Looks like I'm going to be needing some place to make me some custom brakes hoses. My local NAPA store can't help, neither can the dealer. The vehicle I'm working on is just too old and odd. It's a '75 Jeep DJ-5. Anyone know of a place in Puget Sound (Tacoma-Seattle-Everett) area that can make custom brake hoses? I can't find anything online or in my phone book.
I can't believe that they aren't available someplace or can't be made -- have you just gone down the list of auto parts stores in your area? You should hit _one_ that can do it, or that knows who.
If not, then start hitting the high-performance shops and the restoration shops.
Good ideas, the problem is that this is a DJ series, not the more common CJ. They were made for the post office and are right hand drive. Some parts are interchangeable and some are not. I'll do some calling of parts stores on Monday and ask . The local NAPA, which is usually pretty good about helping me out with parts for this vehicle said they don't know of any place to custom make hoses. It's late in the day and thought I'd try this NG for some ideas.
As Pete said, any race prep shop or custom 4x4 shop will be able to make these up for you. You might try calling any shops at Seattle Raceway or call the local circle tracks or SCCA office and see if they have any recommendations for shops in your area.
Take the hoses off, clean them up a bit, plop them on the counter at the parts store, and ask them to get out a set of brake lines to fit a
2WD CJ-5 of the same vintage so you can compare them - they should be the same thing. If they're different (probably longer or shorter), you just need to get out the parts books and find the stock hoses grouped by end fitting types and overall length
Jeep was NOT going to make custom chassis parts for the DJ-5 when they could grab something already sitting in the corporate parts bins used to build the production CJ-5 and drop them in. The DJ bodywork and RHD was enough of a custom.
Good idea. Been there done that! No luck, they have no listing available to look up. Looked at end fittings and length, couldn't find anything close. All that was at one NAPA store, will try others next week.
I don't know of anybody that will admit to making custom brake hoses. Every place that does hydrualic hoses around here (NE USA) specifically won't do brake hoses - presumably for insurance and/or DOT regulations reasons.
While on the subject of Brake lines. I have to make up a fitting for a friend. One end takes a 3/8nf tapped hole for a 3/16 steel brake line. The question is, what does the bottom of the hole look like to take the flared tube. Is it just the drill angle, flat bottomed or a reversed cone to seat the tube?
Greetings Lane, I'd try Olympic Four Wheel Drive. They're in Snohomish, a little closer than Seattle to you I believe. If you have no luck there try Fittings Inc. Take the Michigan St. exit from I-5 and go right on 4th. Fittings is on the left when you are going north. If you cross the tracks that go under 4th you've missed it. Cheers, Eric
You may need to call around - there will be a local parts store with a savvy owner who saves all the old parts catalogs. (NAPA is a good place to start, they tend to have smarter folks on the counter than the "retail boutique" parts stores.) The new parts catalogs develop selective amnesia for older cars...
They'll be the catalogs with all the older vehicles still listed, because they were /newer/ vehicles when the book was printed. Even if the part number has changed since, you'll have a place to start.
Those catalogs also have the breakdown chart of how the part numbers are designed - then you can look at the fittings and length and say "It has an S fitting on one end and a Q on the other, Hose type B for
1/8" ID, 18" long, has to be a Part SQB-18." Then you check the book, and they don't make a SQB-18 anymore but there's a SQB-17 and SQB-20 listed there - one of those will be close enough.
Or the T fitting (with the extra circlip slot for mounting the fixed end) will work, try part number TQB-18...
If all else fails, call the regional main Post Office and get hold of one of the senior mechanics - they had to buy parts for their DJs, and someone may remember the number.
Been there, Done that, Lots of Times, Have the Tee Shirt, Read the Book, Saw the Movie, The Book Was Better... 1941 Signal Corps PE-95G
I've found a place halfway close to me, about a 30 min drive, that is DOT certified for brake hoses; Greenshield Supply in Everett. They told me on the phone that it is about a 20 min operation for each hose, and about $30. Going there now, the truck is way warming up as I type this. We've got a good layer of frost going this morning.
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