Brake hose brands

[buck91]

Is there much of a different between brands with EPDM rubber brake hoses? Looking at everyone’s parts reference site there is a significant price difference between my two go-to brands. Is the Motorcraft actually worth it?

 

[Lubener]

Any of those brands will be fine. I would buy the ones having the cheaper price. I wouldn't spend extra for Motorcraft.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Everything seems to be repackaged Sunsong branded hoses nowadays. That's not really a bad thing since they are good quality, but you could probably shop for brake hoses by price, which generally doesn't seem to be one of those things to skimp on.

 

[ordinarybloke]

Anyone with the means to divine the differences between one brake-hose and another should start a religion. We lay prostrate at your feet. Oh where, oh great One, is thine temple? For come we must to worship thee.

 

[Fla]

Just out of curiosity: Is it possible to buy good quality commercial hose and make brake hoses like you can hydraulic hoses? (Been there, done that and still have the press.) Yeah, Yeah, I know some of you are going to complain that it's cheaper just to buy them, I don't want to hear it. I have a British car build in the 1950s that uses hoses with a weird British Whitworth thread and the only hoses available are ****tily made hoses from India and they're sold through a specialty parts supplier at a Premium price.

It's just a thought, I don't know if the correct thread fittings are even available. And I've never heard of anyone making brake hoses so I don't know what specialties may be involved.

 

[ordinarybloke]

Yes, this is possible. It'd be how all hoses are done anyhow. Your local hydraulics supplier will make-up whatever you'd want. Look-up fork-lift / process equipment people. They'll do them. Not very 50s Brit, likely you'll not get plain-rubber because the after-market thinks it requires turquoise steel-braid? Even if stopping to think for a second - SWIDT, with added 'boy-racer science', braided is an upgrade so they say - er, somehow...

If they've not got your exact fittings, careful use of an angle-grinder will have them able to crimp new hose to old fittings.

Anyway you'll get something.

 

[Zack1978]

Everything seems to be repackaged Sunsong branded hoses nowadays. That's not really a bad thing since they are good quality, but you could probably shop for brake hoses by price, which generally doesn't seem to be one of those things to skimp on.

Exactly what I was going to say! I just cut out the middle man and buy the Sunsong from the start.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Exactly what I was going to say! I just cut out the middle man and buy the Sunsong from the start.

Now I need to go update my other recent brake threads. I didn't think I changed hoses on my sons Forte when I did the full fronts in 2021. I just checked the old hoses since garbage didn't come yet and they say Sunsong on them with DOT codes from 2020 and 2021. I looked on my RA orders and I had ordered the Raybestos standard replacement ones for his car at the same time. I didn't read what the Duralast ones say on them (yet).

So like above Raybestos at least those were rebranded/remarketed Sunsong.

Now concerned I have other brake issues in future unless it was just a bad hose or a bad Raybestos Element3 caliper.

How do you test for a suspected bad brake hose? Warranty was only 18 months / 18k miles anyway but just curious.

 

[dfarr67]

I've been buying Sunsong- you have no idea how difficult it is for me to do that. But ACD is no longer the brand it once was.... and paying more doesn't guarantee anything.

 

[thescreensavers]

Everything seems to be repackaged Sunsong branded hoses nowadays. That's not really a bad thing since they are good quality, but you could probably shop for brake hoses by price, which generally doesn't seem to be one of those things to skimp on.

This exactly, over the years that Ive purchased lines they have just been Sunsong. no issues with any of them but, if you are buying rubber lines "non performance" lines I'd be fine with the lowest price on Rockauto.

 

[ordinarybloke]

The priciest cars in the world use the same brake-hose as the cheapest. Ask yourself why? Hose is hose, if it wants changing, change it. You will not get a firmer pedals with steel-braid, even if it is in 'shonk' blue. If you do, worry. It'll be because your had air somewhere, old hose or fluid is shot. Hoses usually fail at the crimp, and plain black is better, and lets you know before failure. That'd be some of the reasons manufacturers use it. They don't like class-actions.

Exception: Buy steel-braid hose if you already pay for overpriced coffee because the seller makes you suck it thru' a slot; wear logos; buy the one that says 'Turbo' on the box.

"That's $500. Get out of my office."

 

[Trav]

I have been using Sunsong hoses and lines for well over 10 years now, they are very well made.

https://www.sunsongusa.com/about/