Rear Drum Brake Line Question

[GatorDoc]

Hey guys,
First off I am not the most mechanically inclined person and tend to learn everything the hard way. That said, I am a little stumped with the rear brake line replacement on my 1975 Bronco. I am running front disc and original rear drums. I recently had a rear brake lock up and start smoking. Decided to replace the shoes, springs, wheel cylinders, etc and after measuring made sure to get the correct 10 inch replacement parts ..... and figured while I was there to go ahead and replace the original steel rear brake lines. The lines running from the center brake hose out to the wheel cylinders. I ordered a new set of stainless steel rear brake lines from a reputable dealer here on this forum and they don't come close to fitting. Both are too long, wrong bends, and the flared fitting is to large as well as the wrong thread. The new lines came with two different sized flare nuts on each side. My original uses the same size on both sides. The part I ordered was labeled:
New
1966-77 Ford Bronco
Pair
OE Steel.
Proudly Made In The USA!
Detailed Description
2 pre bend 9 inch rear brake lines.

Am I ordering the wrong part? I did not see where the rear brake lines came in different sizes. Any and all help and advice is greatly appreciated.
J

 

[DirtDonk]

Interesting. And sorry to hear you're having this hassle.
I personally would have thought that there are different versions (knowing how often Ford changed wheel cylinders sometimes!). Our hard lines say '66 to '77 as well, but frankly the '73, '74 and '75 rear ends have been the bane of our existence ever since we started selling parts.
Same as the steering columns for the same years.

We sell four different wheel cylinder numbers (eight if you include left and right sides) for the different setups on the rear. '66 to '75 large brake, '66 to '73 small brake, '74 and '75 small brake, and '76 and '77 large brake.
And because the '77 rear axle housings were a different shape than all the earlier ones, I can see how a one-size-fits-all hard line kit could have it's issues. That last issue however should be easily overcome with some slight bending. But the different size fittings is a no-go from the start.

We may have to test some fitting sizes on the four different wheel cylinder models to make sure that they're the same.
By that same token though, you could have gotten the wrong wheel cylinders. Do you still have the old to compare to the new? Are the ports the same size and thread?

If you got the parts from us, give a call tomorrow (or send an e-mail to sales@wildhorses4x4.com if that's easier during the work week) and let us know.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[Steve83]

When doing the brakes recently on the '74 in my signature, I found errors in the parts listings, errors in documentation, and errors in the parts inside the boxes that I received. You just have to figure out which ones are the errors. In your case, you should stick to parts that match the originals.

I'd skip the stainless lines - especially from a company that thinks their stainless lines are "OE steel". It's not hard to bend a brake line to match an original that's in usable condition. Buy a bender (or 2), measure the actual length of the original line, and shop the local parts stores for a new straight one with the right fittings and the same length or slightly longer. You can either bend away the extra, or cut it & re-flare it.

 

[GatorDoc]

Thanks guys,
I may give it another go tomorrow. The new wheel cylinders match the old as far as I can tell and the flare nuts from the old lines fit the new wheel cylinders. Paul, it did not come from you guys but I respect your response immensely.
I guess the old saying of "the enemy of good is better" holds true here. I should have left the old lines alone.
J

 

[Jdgephar]

Here is what they look like on my 72. The ones I bought lined up pretty well.

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