Are you worried about your car’s brakes? Have you ever wondered what a brake line is or what to do if it breaks on you while you’re driving? And of course, have you ever wondered what the brake line replacement cost will be for your own personal vehicle?
This article will briefly and succinctly answer all of these questions and more. It will also provide you with an opportunity to ask any lingering questions that you may have about your vehicle’s brake lines and both the process and cost for efficient and professional brake line replacement.
It is important to remember that the braking system on your vehicle is of the utmost importance for your safety and the safety of others, and being properly informed about your brake lines will help prevent accidents and bring greater amounts of security to you and your vehicle.
What is a brake line, you might ask?
The brake line is a metal or rubber tube that transports pressurized brake fluid to a cylinder attached to each wheel when the brake pedal is pressed. Once the fluid reaches each cylinder, the braking system kicks in and the vehicle is able to slow down or stop.
Without the brake lines, a vehicle will not have use of its braking system. The two brake lines are an essential piece of the overall braking system of any vehicle and are absolutely essential to the vehicle’s proper functioning.
If you ever have any worries about your braking system, do not hesitate to take your vehicle to a professional mechanic to make sure everything is as it should be. It is always better to be safe when it comes to your vehicle’s brakes.
How can you identify problems with your brake lines?
Like anything, brake lines wear out over time and with lots of use. Because brake fluid does begin to hold on to excess water as time goes on. holes and corrosion can develop within the brake line through rusting or weakening of the brake line material.
This can be true for both metal brake lines and rubber tube lines. This wear and tear can also be particularly problematic if you live in a harsh climate with rapidly changing and fluctuating temperatures, lots of snow, or regular salt road treatments that are used to keep the elements at bay.
If you live in such a climate, your brake line may be at risk of wearing down more quickly than it otherwise might. The natural wear and tear of the road and exposure to the elements can be accelerated by regularly occurring extreme weather conditions.
Because brakes need to be fully operational for a vehicle to be safe to drive, everyone ought to know the warning signs of a brake line developing problems. If you start to notice that your vehicle no longer brakes as well as it used to. or is slower to brake than it should be. this is definitely a sign to check your brake lines.
The issue could also be related to something else, such as worn brake pads, but it is still worth checking. If your brake light turns on it is likely related to low levels of brake fluid, which could in turn point to a damaged brake line. Another warning sign could be a brake fluid leak.
If you see clear, yellow, or brown liquid pooling beneath your car, it could be from a brake line leak.
Expert Tip: Make sure to take your vehicle to a mechanic to have your brake lines checked if your car is leaking brake fluid.
Again, this kind of leakage could point to damage or wear and tear in one of your brake lines. If there is physical damage to the brake line, that could lead to early breakage or decreased function in your brakes.
If your brake pedal pushes all the way down with no resistance, this could be a sign of your brake line failing, along with a spongy or springy feel to the brake when you press it. All of these are warning signs that could mean it is time to replace your brake line. When in doubt, take your vehicle in to have your braking mechanisms checked.
What if your brake line fails while you’re driving?
First of all, if your brake line fails while you’re driving, don’t panic. Luckily, there are two sets of brake lines in vehicles to help keep any major accidents from occurring if one of the brake lines fails. It is always good to pump the brakes if your vehicle seems to be having issues braking.
The process of pumping the brakes will slow down the vehicle and help you to maintain control as you slow and come to a stop safely. If you are on a busy road, turn on your hazard lights to let the vehicles around you know that something is wrong.
As soon as possible or as soon as the road itself allows pull over and call a towing service. It is never a good idea to try to continue driving your vehicle once a brake line has failed or seems to be faulty. Wait for it to be fixed before driving your vehicle again.
One thing that is easy to assume will be helpful when your brake line fails, is pulling on the parking brake. However, the parking brake is not made to slow or stop a moving vehicle (unless you are driving super slowly), so resist the urge to use the parking brake.
It won’t have the power you need to stop the car. Pumping the brakes and getting off the road are your best bets to safely slow and stop your vehicle when a brake line fails. Once stopped, call a towing service and do not attempt to keep driving your vehicle.
Once I take my car in to get my brake line replaced, how long does it take?
If you take your car to a shop and a professional mechanic handles the replacement it shouldn’t take more than one or two hours to complete the replacement. Mechanics are efficient and adept at handling brake line issues, so the wait should not be long once the work has started.
