Advice about brake hoses please.

[DJ.]

My Seven has nice stainless braided hoses which look perfect after 5 years use. However, the Caterham service guide says to replace them every 4 years.

I can understand that it isn't possible to check the inner hose for cracks like I would on a road car with rubber brake lines, but 4 years seems a very short time. Our Berlingo has just gone through its MOT and the rubber brake hoses looked fine after 10 years of use.

So, how often do you change your hoses?

[steve m]

Mine have been on the car for TEN years,

ooops,

steve

[Tony C]

Sounds like nonsense to me, if the car stops well and the pedal is firm why would you change them?

But I may be wrong

[greenwoo]

until one of mine split at North Weald i'd have said ' erm i'd never think about changing them'....in truth think something had flicked up off the surface and split it.
Can't think that i've ever had any changed on tintops - so not sure why it should really be that different for a kit car ( sorry Duncan ) HANDBUILT car.
Sure someone far more knowledgeble will have a view....

[b33fy]

As you say Duncan, difficult to do a visual check with the braided type. Cracks and bulges are the usual tell tale signs. The only other way is the pedal feel as Tony mentioned. If it starts feeling a little soft it may be bulging, though again the braid goes some way to prevent this. I would probably only change mine if signs of visual damage or spongy pedal or if I was replacing the calipers. You can get kits to make up your own not a difficult job to DIY if required.

[Fury1630]

As far as I'm aware the braided hydraulic hoses on the aircraft were not a lifed item, admittedly they had an easier life, being "indoors". By co-incidence I also had one let go at North Weald last year, a p-clip had fatigued allowing the hose to rub on the driveshaft which wore through the braiding. But inside was a rubber layer & inside that was a nylon tube, so that won't degrade with time as long as it's in the dark (which is probably what the rubber layer was for).

If they're a good make (Goodrich for example) give them a good check over & replace on condition.

If you have any doubts, talk to Goodrich or another manufacturer.

[andyf]

I'm going to tempt fate now by saying mine are 30 years old and not showing any signs of fatigue!

Now I've said that one's going to go pop

[DJ.]

Thanks for the thoughts

Interesting to hear there is nylon then rubber under the stainless. My gut feeling is they'll be fine for at least a couple more years, but I'll be giving then a close inspection during the winter service.

By the way, kit car is fine by me Mark. As I said to a friend in L7Club it arrived as a kit of parts for me to put together, so it's a kit car!

[Tony T]

yup your right it is a kit car but caterham are not going to say that.The B hoses are probably caterham and you will more than likely buy from them and will probably be costly