brake hose length

[ade]

i'm just changing all the brake hoses on my '67 TL and was a bit concerned that the length of the fronts seem a bit short...mine measure 493 mm long, i reckon they need another 40 mm or so to be comfortable on full lock....also, there's quite a potential for them to catch on the nut holding the track rod end on.
Has anyone got a note of what length is correct (they're drum fronts)....(also, Renault seem to have stopped listing them)....so, bespoke stainless braided with a coil protection might be best?...Adrian

 

[Steve Hennessey]

If your car is a R1123 then Quinton Hazell list them as being 504mm in length (BFH4217). That is 1/2" longer than the ones you have. If you are testing this with the wheels off the ground then check again when the car is back on the ground.

 

[ade]

brake hoses

thanks Steve, i didn't think about that

 

[bison]

I seem to remember Renault recommending the flexibles were twisted radially slightly so as to clear componets when on lock?.

 

[angel]

Yes, that was to compensate for the long suspension travel. The chassis bracket has a 12-side recess, while the hose union is 6-sided, so it is possible to twist it one twelfth of a turn at a time.
After fitting the hose, and tightening the wheel cylinder end (leave the brake pipe union at the other end just loose), let the hose find its natural position on the chassis bracket, and then twist it 1/12th of a turn. When looking from the hose end of the bracket, you must turn clockwise for the left hand hose, and counter-clockwise for the right hand one. Now you can fit the sheet steel clip and tighten the union nut.

 

[ade]

brake hoses

in the end, i had a set of hoses made up, but with the fronts abiout 45 mm longer than standard, which allowed me to secure the hose to the steering arm, so i didn't need to do any of the twisting mentioned in the manual (the object of which is to avoid the hose catching on the nut securing the track rod end)...Adrian

 

[Steve Hennessey]

Adrian, just read this and the alarm bells went off. The flexys should not be attached to anything apart from the two unions.....or have I misunderstood?

 

[ade]

brake hoses

heres some pics Steve...the first pic shows how much strain there was on the original hoses, second pic shows the longer hose secured to steering arm.....what do you think?...Adrian

 

[Steve Hennessey]

Ah - see what you mean now. The rubber hose should not be that tight - can't understand why if it's the specified length. Secondly the new hose is attached to the stub axle. When you said steering arm I had visions it was connected to the track rod! Even so, I still think the arrangement is potentially unsafe as the flexy is fixed and cannot 'flow' freely. I remember a car (can't remember the make) that had a rubberised guide attached to the mcpherson strut that the flexy passed through to keep it in a safe place. It allowed free movement and kept it in the correct place at the same time.

There must be others with drum brakes - have they experienced the same issues as you?

It's been at least 35 years since I last worked on an R4 with drums at the front but I can't remember having these issues with the front flexys.

 

[angel]

Disc braked R4s front hoses have exactly the same end unions but are shorter. Maybe someone in the past put one of these on your car.