I've run into an interesting problem with the replacement rear brake hoses for my 62 Super 88. I'm thinking this should also effect anyone with a 61/62 model year car.

As part of my brake re-plumbing I decided to change all the lines and hoses. The rear hoses that are available from Dorman and Raybestos are just too short.

Dorman specifies the H35018 for all 61/62 applications, and specifies it for the left and right rears, even though there's only a single hose going to the axle's distribution block. The OAL measurement of the Dorman line is 15.75". It's about an inch shorter than the line I'm taking off of my car. As a result, it's not possible to install the line with the suspension unloaded. I can screw the rear end of the hose into the rear axle distribution block, but the hose is just too short to reach the bracket on the front end without being pulled so taut that the hose is stressed, putting tension on the rear fitting.

The Raybestos BH35018 hose isn't any good either -- They also incorrectly specify 2 lines for the rear axle, even though it only uses one. The OAL on the Raybestos hose is spec's at 16.03". That extra 0.28" doesn't do enough to make it better than the Dorman hose. It also won't reach the hose fittings without pulling the hose straight under tension.

Does anyone have a recommendation for an alternative product? I'm thinking that a slightly longer hose for a different application might be the answer, unfortunately the tech line at Dorman is being staffed by an answering machine instead of a person.

 

Hi Bob,
For my 63 98 I walked into Napa and said I need one of these and we sorted through a bunch on the shelf til I found one half an inch longer . Worked out fine and the extra length didn't cause any problems under the car.
Steve

 

Great idea, Steve. But I didn't have your luck. My local NAPA and the other parts stores have gotten really tight on their inventory. When I made a comment at NAPA about every store having a "lean" inventory that required me to special order every part, the manager became offended -- He told me that he keeps $3 million in inventory in his store, and if something doesn't turn over 3x in a year he won't stock it. I thought that was an odd thing to say, considering the guy builds street rods and is his shop is where everyone in the local classic car scene likes to shop. I don't know how a store can sell themselves as catering to the classic car market when they refuse to stock any parts, and every purchase has to be a special order.

I didn't think that parts for a 1989 truck were too old for NAPA to carry, but I guess that means I'm just getting old. My 1962 Rocket is 53 years old now, so it's no surprise that finding parts is hard. The problem with my local NAPA is that if I have to special order every part, pay shipping fees, and it's non-returnable, then I might as well pay 1/3 the price and mail order it from RockAuto.

I tried the other local retail stores including AutoZone, O'Reilly, Advance and my wholesale supplier and none of them could help either. The best any of them could do was to offer ordering in the part at 3x the cost from RockAuto. RockAuto wins again. Sigh.

 

I think that part of the problem with the hoses being too short for the application is caused by manufacturers like Raybestos and Dorman consolidating their SKUs so that they have fewer parts to deal with. Sometimes the process of consolidation eliminates several of the "right" parts in favor of one that is supposed to be "close enough" to "fit" all the applications. In the case of the 61/62 rear brake hoses, the SKU consolidation resulted in parts that are just too short to fit their intended application. This new "one size fits all" paradigm isn't working for me.

The problem is confounded by the fact that nobody prints paper manuals any more. With the paper manuals you could look up brake hoses by fitting type and hose length. In the age of the internet, nobody lets you do that. All of the on-line look up tables are based on the application, and if the process of SKU consolidation buggers up the fitment for the application, then you're screwed. There's no way for you to do the lookup by length to find the right part.

 

Existing rear brake hose on top.
Dorman H35018 "replacement" on the bottom.



Note that the Dorman hose is significantly shorter than it needs to be -- I had to put the line under a lot of tension to clip it into place. This is obviously not an acceptable solution, so I'll need to find something a bit longer.





.

 

Stop the drama and just bring the old hose to match up to a new hose! And I guess you didn't ask if a 1961-1962 hose was for a full size or F-85

 

Like I said previously, I took the hose to NAPA, OReilly, AutoZone, Advance, and my local wholesale auto parts supplier. None of them stock hoses with those fittings in close sizes for comparison -- special order only.
You guessed wrong. The BH36038 hose for an F85 isn't even close to being the right size for a full size 62 -- It's about 6 inches longer. And nobody around here stocks it either.

http://www.raybestosbrakes.com/magno...Number=BH36038

 

Guys I just bought this 62 88, and the previous owner installed this. Its a Sunsong J1401 soft line. He tied to the control arm. Not sure if this is the best route to go, let me know. Part is on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Sunsong-...-/231398194292

 

I remember when you were buying that car. Have you posted more pics since you got it? I must have missed them while I was away for a while. I'd always enjoy seeing more pics of a nice '62 88.

Back to the brake hoses -- I guess the elimination of SKUs by the brake parts manufacturers isn't effecting only me -- it looks like other people are having problems with the "right hose for the application" being too short, so they're having to come up with something else, and sometimes that means using a hose that is longer than what you really want to use.

What's the overall length on that Sunsong hose? It'd be good to know how long it measures tip-to-tip, so I can have a better idea about how much extra length is enough and how much extra length is too much.

