How to maintain your car brake hose
If your air brake hose is aging or damaged, follow these steps to replace it correctly. Note: This process focuses on air brake systems (common in heavy-duty vehicles), but always refer to your vehicle’s manual for model-specific details.
Step 1: Disconnect the Oil Pipe from the Brake Pump
First, locate the oil pipe connected to the brake pump. Use a wrench to remove the screw that secures the oil pipe. Once the screw is out, pull the oil pipe away from the brake pump.
You’ll notice some brake oil leaks during this step—that’s normal. Just keep a rag handy to clean up the spill, and don’t worry: you’ll reattach everything directly during installation.
Step 2: Bleed Air If Brakes Feel Abnormal After Installation
After installing the new air brake hose, test the brakes by pressing the pedal a few times. If the brake feels “soft” or like there’s no braking force (a sign of trapped air in the system), you need to bleed the air.
Here’s how to do it simply: Open the cover of the brake pump. Then, push and release the slave cylinder’s piston repeatedly. This action pushes trapped air out of the system. Keep doing this until the brake pedal feels firm—this means the air is gone.
Step 3: Remove the Slave Cylinder and Finalize Installation
Next, disconnect the oil pipe that links to the slave cylinder. Once the pipe is off, remove the slave cylinder itself.
When reinstalling the slave cylinder, hold the piston vertically. Push it inward slowly while rotating it slightly—this helps it slide into place smoothly. Once the piston starts to go in, you can press it all the way in.
Then, reattach the oil pipe to the slave cylinder. Finally, bleed the air again (follow Step 2) to ensure no air is left. Once that’s done, your new air brake hose is fully installed and ready to use.
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