tvrgit on Tuesday 28th June 12:06
Can't say fairer than that.
Here's a pic that shows the difference between the old hose connectors - ordinary connector on left, caliper connector on right:
>> Edited by tvrgit on Tuesday 28th June 12:06
Update:
After falling asleep on this for over a month, the manufacturer is now saying that the convex fittings are the ones they have listed for the S, so as far as they are concerned, it's the correct part. If I want them changed it'll cost me another £16.50. That'll be the fob-off that others have mentioned above, then.
I have been to a few motor factors to look at Sierra hoses, and they all have the concave fitting - ie what was on the car when I started.
I have therefore told them that it's their listing that's wrong, not me, so I want the correct bits at the price I paid. I have also drawn their attention to this thread and to my own website which shows the full email exchange in the diary section for yesterday.
As Peter says - the supplier isn't always right!
After falling asleep on this for over a month, the manufacturer is now saying that the convex fittings are the ones they have listed for the S, so as far as they are concerned, it's the correct part. If I want them changed it'll cost me another £16.50. That'll be the fob-off that others have mentioned above, then.
I have been to a few motor factors to look at Sierra hoses, and they all have the concave fitting - ie what was on the car when I started.
I have therefore told them that it's their listing that's wrong, not me, so I want the correct bits at the price I paid. I have also drawn their attention to this thread and to my own website which shows the full email exchange in the diary section for yesterday.
As Peter says - the supplier isn't always right!
Fair comments lads, you have to get your braking system spot on and no room for error. As for the friction material detaching from the metal back plate, I have had this on another and obviously replaced the whole set, I was informed that they deteriorate with age and heat and start to break up or just fall apart 
steve j said:
As for the friction material detaching from the metal back plate ... they deteriorate with age and heat and start to break up or just fall apart
That's rather alarming isn't it? In a safety critical not-fit-for-purpose expect-a-call-from-my-lawyers kind of way?
In my experience it is NOT normal for brake linings to separate from the back plate with age or heat, and I expect that would be one of the primary safety requirements for a brake pad.
Had similar snag with my s/s hoses (see HELP!-BRAKE HOSE CONNECTORS thread). When I actually got a torch and looked into the receiving connector on the caliper it turned out that it had a concave bottom which meant the convex connector on the end of the s/s hose was fine. Didn't explain why the flex-hose I took off had a concave end though! Since used my s/s hoses with no snags and no leaks. Would agree with others though that best fitting would be the 90deg right angle with swivel joint for easier caliper removal.
I had exactly the same problem with my S1 when I changed the hoses to stainless versions. The hoses I received not only had the wrong fittings but they were far too long aswell. Eventually I got a refund and made the hoses up myself.
You can buy all the fittings and hose from a company called Rally Design www.raldes.co.uk. It's a little bit fiddly but you don't need any special tools and you can make the hoses fit exactly.
You can buy all the fittings and hose from a company called Rally Design www.raldes.co.uk. It's a little bit fiddly but you don't need any special tools and you can make the hoses fit exactly.
The manufacturer has come back to me again, saying that "maybe I'm wrong and it's not a Ford caliper" or alternatively, "maybe I made a mistake in identifying the fitting I need" - as far as they are concerned, they list convex fittings so that's what's right... and I'm a tube for being wrong...
Aside from their rather gratuitous assumptions, they have sent me the lockheed / girling catalogue listings for the sierra brake hoses, and that does show a convex fitting right enough. They say that many manufacturers of rubber hoses use "dual-seat" fittings - ie a part concave / part convex seat. That does seem to be what I have, see the photo.
I have had loads of Fords, from escorts to sierras and granadas and now the S, and they have all had these fittings. Could it be that the hose manufacturer is right and Ford have fitted cheapo dual fittings from new?
I don't have the car here at the moment, it's still getting the bonnet fixed after my muppet moment, or I would take the caliper off and check the internal seat shape.
Any comments?
Aside from their rather gratuitous assumptions, they have sent me the lockheed / girling catalogue listings for the sierra brake hoses, and that does show a convex fitting right enough. They say that many manufacturers of rubber hoses use "dual-seat" fittings - ie a part concave / part convex seat. That does seem to be what I have, see the photo.
I have had loads of Fords, from escorts to sierras and granadas and now the S, and they have all had these fittings. Could it be that the hose manufacturer is right and Ford have fitted cheapo dual fittings from new?
I don't have the car here at the moment, it's still getting the bonnet fixed after my muppet moment, or I would take the caliper off and check the internal seat shape.
Any comments?
S3Swiss said:
Had similar snag with my s/s hoses (see HELP!-BRAKE HOSE CONNECTORS thread). When I actually got a torch and looked into the receiving connector on the caliper it turned out that it had a concave bottom which meant the convex connector on the end of the s/s hose was fine. Didn't explain why the flex-hose I took off had a concave end though! Since used my s/s hoses with no snags and no leaks. Would agree with others though that best fitting would be the 90deg right angle with swivel joint for easier caliper removal.
no leaks so far!
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