94 xtracab rear brake line replace

[dknightd]

Just lost the brakes in my 1994 22re 4x4 xtracab pickup.

It is dripping next to the gas tank. Haven't had a chance to check, but, my guess is the hardline that runs past the gas tank is rusted and got a hole - damn.

How hard is it to replace this brake line (in the winter, outside).
Can it be done without dropping the gas tank?
Any tips?

Thanks
David

 

[KLF]

Hi David:

The joys of living in the salt belt, huh? You can do it by just getting some more hard lines from NAPA in the same metric thread, snake it up past the tank. Disconnect the old lines and abandon them, carefully bend the new stuff so it connects where necessary at the little T behind the pass side front wheel, and to the LSPV behind the tank. I think you'll need a couple of 6' lines, and a coupling so you can join them together in the middle. I would buy a bunch of them, use what you need, then take back what you don't use.

Good luck.

 

[dknightd]

Hi Ken,
Rust sucks, as you know . . .

It seems dangerous you can lose one of those lines, and essentially have no brakes. I'm glad I did not hit anybody, or anything!

The frustrating thing is I take care to pressure wash that area, since I know it is vulnerable to rust. I couldn't see any problem with the lines last time I did this - must be more rusty in a place I could not see.

I think I might call local Monroe brake and muffler and ask how much they charge to do this for me. I really don't feel like messing with it. Too bad I have no spare vehicle, and an injured foot.

Thanks for the feedback, it seems like it should be something easily done by somebody with experience with brake work. I just hope nothing else breaks in the process, that is the problem with rust - try to fix one problem, and just run into another due to rusted parts. AT least if the gas tank tank can stay in place that gives one less potential problem (although I guess if the brake line failed, the fuel lines might not be too far behind)

Take care,
David

edit: probably needs a frame off restoration, but I don't think I'm up to doing that on this truck.

 

[dknightd]

BTW do you happen to know of a schematic of how the brakes lines are laid out in these trucks?
I didn't see anything in my FSM. I'm guessing ALL braking power goes through the LPSV. In which case it would be nice to know how to bypass those lines in a trail emergency. It might be worth having a little piece of brakeline in the tool box so I could either bypass, or close that off, to at least have some brakes. I could duct tape it to my spare bottle of brake fluid