# Line replacement on GM trucks



## pipelayer (Oct 6, 2013)

hey all, im looking for anyone whos had experience with dealing with a company like classic tube, or any other supplier who sells pre-bent brake, and fuel lines. As any GM truck owner would know, the lines arent the best, and as i get an idea of how much im really going to get into with my dump truck, while i replace the bed, id like to do all the lines while its out of commission. Are the lines decent quality? i dont want to spend an arm and a leg at the dealer, but id like to do all the lines while i have most of the chassis open, especially above the fuel tanks.. If anyone has bought from a supplier, even a summit racing type of place, id just want to hear if they were decent, and bent correctly or would it be worth it to take hours and whatnot to make my own from the master cylinder back?, and go with dealer fuel lines. thanks


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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

IIRC, I paid ~$80 for a set of pre-bent lines for one of my 01 Suburbans. Everything was just about 100% bent correctly. Not sure which supplier I used, they may have come via ebay.
You will be ahead of the game if you have the bed off. At least on the Suburbans, there are online "DIY's" that give a pretty good description of how to "feed" one of the longest lines in through the drivers side rear wheel well and push it forward (go in 2 feet, rotate 90 degrees, push forward 10 inches, rotate 90 degrees, etc)
It took me the better part of 8 hours to do all lines over 2 days.

If your bleeders on your calipers are frozen, buy a bleeder-buster. I can't recommend it enough.


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

i used classic tube on my 2500 hd, nice product, if it is easy access then preformed is awesome, i had to unbend parts of mine to feed them thru, then rebend, 
ultra bend hi nic tubing is just as good for longevity and easy to use, would have been half the cost
be aware that there are various grades of hi nic,


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## pipelayer (Oct 6, 2013)

the Suburbanite said:


> IIRC, I paid ~$80 for a set of pre-bent lines for one of my 01 Suburbans. Everything was just about 100% bent correctly. Not sure which supplier I used, they may have come via ebay.
> You will be ahead of the game if you have the bed off. At least on the Suburbans, there are online "DIY's" that give a pretty good description of how to "feed" one of the longest lines in through the drivers side rear wheel well and push it forward (go in 2 feet, rotate 90 degrees, push forward 10 inches, rotate 90 degrees, etc)
> It took me the better part of 8 hours to do all lines over 2 days.
> 
> If your bleeders on your calipers are frozen, buy a bleeder-buster. I can't recommend it enough.


thats an awesome tool. definitely worth it for the every day mechanic. me, for 50/70 $ i just up and buy a new caliper, which is probably what ill do at this point also.


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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

pipelayer said:


> thats an awesome tool. definitely worth it for the every day mechanic. me, for 50/70 $ i just up and buy a new caliper, which is probably what ill do at this point also.


The bleeder buster kit is only ~ $60.
You will need to have a compressor and air hammer though

It's a life (and wallet) saver here in the Northeast.


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

I make my own lines up, I use the coated ones and flare them myself. As others have said on some jobs you have to bend as you feed through some areas. As for a brake bleeder screw extractor, that is what my TIG welder is for.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

I have bought sets threw NAPA that are full pre bent lines for different trucks threw the years. 

Not sure who makes them for NAPA to sell, but I have always had good luck with them fitting and working well.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

That bleeder buster kit is pretty nifty. Never seen anything like that before.


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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

John_DeereGreen said:


> That bleeder buster kit is pretty nifty. Never seen anything like that before.


I was septical of it but figured I'd give it a try. Blasting the bleeders w/MAP gas first for 10 seconds helped. They come out super easy. Using the tool kills the old bleeder fitting, but they come out no hassle, virtually every time. Unless I'm bleeding a brand new caliper, I use it. It saves having to drill/tap for a new bleeder fitting, or having to replace the caliper.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

the Suburbanite said:


> I was septical of it but figured I'd give it a try. Blasting the bleeders w/MAP gas first for 10 seconds helped. They come out super easy. Using the tool kills the old bleeder fitting, but they come out no hassle, virtually every time. Unless I'm bleeding a brand new caliper, I use it. It saves having to drill/tap for a new bleeder fitting, or having to replace the caliper.


Yeah, pretty much anything north of the Kentucky border here, vocabulary expansion is eminent when working underneath it...


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## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

I've been using nicop tubes and bending. Seems like you can't get ant decent prebent.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Here you go...

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1979732488767023&id=983704668369815


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## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

John_DeereGreen said:


> Here you go...
> 
> https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1979732488767023&id=983704668369815


Looks like a professional DIY job.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

EWSplow said:


> Looks like a professional DIY job.


That is some major macgyver work there...


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## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

John_DeereGreen said:


> Here you go...
> 
> https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1979732488767023&id=983704668369815


Evidently, the installer had no idea coil springs compress.


