joshwilson3

My 89 has disc front and drum rear.

It looks like I will need to replace my rubber brake hoses since after a fluid flush. The brake fluid in the reservoir turned black. 3 of the hoses I believe are original.

Just wondering if anyone can recommend a brand for the rubber hoses? I'm not interested in any stainless steel or anything.

Autozone has Brakeware. It doesn't mention a warranty. So I'm guessing 90 days. Total is $68.96.

Advance has Tru Torque and mentions "Dorman - First Stop". So reminds me of those Help parts. haha. Total is $59.96. Warranty is one year.

And Napa has "Napa Ultra Premium Brake Parts". Warranty is lifetime. Total is $67.96.

I'm leaning towards the Napa since it has a lifetime warranty. And I would guess is a better quality than from the other parts stores. But some here seem to think a part with lifetime warranty is not as good quality compared to a part with a lesser warranty.

Also, are the two rear hoses both the same? I know the front has a left and right. But it looks like the rear uses the same exact hose on both sides?

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

of the three, defiantly napa, hands down

the flen hose from the body to the axle is the same on all cars, and the drum rear does not have hoses going to the drums. The disc rears have different hoses on the iron caliper rears vs the pbr rears. I think the iron caliper rears only have 1 flex hose?

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

EDIT: Missed the drum rear.

JamesC

joshwilson3

Hmm, that does remind me. I remember reading somewhere that says front disc/rear drums have 3 brake hoses. So, I'm guessing I have a Front left, Front right, and just ONE rear brake hose?

That sure does save me some money.

Oh, and anyone know what size hoses for front single piston disc, and rear drums? I see lots of different sizes. Napa online doesn't tell what the difference is.

One of them has already been replaced. But I noticed after a flush that the brake fluid was black again when I checked it two days later. I read that means the seals are going. Then someone mentioned about the brake hoses. So, I figure I'd replace the hoses first since most are original. I just got done replacing the front calipers, so those seals should still be good.

By the way, does anyone know why when it is raining, or has rained. When I get in my car, the brakes are very sensitive for the first several braking? I can barely touch the brake pedal, and the brakes lock up and the tires skid. Very annoying.

Other than that, I know they say these cars shouldn't be driven in the snow. But I don't think they should be driven in the rain either. I know I have an open differential. But it is scary when it has rained or is raining, as I have to watch for skidding when I brake. But I also have to watch for the tires to spin out when I barely hit the gas. Scary when you are at a two way stop sign. You barely hit the gas, and all you do is spin out in the middle of the road with traffic coming.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

if you have a drum rear, you have 3 flex hoses

you just have to tell them you need the flex lines for your car, whatever year it is and they should be able to get the right ones, not some universal ones.

black crap in teh lines is usually the brake hoses, they break down on the inside, and they are made of black rubber. Do all three, dont leave the oddball one

when it rains, the rotors rust, they are just bare metal. The brakes will be very touchy the first couple times untill the rust gets taken off by the pads. Every car does this, its normal

sounds like you need new tires too, and dont slam the brakes when its wet, keep a longer following distance and brake earlier, and lighter than you would when its dry.

FWIW, with good tires, you should have no issues at all accelerating, stopping or cornering in the rain

joshwilson3

I'm gonna get the hoses from Napa. But I don't know if it lists the difference for performance and not in their computer. As it doesn't on the website. Which is why I was wanting to know the length so I know Napa orders the right ones. I don't really trust parts counter people knowing the correct thing to order even if it is in their computer. Plus, I see alot of wrong parts show up on the computer. Its just a good thing I know what the correct part is when I go and have a parts store order it. As I've had to point out the correct parts to them a few times as they were wanting to get the wrong part.

I don't know the color of the brake fluid in the lines. But I just noticed the black brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir after a flush. If it is the brake hoses, does the black rubber particles travel up to the master cyinder?

My 89 Vette sits out in the rain, and it doesn't get touchy brakes. Only the Firebird does. Why doesn't the Vette do it?

Oh, and I had just put on new front brake pads and rotors. It rained while it sat outside the shop when I picked it up. And real bad touchy brakes for a few miles. I'm thinking it must be the water or something. Next time, I'll look to see if the rotor is rusty. If not, then it must be something else.

I don't slam on the brakes when it is wet unless I have to. I know the brakes can lock up real easily when it is wet outside. I don't have to try. I even drive it in the snow. Kinda fun and scary at the same time.

And I don't think the spinning out when it is wet has to do with the tires. It has done this for the 10 years I've owned it. I even spent $400 on special Michelin HydroEdge tires which are supposed to be super special wet traction tires to help with the problem. I noticed no difference.

It doesn't have to be raining. The roads could just barely be wet, and my Firebird spins out very easily. I have to push the gas pedal like with a feather to try and keep it from spinning most of the time. I don't see any other cars spinning out like my Firebird. I'm lucky if I can make it across town when the roads are wet and not spin out once.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

my 86 was pretty bad in the rain when i got it. I dont drive it in the rain much now, but have driven in a couple freak downpours and have never slipped slid or anything with the bfg's i use on it. even with the steamroller in the rear.

and my 92 has no problems in the rain, even with the crappy tires that came with it when i bought it.

as for the brakes being touchy after rain. Some cars are worse then others, my truck does it a little, but not all the time, and my fathers old work truck was a mess if it sat for a couple days in the rain, would luck up immediately when leaving the driveway, but after driving a little it cleared up.

joshwilson3

I'm betting you have limited slip differential?

laiky

Are you drums out of round? If the rears are locking up you likely have drums that need to be turned. You won't notice as much in the dry but in the wet it will be more obvious.

joshwilson3

I don't know. I don't even remember if that has been done. I know I had the shoes or whatever they call drum brake pads replaced a couple of years ago. I figure they would check that out.

joshwilson3

Does anyone have the part numbers for the brake hoses for an 89 Firebird with drum rears? I see multiple hoses mentioned, and don't know which ones to get.

joshwilson3

I ended up getting the hoses from Advance. They had a coupon going, so all together it was $20 cheaper than Napa. Though Napa does have a limited lifetime warranty, but I'm betting the hoses are probably the same.

Doom86

I just did the front brake hoses again on my RS a couple weeks ago and used AZ.

From what I can tell "Brakeware" is just a generic name for whatever the cheapest crap the snakes in suits could attain and resell at the time. My front hoses were quite obviously 2 different manufactures wrapped up in the same Brakeware packaging. One hose was much heavier then the other, the rubber even felt off from the other, and had different markings on it and had different labeling on the package. It was the correct part number, just another manufacture.

joshwilson3

Looks like you got them from Autozone. Why did you replace them again?

The brake hoses from Advance are Tru Torque, but I believe the are marked as Dorman. But, I'd say they're all probably the same wether you get them from Napa or somewhere else.

I think the Autozone only have like a 30 day warranty? I know the Advance have a 1 year warranty. And Napa has limited lifetime warranty.

AC Delco sells some brake hoses at Rock Auto. The rear hose for drums looks like OEM in the pic with the rubber rings on the hose.

joshwilson3

Looks like one of the hoses is in the wrong bag. As the right front has a large bracket thing on it, not even correct.

joshwilson3

Dang, good thing I planned on replacing brake hoses. As I was up under there looking and noticed the front driver hose is cut. You can see the black part of the hose cut almost all around above the fitting at the shock. Looks like there is something white underneath.

That is what happens when you rely on shops to tell you everything checks out including brakes when they do their supposed multi-point inspections.

joshwilson3

I checked out one of the hoses at Napa that they had in stock. It was the exact same thing as Advance. "Made in China".