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Brake hoses leaking

18 years ago

Well, I decided to to do it right when the pads wore out on the old Dakota. Lot of corrosion, uneven wear, etc. etc. so I took it down to the spindles, replacing hubs/rotors, bearings, calipers and hoses. Pretty straightforward R&R.

Problem is both calipers are leaking at the banjo fitting mating the hoses to the calipers. Made sure to use new copper gaskets, and even bought new banjo bolts. Right side really only "weeps", but is definitely leaking, while the left side drips heavily.

I'm no stranger to swinging wrenches, but I'm not familiar with this specific type of connection. The repair manual doesn't mention anything beyond "reassemble", and it doesn't look like there should be any sort of additional sealer (e.g. Permatex) used here, but...

Any suggestions for getting a nice, tight, dry connection here would be appreciated.

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Comments (4)

earthworm
18 years ago
Assure that you have the proper length banjos - try the old ones.
No one uses any sealer here..
Sometimes ,not all the aftermarket parts match up properly..
You must live in a salt loving state(at least the government may love the crap, but when one considers the damage to water, concrete, and steel, an alternative should be chosen..
john_g
18 years ago
BTDT. This will suprise you but I've found the best way to avoid leaks at the brake hose/caliper connection with banjo bolts is to re-use the original copper seals!!

I've seen so many of the replacement seals where the copper alloy is either too hard, or simply the wrong size! Through the years that I have just gotten in the habit of not trusting the new ones, and prefer to use the originals! We have complained to the companies that rebuild the calipers, and supply the aftermarket hoses about this situation and some of them have responded by being more specific with their replacements.

If you can find the old seals, wipe them clean, and re-install them. Don't be suprised if this solves your problem!
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gary__
18 years ago
I agree with John G and earthworm. Use no sealer, and for some reason after market brass washers are often really hard. Use the originals if you can. If you can't, try working the fitting back and forth as you tighten and loosen the bolt. If still no luck, time to shop around for some different washers made out of softer material.
photobob
Original Author
18 years ago
Good advice guys! This time I went to a NAPA store for the gaskets. Definitely a different gasket from the the ones that I got with the calipers, or the ones I got from the discount mega-parts store. Thicker (but only maybe .003"), and looked more like copper than the others that seemed brassier(?). Put 'em on, torqued 'em down, and they sealed up nice and dry. Whooda thunk it?

Thanks for taking the time to respond and share your thoughts. It really helped me finish off this project and get the truck back on the road!

Cheers!

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