My 2012 F-150's brake line blew out on the highway near Bakersfield last Tuesday.

I was driving back from a job and the pedal went straight to the floor, so I had to use the parking brake and downshift to get off the road. I had to replace the whole section from the master cylinder to the rear axle with a new 3/16 line and double flare the ends. Has anyone found a better way to protect new lines from road salt besides just the basic wrap?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_fisher482mo ago

Honestly, that basic wrap is probably fine for most people. A lot of folks overthink this and spend money on fancy coatings that just trap moisture underneath anyway. Road salt is bad, but the real killer is just time and wear, not much you can do to stop that forever.

briannguyen2mo ago

You had to do that on the highway?

robert_bennett298d ago

The highway part is seriously the most fun you can have with your pants on. Nothing like that moment when you realize the pedal is just a floor decoration now. I had to learn the parking brake shuffle real quick too, though my method was more of a panicked yank than a graceful downshift. As for the wrap, I've seen guys use that rubberized spray-on bedliner stuff on their lines and it seems to hold up better than tape. Just make sure you clean the line real good first or you're just sealing the salt in like a science experiment. Either way, you'll probably be doing this again in five years so don't lose your flare tool.