Flexible brake lines to calipers alpine 36fds

[hunter27h]

Looking for part numbers and source for purchasing new flexible brake lines to the calipers, I think I have exhausted, all the posts concerning brakes. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Ben

[Dave Fernandez]

Contact Crown Performance brake lines. Www.crownperformace.com they will custom make flexible brake lines. They are dot approved they manufacture custom break lines for off road vehicles and I have asked them about the Alpine and they said no problem just provide the size and length needed.

[kraig]

Because of the tight turning radius of Alpines they need long brake lines and mine kind of laid on top of my king pin cap screws. I replaced mine with Teflon racing type lines. They are not as flimsy as regular brake hoses. I had mine made by premierrubber.com. Also no sales tax in Oregon. Had mine for about 6 years now and look like the day I put them on.

They also make standard brake hoses for whatever.

[Birddog Pilot]

WRV, during the build, misaligned one of the rear brake lines and it rubbed on the airbag - result, both line and bag had to be replaced. Absolutely no problem getting custom flex brake lines. Yes, the racing or aircraft type with stainless outer braid is really the way to go. I don't know about the racing variety, but I like the aircraft stainless braided outer with Teflon inner hose - a bulletproof hose.

[hunter27h]

Due to logistics of the repair, I am still looking for part numbers for "off the shelf" brake lines, if anyone might have them or a sources that would know what I am looking for if I asked for the parts. Some specifications, length, type of fittings etc.

Thanks!

Ben

[c_oneil]

I seriously doubt you will find anything "off the shelf". Trying to patch some existing rubber flex line (if you could find something long enough) onto some steel brake line with who knows what end fittings and adapters is not a good idea. The lines on my coach are flex lines swagged onto steel brake lines and not joined with a threaded fitting. If you just have to have new brake lines in hand before you start the repair then you could make a sketch showing lengths of flex and steel tube you want and the end fittings required. They could make the lines for you in advance and you could then make the bends required on the steel lines when you install them.

[hunter27h]

I am making progress on locating parts for the coach brakes, but I thought it might help someone if I related the beginning of this journey.

A little earlier in the year when airing up the tires, one of my rear tires, passenger inside, was really low on air, I found this when I was getting the dash air charged, the rest of the 5 tires were pretty normal.

After leaving the shop and parking the rv in storage, I started thinking about that tire, and how often did I really check tire pressure. All six tires were put on the coach when I bought it and they are now in their 5th year, with less than 10,000 miles on them, still look brand new.

I decided to invest in one of those new gadgets that monitors tire pressure and temperature real time.

When they arrived, I installed them, found the same tire was low again. Hauled my air compressor to the storage unit, and pumped the tire back up, drove to the tire store, they found the valve stem leaking at the rim, replaced it, refilled with air, tested, all is good.

Couple of weeks later, getting ready for a trip, noticed on the new gadget, tire is low again, just not as much. Back to the tire store, replaced the valve core in the extension, as it seemed to be leaking a little.

Backed to getting ready to head out next morning, tire is down 6 lbs, according to the new gadget, verified with gauge, back to tire store, this time, Sunday morning, only a truck stop open...they agreed to look at the tire, cautioned me that if they took tire off and found it unsafe to repair, they would not be able to put it back on the coach, i felt pretty safe with that, because I wouldn't want an unsafe tire on the coach anyway, and besides, the tires are like new.

as in the luck of the irish, the tech comes in and says "I have some bad news" Your tire has zippers and I can't repair it" having never heard of zippers before, I asked for a look see, the tire had raised areas three to be exact, radiating from the rim to the outer edge of the tire. My question was is that causing the tire to lose air, he said he couldn't find anything else, but he could not put the tire back on the coach.

Naturally I bought a new tire,same as I had on the coach, paid at least a $100 dollars more than normal, but between a rock and a hard place..

I finally pulled out headed to wonderful Disney world with a true disneyholic as shotgun, and the three dogs.

I am now watching this new tire monitor as much as I am the road and mirrors, and after about 100 miles, I am watching the tire pressure on all the tires increase as I had expected, but the brand new tire is beginning to to go higher than the other 5, and I am thinking why is this, and what is that smell?

I pulled over at first opportunity, and sure enough, left front caliper was not completely releasing..oh my goodness! I also released some air from the new tire.