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## pipelayer (Oct 6, 2013)

Philbilly2 said:


> I have bought sets threw NAPA that are full pre bent lines for different trucks threw the years.
> 
> Not sure who makes them for NAPA to sell, but I have always had good luck with them fitting and working well.


ive never bought anything pre-bent. always made them up myself and flared myself. only one at a time usually anyway, when one broke. this trucks going to be down and out, which is why i consider the pre bent, its not just one its the whole truck..


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## Jamie10017 (Jul 10, 2018)

Doorman makes them pre bent you can get them for most trucks but its not the easiest job to install them


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

My Fords have never needed to have brake lines replaced. I haven't any corrosion issues with any vehicle, just wash them after it snows.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

BUFF said:


> My Fords have never needed to have brake lines replaced. I haven't any corrosion issues with any vehicle, just wash them after it snows.


That's nice...


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

BUFF said:


> My Fords have never needed to have brake lines replaced. I haven't any corrosion issues with any vehicle, just wash them after it snows.


Guess you don't much need brakes if they don't run right???


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Philbilly2 said:


> Guess you don't much need brakes if they don't run right???


Don't really need brakes when you're on a 5hr drive in Wyoming with the exception when you have to pull over to whiz.
My Fords run as they should, better when towing a GM......


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Philbilly2 said:


> That's nice...


Not being in the rust belt in a arid area is the main contributor


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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

BUFF said:


> Not being in the rust belt in a arid area is the main contributor


I bought the Suburban in my Avatar in CO, and brought it with me when I moved back east in 2007. Sold it with 250K on it and original brake lines. That truck was CLEAN (other than self inflicted dings).

By the time a truck that has lived in NY it's whole life is 10 years old, brake line inspections should be as regular as oil changes.


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## Brndnstffrd (Mar 8, 2013)

BUFF said:


> My Fords run better when towed by a GM......


I think you had a typo in there so I fixed it for you


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Brndnstffrd said:


> I think you had a typo in there so I fixed it for you


No typo on my part.......


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

the Suburbanite said:


> I bought the Suburban in my Avatar in CO, and brought it with me when I moved back east in 2007. Sold it with 250K on it and original brake lines. That truck was CLEAN (other than self inflicted dings).
> 
> By the time a truck that has lived in NY it's whole life is 10 years old, brake line inspections should be as regular as oil changes.


I had s guy call yesterday for a road call on s f750 with a rotted brake line. But when I told him how much per hour, he hung up. I also told him it would be cheaper and faster just to tow it in.


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## GONZO911 (Nov 29, 2013)

pipelayer said:


> hey all, im looking for anyone whos had experience with dealing with a company like classic tube, or any other supplier who sells pre-bent brake, and fuel lines. As any GM truck owner would know, the lines arent the best, and as i get an idea of how much im really going to get into with my dump truck, while i replace the bed, id like to do all the lines while its out of commission. Are the lines decent quality? i dont want to spend an arm and a leg at the dealer, but id like to do all the lines while i have most of the chassis open, especially above the fuel tanks.. If anyone has bought from a supplier, even a summit racing type of place, id just want to hear if they were decent, and bent correctly or would it be worth it to take hours and whatnot to make my own from the master cylinder back?, and go with dealer fuel lines. thanks


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## GONZO911 (Nov 29, 2013)

NAPA carries Stainless sets for most of the GM trucks. Also have used linestogo.com. Both work good, some of the longer lines need to be straightened after coming put of the box. Have several sets on trucks that have been through several Wisconsin winters and still look like new. Another option if you don't want to spend the $200.00 for the stainless is bulk nickel/copper lines. These are made up to fit by the person replacing the lines with the flaring done by the installer.


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## GONZO911 (Nov 29, 2013)

Another tip, after replacing the bleeder cover the open end with vacuum cap, bleeder cap or fill with grease. The moisture that rots the bleeder tight does so from getting down into the bleeder and getting in the little hole the brake fluid comes out when bleeding.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

GONZO911 said:


> The moisture that rots the bleeder tight does so from getting down into the bleeder and getting in the little hole the brake fluid comes out when bleeding.


Yea.....no it dont


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

pipelayer said:


> hey all, im looking for anyone whos had experience with dealing with a company like classic tube, or any other supplier who sells pre-bent brake, and fuel lines. As any GM truck owner would know, the lines arent the best, and as i get an idea of how much im really going to get into with my dump truck, while i replace the bed, id like to do all the lines while its out of commission. Are the lines decent quality? i dont want to spend an arm and a leg at the dealer, but id like to do all the lines while i have most of the chassis open, especially above the fuel tanks.. If anyone has bought from a supplier, even a summit racing type of place, id just want to hear if they were decent, and bent correctly or would it be worth it to take hours and whatnot to make my own from the master cylinder back?, and go with dealer fuel lines. thanks


good people, about 10 miles down the road from me, lines are bent correctly, since you have things apart its a better time to do it....put them on my 2500hd about 4 years ago and look like the day i put them on


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