Front Brake Hose Length Caveat

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Sun May 21, 2006 4:08 pm

Well -
I installed 2 new front hoses on my '86. I thought they looked just a tad short, but impetuous moi did not compare them to the ones I had just removed - after all, had I not just checked AZ, ADV, and NAPA (not to mention the Factory sites of Bendix, Raybestos, and Wagner), and the ones from AZ (Brakeware 77660) matched all for the 4WD? And - the Official Dealer Parts Sites had no argument either.

"Gee, I wonder why the steering seems a bit tight at the extremes ? ? ?"
Note that the wheels were off and the front was elevated.
Turns out I kinda stretched the hoses and fluid was leaking at the top hose/fitting juncture.

Back to AZ - turns out that the PRE JAN 1986 production used a different hose - # 77260, which is also used for all of the 2WDs.
My '86 was made in October of 1985, so used the slightly longer hose. The OEM and #77260 are 12" OAL, and the #77660 is about 11 7/16 +/-. This info was available on the AZ desk 'puter, but not on ANYone's site - the Toy dealer sites do not differentiate either...

SO - the moral is to take in the old hose when ordering, especially if you have an '86. Incidentally, there is no problem with the back hoses of any parts company, as there is apparently no change there for the 4WD...
The two correct hoses also total $22, instead of the supposedly correct hoses' amount of $28...
Tom M.
PS - If I do not modify this post by 0524, then the somewhat longer hoses will be the ticket...
PPS - There is no differentiation on anyone's site for any slightly different front caliper dimension from year to year, in case someone thinks of that - I did install new loaded calipers as well - $114 from ADV.

neonsport · Post by **neonsport** » Tue May 23, 2006 6:44 pm

After over 100k miles on the same front pads (genuine Toyota), they finally hit metal last week. I'd been carrying around a new set of Toyota pads ($32 my cost at the dealership), and a pair of $10 rotors from AutoZone for quite a while. I'd have sprung for Toyota rotors as well, but even with my discount they're almost $60 each.

Anyway, I went ahead and ordered a new pair of hoses from AutoZone as well, and they only cost $15.10 including tax here. Next week I'll pull the drums to see how the rear brakes are.

BTW, I've given up completely on AutoZone brake pads. Sure, they have a lifetime warranty, but the amount of dust and dismally short lifespan just got old. Not only did the Toyota pads last over 100k on the old Tercel, but they put out zero dust.

The 86 2WD wagon is now at 305k miles, and adding on another 124 miles every day.

Typrus · Post by **Typrus** » Tue May 23, 2006 10:32 pm

I only trust Advance Auto Parts for brake componants. Their Semi-Metallics are very low on dust, have good stopping, and seem to be wearing well after 3000 miles. I went with the Gold line. Even the guy at the desk said that anything under the Gold was crappy.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:31 pm

Neonsport....you only got 100k miles on your Toyota pads? Man....I got 220,00 miles on mine before I had to replace them. You must be hard on your car. (ha,ha)

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:45 pm

OK #*!#*!

Went to AZ, and the previously mentioned #77260 hoses are way too short - 11" +/-.
The OEM Toy hoses are 12" OAL and the all-sites-indicated-#77660 are 11 7/16".
The AZ guy was very helpful (and apologetic), and we looked through dozens of hoses in stock to no avail. We looked at other Toys of the '80s, reasoning that the Corolla/MR2 used similar calipers - the "Rolla hose was 14" long..., and could find no info on the MR2.

So - I went to an old-fashioned parts store and the kind fellow is looking at myriad catalogs for me and will call Wednesday. I will post his results.

Why is this such a problem? Has NO one else encountered this?
Is the only remedy the use of the platinum-plated Toy Dealer hoses?
Thanks for any info.
Tom M.
PS - The AZ guy is going to take back the "slightly stretched" #77660 hoses as a favor.

PPS - To neonsport: What an amazing disparity of AZ prices for the hoses. The "correct", albeit too-short, hoses cost me $28 here in STL and the second set of really-short 2WD hoses were $22 - no extra charge for freight from the whse to the store, either. Which hose did you order?
Your comments on the AZ pad life were interesting as well - the previous female owner in TN had Midas put on pads at 121K, 145K, and the thickness now (171K) was only about 2mm...

neonsport · Post by **neonsport** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:09 pm

Mine is a 2WD, so we'll have to see what length they end up being.

neonsport · Post by **neonsport** » Thu May 25, 2006 7:28 pm

Alright, the noses I got are exactly the right length for a 2WD.They're Brakeware # 77260 . I didn't have a flare nut wrench to install them, but the length is dead-on, and the construction looks good.

BTW, the rubber pedal pad on my clutch pedal is coming apart, so I stopped by my parts counter this afternoon and ordered a new pair. $2.41 apiece sounded like just the right price.

neonsport · Post by **neonsport** » Thu May 25, 2006 7:33 pm

Chris wrote:Neonsport....you only got 100k miles on your Toyota pads? Man....I got 220,00 miles on mine before I had to replace them. You must be hard on your car. (ha,ha)

I've wondered ever since I got the car when the brakes were done. I bought the Tercel in 2000 for $600, and hadn't touched the brakes since. I've driven it over 100k miles since then (actually over 30k since last September), and the times the car sat and the rotors got rusty were probably harder on the brakes than the miles driven.

When I got this car, the plugs, plug wires, distributor car, and rotor were all original. I changed the plugs before I drove the car home, but didn't do the rest till last year. The rear struts were worn beyond anything I'd ever seen when I bought the car, but the fronts are still original. The original owner just never did anything to the car.

Finder349 · Post by **Finder349** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:50 pm

When you say that the Rolla hose is 14" is this the 4WD wagon or are you talking about just the regular FWD version? Are the fittings the same? What year Rolla? This may be a goood thing for those of us that want to do that 2" lift thing.

Calvin

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:53 pm

Frankly, I do not know which Corolla the 14" hose fits; the parts guy just pulled it out of a box and said it was for a Corolla and it was 14" in length. I think it was for a regular FWD sedan, though. The fittings were the same as ours, and as far as the year goes - I just told him to look for a mid-'80s Corolla. This length would seem to make sense for anyone who does any lift, though.

INCIDENTALLY - the 1/2" shorter hose I was ranting about in my earlier posts seems to work just fine in the real world. Although why every manufacturer would make their version 1/2" shorter than the Toyota OEM is beyond me.
I would rather it were a half-inch longer, though (as wouldn't we all....).
Tom M.

Typrus · Post by **Typrus** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:11 pm

My hoses from NAPA were perfect. Same length as the ones on the car... Had to have one shipped from Salt Lake and the other from some place in Idaho though. Both back ones were in stock.
My Advance pads and rotors are putting up to my 50-0 panic braking 3 times daily pretty darned well. Pretty much no dust either.