Brake Hoses - To Braid or Not To Braid?
 

I am in the process of prepping my XTZ660 for another overland trip. It still has the original brake hoses which are getting on for ten years old - but they still work fine.

I have heard and read a lot of good stuff about braided brake hoses so I went out and bought a set. I haven't got around to fitting them yet because I have since heard that they can be problematic; Although stronger it seems easy for something sharp, e.g. corner of fairing, to push the braids apart leaving the weaker internal hoses prone to splitting or being cut/chaffed. Could this problem be cured by wrapping the hose in tape or split garden hose as a protective sheath?

I have also heard that the more solid, almost wooden braking effect can be unnerving. I have never ridden a bike with braids and I'm used to the softer action of normal hoses so I'm not convinced.

What's the general concencous about fitting braids for long overland trips?

Thanks,
Butch

Do it! As long as the pipes are routed correctly they should last forever. I found I got much better feel with braided hoses -rather than feeling wooden they just felt keener.

Ok, first of all i'll fess up to working mostly on airbraked vehicles rather than hydraulics, but I've designed a couple in my time. So, my advice would be:

• Your hoses are due for replacement. They have been for about five years, but heck, what's past is past.
• Braided are best unless you can use solid pipe (never done on bikes unless the ABS won't behave with flexible). The various selling points about feel and so forth are rather moot. A normal hose will work just fine. The reason most people fit braided then rave about the feel is that they just got all the air out, filled with new fluid and are using new pipe. However, the support and protection and the fact the covering keeps air, oil and light out means a part used braided hose is going to be better than a basic "rubber" item that had the same life.
• When fitting you need to treat the hose like it's made of tissue paper. Don't let anything rub it or pull on it, it's there to carry the fluid, not deal with mechanical forces. This means use clips and extra external protection as required. Electrical heat shrink is good BTW.
• Fitting is easy, if perhaps time consuming. Either get an easy bleed kit or a length of hose and a jam jar and about three times the amount of fresh fluid you'll actually need. Remove the old hose without draining it (be careful of splashes) and fit the new one with new banjos and washers. Bleed as normal (open bleed, close control, close bleed, open control) until there is no bubbles and only clean fluid going into your jar. Don't let the reservoir empty and if it won't bleed, just fasten the control back/down overnight and come back when the fluid is settled.
• You should replace the fluid every two years as it's hygroscopic (absorbs water). This means when it gets hot the water turns to steam which is compressible, so the brake goes spongy. The old fluid will also start to effect the structure of the hose regardless of construction.

Andy

Very good point by TWB, there: stuff I'll try to remember when mine are due for replacement.

For what its worth, I have fitted braided to most bikes I have owned, unless the braking really was everything I wanted. As for feel, yes I thought the bite was stronger sooner and more sensitive, but as TWB pointed out, you would probably have had almost the same improvement with new rubber hoses. In any case, the feeling is transient as within 200 miles you are used to the new brake feel of your bike: just take it easy until comfortable.

As for bleeing, one thing I have found is that I unbolt the bottom caliper mount bolt and lift the caliper so it is free of the disc bu still connected to the fork (so that undoing the banjo later is easier). Pump out the brake caliper pistons using old pads in between, until the pads almost touch. This is a good time to give the pistons a good clean, but it also means that when you remove the old hoses and reconnect the new ones, you can push the pistons back in, forcing the old fluid up to the reservoir. Hey-presto, you've no air in the hose. Swap over to you old pads (making sure they go in the same palce you removed them from) remount the cailper and flush the system with new fluid: just top up with new fluid, open bleed niplle and keeping pump fluid out as TWB described until it comes out consistently clean at the other end. Wrap a cable tie round the brake lever over night to keep it under moderate pressure, and any remaining air will be pushed out under pressure.

Check fluid level (bearing in mind if you have new pads) and go practice rolling stoppies!!

Okay, braided seems to be the way forward. I'll cover the new hoses with something suitable to keep them from chaffing and I will remember to change hoses every five years and fluid every two - I didn't realise it needed to be done so regularly - good advice.

Thanks for the info.:thumbup1:

Butch.

The stainless steel is rather harder than most stuff it might make contact with (it should not in the first place!) - if the routing is sloppy it will actually abrade aluminium, leave alone plastics.

The feel is better - where it really scores is when under emergency/hard braking as more finger pressure goes towards getting the calipers together, as opposed to expanding the brake pipe rubber. It translates to much better feel and stopping power, as it is easier to regulate the pressure on the calipers more accurately.