GMC Motohome, brake hoses …..fact and fiction

I just fielded a call about brake hoses and I will say I probably didn’t handle it well, I don’t live in that soap opera world very well.  The question was “Is this rear brake hose you sent me the wrong one, it’s black and the picture is braided stainless showing?  Hey, good question, just hit me wrong.  We have not considered selling mere mortal rubber brake hoses for at least 10 years.  So let me back up a bit and give you some history on the brake hoses for the GMC:

Many of the parts used to assemble the GMC Motorhome chassis came “off shelf” from other GM vehicles.  The front brake hoses are one of them.  The Toros and Eldos had the same long and a short hose to the front calipers.  The GMC used 2 of the long ones.  The Rabestos number is BH-36675.  It is a nitrile rubber hose, made to factory spec.

The rear hose was unique to the coach having 2 hoses coming from a center manifold.   This too was a nitrile rubber hose.  Being a special hose available thru GM only, none of the aftermarket hose manufacturers produced them…. too small of a market.  The original style rubber rear hoses can be identified by a round shoulder on the center steel block of the hose assembly. You can also find a huge rust bubble under the loose fitting sleeve at the end fittings  Yep, that bugle is a rusted fitting trying to let go!   Now there is a rubber hose out there with a squared off center block like the Teflon braided hose installed above.  Do not be fooled, rubber is old, Teflon is new and better.

For many years everyone was happy going along replacing rubber with rubber all happy campers.  Then one day one of the lemmings looked up and said, “why don’t we get Teflon lined brake hoses?” 

The reason for the question was Teflon lined hoses do not swell under pressure giving you a stronger positive fluid pressure plus not degrading like synthetic rubber does, a Teflon brake hose would be a big improvement.  One of the early GMC suppliers now gone had some made and charged 2 arms for them……. no help there.

It’s not like making hoses is rocket science but there is a DOT regulation that any brake hoses must be assembled with a serial numbered, DOT approved cremp tool plus the hose material and fittings must also all be DOT approved.  I think that’s a great Idea……. keeping “rigging” fingers away from your brakes is nothing but good. 

I will also tell you to that end of liability, ANY deviations of your brakes from the original design will remove your insurance company or GM from any accidents due to brakes you modified.  Hey but that’s another HUGE can of worms we really don’t want to get into right now.  Let’s just say our Teflon lined, braided stainless steel lines are assembled with the proper DOT components and tools and uses the same design parameters as the original brake hoses…. just better materials.  So now we’re at the question I fielded.  I say I didn’t handle the call well, guess I was offended someone would even think I would send a “POS” as it was called rear brake hose.  Yes, you consumers out there need to protect yourself … that’s the reason you do not see parts and prices plastered all over my web site like others do.  I would prefer not to be called a parts seller…. I sell only the parts and pieces I use in restorations…. I do not use ANY “POS” parts.

Hey, but he had a fair question…. as the adage says, “if you stand still you are moving backwards”, our brake hoses have been improved and I guess I need to tell you about it.  Here’s a pic of our before Teflon braided stainless steel hoses and a new hose we’re using that has added a plastic UV barrier sleeve over the braided stainless mesh    Added to the new UV sleeved hoses are “brush buttons” where the hose comes into the end fitting.  That improvement helps keep the stainless braid from pulling out of the fitting after cremping.  So yeah, I guess one might say it looks like a “POS” rubber hose….. trust me when I tell you it’s not.  This is the finest front and rear brake hose you can find… a real piece of jewelry if your wife is partial to car parts around her neck. 

So sorry but no one has ever accused me of selling less that fantastic parts. If you ever have a question on any part I sell you, call me directly at 321-299-5707 .  Any part I sell are things I use… it’s not buyer beware on my stuff!

Hey and if you have original rubber hoses…. improve your life with a set of our Teflon lined, braided stainless covered, UV sleeved hoses with brush buttons….. from us!

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