How to Change the Front Brake Hose on a Mustang II

Over time, the rubber in the front brake hose on your Mustang II will begin to deteriorate and crack. The hose may also split, causing a severe leak and brake-system failure. Faulty brake hoses can also cause premature wear of the brake pads and overheating of the brake rotors. Replacement of the front brake hoses in your Mustang can be accomplished in an afternoon and will restore the function of the brake system. A few special tools may be needed, but they are available at your local auto-parts store.

Instructions

1

Raise and support the front of the Mustang by placing the floor jack under the front sub-frame and lifting the car until the wheels are off the ground and placing jack stands under the sub-frame. Lower the jack until the car is supported by the jack stands. Remove the front wheels and store them to prevent tripping and loss of the lug nuts.

2

Disconnect the rubber brake hose from the steel brake line, at the point where the hose and line are attached to the frame, using a 7/16-inch line wrench. The line wrench is designed to loosen the fitting without damage to the fitting or line. If the fitting is rusted, or difficult to remove, spray a liberal amount of penetrating oil on the fitting threads and tap the fitting with a small hammer. Allow the penetrating oil to soak in for a few minutes and try again to loosen the rusted fitting.

3

Remove the clip that attaches the brake hose to the frame, using a pair of needle-nose pliers. Remove the 7/16-inch bolt that attaches the hose to the caliper. Discard the hose and the copper washers from the caliper fitting.

4

Position the new hose in the frame bracket, and start threading the fitting on the steel line into the hose. Do not tighten it at this time. Attach the other end of the hose to the caliper using the original bolt, and new copper washers supplied with the hose. Tighten the bolt securely. Slip the frame end of the hose into the bracket and tap the retaining clip into place with a small hammer. Tighten the fitting on the steel line securely to the hose.

5

Fill the master cylinder with clean brake fluid, and bleed the front brakes by opening the calipers and allowing the fluid coming into the caliper to push the air out of the caliper. Then have a helper push the brake pedal while you open the bleeder screw to let the final bit of air out. Start with the passenger side and end with the driver side. Apply the brake pedal a few times. If the pedal is still low after bleeding the front brakes, bleed the entire system, starting with the wheel farthest from the master cylinder and ending with the wheel closest to the master cylinder. Lower the vehicle off the jack stands and test-drive to verify the repair.