I was not in a location that I could leave the coach, so I made the decision to turn around and limp back home, watching the tire pressure on the new gadget and using the exhaust brake mainly for stopping. driving too slowly, the tire pressure would rise in the left front, so I increased speed a little and it would begin to drop, the rotor heating up was causing the tire pressure to increase, and strangely enough the new rear tire pressure began to drop back into a normal range, I was able to make it all the way back to the storage unit without a fire or any other disaster.

I am gathering parts to replace all 4 rotors and calipers, with hopes that only the two left front and right rear will have to be replaced, but I have learned a valuable and expensive lesson about brakes on the coach, and I can't say enough how glad I am to have spent the 50 bucks on the tire pressure monitor gadget

The tire tech at my normal store in diagnosing the issue says that the problem actually started with the flexible line, and we shall see.

[hunter27h]

After reviewing what information I could find from algoma gmcgene and others, I thought I had part numbers for rotors, calipers and pads for my coach, so I finally crawled under to try and get flexible line information.

When I looked at the castings on my calipers, I did not find the numbers I was expecting.
I found
SH90

4153126-r and l

7127

Same numbers on all 4 calipers

[whalepirot]

Reading posts about degradation of brake fluid being common, and having worked on cars for decades, I'd flush new brake fluid through as a simpler, possible fix to the sticky caliper. I've had that work.

It's not wasted time/money, given the known issue outside the sticky one you mentioned.

I'm about to do this, as I think my brake pedal requires too much pressure to stop, especially for the rare 'urgent' stop. Fluid color looks okay, but that is not the sole criteria. In our arid climate, the adsorption of water is much lower than in humid climes, but that water corrodes brakes parts and impedes movement of the pistons that press the pads and allow release (much less force).

[LETMGROW]

A quick check you can do.
Jack the wheel up. Apply the brake firmly. Try turning the wheel. If the wheel turns hard crawl under the coach and loosen the bleeder screw on the caliper. If you see a spurt of fluid exit the caliper the hose is bad and you have released the pressure on the caliper piston. If fluid does NOT come out and the wheel still is set up your problem is either the caliper piston is sticking or the mounts for the caliper are bound up.
Lynn

[hunter27h]

As a last resort, I managed to get the left front wheel removed from the coach, started with a torque multiplier with a 58/1 gear ratio, after 1 lug nut, went to plan B, 1&5/16 3/4 drive socket pull handle and 5' length of galvanized pipe, easily (well not real easy) broke the remaining lugs loose, then use 1/2 inch air wrench with 3/4 adapter to remove the rest of the way. I had purchased a tire dolly, and it was worth the cost, well maybe not, but it sure made handling that tire a lot easier.

Once I removed the rotor, I readily found the original problem, the bottom of the outside pad was not "sliding" back after braking..lack of upkeep by the owner.

I replaced the caliper anyway, liberally lubricated the slides, put the tire back on and tightened lugs back same manner. Not to worry, 5 miles to the shop that's going to do the rest of the work, and they have torque wrench to check for me

The ABS sensor on that wheel was toast, but I was able to get the numbers off it, and found it OEM on ebay for $40 bucks and 4 shipping.

Young man at NAPA searched diligently for flexible hose, and although I am not planning to replace it since it is in good condition. I now have the front hose.

The shop that is going to do the rest of the work, now that I have parts located, will flush the system as well. Not counting the tire, parts haven't been (so far) too terribly bad, but ain't done yet. I have learned my lesson about not exercising the motorhome.

[gmcgene]

Ben,

Please post the number for the OEM brake sensor.

Have you tested the other sensors to determine if they are working?

[hunter27h]

gmcgene

The sensor that I removed from the front left number was WABCO
441 032 813 0, after some chasing of the numbers I found an actual picture of the same sensor on ebay, showing the wabco number, and it was listed as a Meritor r955341, same specifications. The actual cable probably needs to be in the range of 3 ft, but the one on the coach was almost 6 ft with surplus tie wrapped up, appeared to be the original.

I have not done any testing, the one that I removed was completely destroyed, with fine,fine copper wire everywhere. I probably don't need all 4, but I bought 4, listing said 5 available, and once I get the other work done, then I will delve into the testing.

I found the same "R" number several times cheaper, but I went with what appears to be OEM.

[hunter27h]

Well, the brakes are partially finished, my original plan was to remove and clean slides on all 3 remaining calipers, good plan just didn't work, replaced all 4 calipers and brake shoes and abs sensors. Two things are very apparent now, you gotta exercise the coach, and you gotta flush the brake fluid. Next project trouble shoot the abs system, this is turning into a ? "project".