I was thinking that the F85 hose, which is 6 inches longer than the full size hose, would be way too long and would require some sort of tethering of the excess length to keep it out of the way. That's what it looks like the previous owner had to do on your car. It'd be helpful to know the OAL on your hose (tip to tip including fittings if you can estimate that) to get a better idea of what length to shop for.

 

I will be home later and measure it.

 

I installed the Dorman H35018 just to take pictures to show how unsuitable it is for this application. See post #5. To clip the hose into the mounting bracket I had to put an unacceptable amount of tension on it. The hose is just not suitable for the application. We could definitely use something a little longer. I'm going to call Dorman again to see what else is available.

 

You can also get custom length lines made up by many suppliers. If you had a handy counter person they would look it up by length in the general application of GM and you might get lucky to find one off a wagon or truck with the right ends. Inline or someone that reproduces lines can make customs. Jegs and Summit offer braided customs. Contact Dorman directly or some of the other companies. Dorman should know about the bad application spec. They may be able to assist with finding a longer line. I dont recommend going the route someone took on therobskis car. Hats off to you for ditching the old lines!

 

I was just going to suggest ^^. I can take a brake hose to a local manufacturer (Greggs) and they will duplicate everything from power steering hose to brake hoses. Guaranteed too.

 

Bob, would it be possible to move the junction block or extend the in line so the flex hose would work for you? I know this would require making new steel lines but that might be an easier way then hunting down a new flex line.
Steve

 

Boy I sure could have used that on my 64 98 when I needed the same hose assy. I wonder if it really is SAE rated hose as the markings suggest. Those economy brake hoses which flooded ebay and suppliers sourced from Argentina have had burst failures and the hose has been found to not conform to ratings for this use. At that ebay price I might buy two and cut the hose and look for nylon reinforcement, at least. I too used a longer truck hose assy and it was a lot of money from NAPA some years ago.

 

The hose is 23 inches from end to end.

 

I ran into the same problem with my 55. got the hose from inline tube. when I emailed them about their hose being too short, they never answered me. I had to move the bracket down a little bit. looks like it is gonna work

 

I noticed this very same problem on my 62 Dynamic 88.

 

Hmmm. Somebody doesn't like this thread, he gave it one star. Obviously he's not someone who has this problem. Hopefully the new information I've found will make the thread more helpful to the rest of us than it's one-star rating would suggest.

There's something interesting about living in the "Information Age" and working on a car from the "Space Age"... In the era of the Internet and computers, we're supposed to be able to find information much easier than before. The problem, though, is that all we seem to be able to find is marketing information, and if marketing information isn't what we're looking for, then we're up a creek. During the Space Age you could walk up to a parts counter and compare hoses by length, or just grab the manual and page through the hose table to find what you need. In the Information Age, getting the answer is harder than I expected it to be. But I'm digressing.

Let's review what we have so far. These are the hoses people have recommended, sorted by length from short to long:
Obviously, we need something that's 16.75" or longer, but a lot shorter than 22". I went out and shook the bushes this morning. Looking at parts books, I found a couple of potential problem solvers. They would be:

Although the 36590 looks like it should be perfect based upon it's added length, it's rear connector is longer:

H35018:




H36590:



H36664:


The rear axle threaded connector on the 36590 is longer than stock; that directs the line farther downward at the rear axle before it sweeps up to the frame bracket. Yes, it is 1-3/8" longer than the Dorman H35018 that is too short, but the problem is that about 1/2" of the length goes in the wrong direction (down at a steep angle), which will require the remaining extra length to be used up in sweeping back up to the frame bracket. To me it looks like this hose won't be the answer.

The next option is the 36664. It has the same connector as the OEM and 35018, which means that the added OAL on the hose is going to be useful added length. I ordered one of these and I should have it in a few days.

I'll let you know how it works. I'm hoping that the research will pay off and provide a good solution for all of us 61/62 full sizers who have the short rear hose problem.



.

 

Update: The Dorman (Sunsong) H36664 hose arrived today and I had a chance to install it when I got home. Too dark now for a picture, but it seems like a decent solution -- plenty of slack for a tension-free installation, and not so much slack that there's a serious droop problem (at least with the car up in the air). Will try to get some pics tomorrow with the car up in the air, and in the next few days when it's back on the ground.

 

Bob p did this soft line work for you?

 

It worked OK. Definitely better than what I had before, and definitely better than what you've got. I have to figure out where I put my camera and then I'll post some pics.

 

For reference, here is a picture of your long Sunsong line:




Here is the Dorman/Sunsong H36664 installed. The car is up on blocks /suspension unloaded:



The Dorman/Sunsong H36664 is a whole lot better than the Dorman H35018. The H35018 was so short that I had to pull on it with an unacceptable amount of tension to mount it in the frame bracket. It was clearly an unsafe fit:



I took another photo of the H36664 with the car on the ground and the suspension loaded, but I can't find it on my camera. Maybe it got deleted by mistake. I'll have to shoot another one.

.

 

Wow that is great. You put a lot of time in finding a solution to this for a lot of guys with these Big Old's. I just ordered one from Summit Racing $ 8.97!