Is it possible for me to replace my own brake line?
Although it is possible to replace your own brake line, it is not advisable to do so unless you are a professional or trained by a professional. Don’t forget how important your brake system is to your vehicle and how essential it is for your own personal safety and the safety of those around you when you are on the road.
With your brake system it is always better to err on the side of caution and take your vehicle to a professional for repair. Although other less essential pieces of car maintenance can be learned or done at home, it is not worth risking your safety or the safety of others when it comes to your vehicle’s braking mechanisms.
Expert Tip: Taking your vehicle to a professional is always the best course of action when your brakes are involved.
How much will it cost for me to replace my brake line?
Brake line replacement cost can vary depending on the make and model of your vehicle. If you have an older vehicle it can sometimes be difficult to find parts for the vehicle if it is no longer in production.
If your vehicle is a more expensive or luxury model, it is likely the parts for repair will be comparatively more expensive. However, it should cost somewhere between $100 and $200 to repair your brake line; it will cost more if any of the aforementioned factors are driving up the price of the parts, or extending the labor time for the mechanic who is completing the work.
Of course, if both brake lines need to be replaced, you can expect the cost to at least double.
It will also be worth considering which type of brake line you would like your vehicle to have. There are stainless steel brake lines, and rubber brake lines. Stainless steel brake lines hold up a bit better against rubble and debris that can strike them from the roadway. They also make for more responsive brakes.
However, they are more expensive than rubber brake lines. Rubber can offer greater flexibility for winding the brake line through tight spaces. Both types of brake lines have benefits that are worth considering alongside the cost If your vehicle has reached 100.000 miles, it is worth getting the brake lines checked even if your vehicle does not seem to have any braking issues.
The 100.000 mark is typically when brake line replacement becomes necessary for a vehicle to operate safely.
Is it an easy process to replace brake lines?
For a professional mechanic, the brake line replacement process is fairly straightforward. However, the process is not necessarily easy. It requires a number of specific and specialized tools and techniques including a line cutter, a carjack, line wrenches, a flaring kit, replacement brake lines, a brake line fitting, a bender, files, and brake fluid.
To replace a brake a line, some form of the following process would typically be implemented by the mechanic:
- First, the car would be jacked up and then the damaged brake line would be removed using a line cutter.
- Second, the new brake line would be bent into the proper shape using the bender tool.
- Third, the line would be cut to the appropriate size and any course edges would be smoothed and filed down.
- Fourth, the brake line fittings would be installed on the line and the ends flared with the flare tool.
- Fifth, the new brake line would be installed and each flare fitting would be secured.
- Sixth, the master cylinder would be filled with brake fluid and all possible air bubbles would be cleared from the system to have consistent and faultless brake function. Often a mechanic will also scan the vehicle’s braking system at the end of the process to make sure everything is functioning correctly and in its proper place for the brake line system to work effectively.
Because this process has so many steps and requires a number of special tools, this is yet another reason not to try a DIY brake line replacement on your own.
The brake replacement cost is worth it to have a professional complete all the steps thoroughly, carefully, professionally, and with a secure knowledge of all the necessary information to successfully and safely replace a brake line.
Although brake line replacement cost may seem like a significant investment, it is worth every penny if your brake line is damaged or decaying. Safety is the most important thing in any vehicle, and no vehicle can be considered safe without a fully functional braking system.
Be sure to take time to notice whether your braking system is functioning the way it should be, and if not, take it to a professional mechanic to have your brake lines checked.
Expert Tip: Remember that if your brake line fails while you are driving you can pump the brakes, turn on your hazard lights to warn the drivers around you. and pull over in order to wait for a towing service.
Though it is a straightforward process for a professional mechanic to replace your damaged or broken brake line, which takes just an hour or two. it is worth paying the brake line replacement cost for a professional to do the work on your vehicle.
Also remember that depending on what kind of brake line you choose, metal or rubber, the cost could go up or down. However, with a quick trip to a professional mechanic and a short wait, your vehicle can be safe and secure again.
If you have questions about your vehicle’s brake lines, please comment below. It is always worth being safe, so if anything seems off with your vehicle’s brake line, don’t hesitate to ask. comment, or bring it in so that a professional can make sure everything is safe and secure for you and your loved ones.