Ford Ranger help.

[YoungPUP]

I'm in the process of trying to assemble parts to help the Father in law replace the rotted out steel brake lines on his 2000 Ford ranger Extended cab 4x4.  He informed me that the local ford dealer told him that replacment lines are not available.  Any suggestions so I dont have to resharpen my tubing bender skills?

[flcjr]

Nice thing about a ford they circle the problem right on the front. .
You better get out your flaring tools and bender no other way that I know of.

[t-man403]

I call BS on that one!
Take it to Midas.

[gregc]

  Go to your Napa, or autozone.  They sell brake line in a 25 foot long coil,  both 3/16, and 1/4 dia.
Just look real careful at the old ends.  Ford has some that are an oldstyle double flare. Some ends are the newer bubble flare.  They don't interchange, so make sure you know which came from where.
 Most of the Fords I have done, the old lines rot out right where the clips hold them to the frame. I just use a wire tie to hold the new line in place, that way slop doesn't stay around the line and keep it wet.

[Lawdog]

good luck cant find any OEM parts online.

[Robert]

In this economy I think most mfgs have stopped making parts that don't move fast and are not profitable. So its true most times brake lines cannot be had for quite a few vehicles. Gregc had it right get the roll and your good to go.

[signart]

Remove all the bolts from the cab mounts and unbolt the bed from the frame. Use a hoist to raise the cab & bed, then roll a Chevrolet frame and drivetrain under the body and bolt it down. Yer done.

[Rams]

Remove all the bolts from the cab mounts and unbolt the bed from the frame. Use a hoist to raise the cab & bed, then roll a Chevrolet frame and drivetrain under the body and bolt it down. Yer done.

While I do think the above post is funny, I deal with this issue on a daily basis.    It ain't gonna be any fun but, unless you're willing to hire it out.   Get those bending and flaring tools out.    All of the auto parts vendors have the needed supplies and tools available.  I recently helped my son and a friend of his re-plumb the friend's entire system on a 1/2 ton Chevy 4X4.   We pulled the bed and then put the truck up on my two post lift.   Took a couple of days to get it done at our pace.   (Oh yeah, be sure to get extra parts, and tubing.)   Not every attempt turned out the desired result.     I would recommend pulling the bed off to do this job, saves time and energy in the log run.   While you're at it, take a long hard look at those calipers, pads and rotors.   If you're gonna do it, get it all done.

[da prez]

Pup , do not splice . If the line is bad , replace it to the next coupling. Once you start , do the entire system. You will save time in the long run. Do the hardest ones first. When you go to bleed the system , use a vacuum bleeder or a pressure pot.
  If you have to pump the brakes , do not push the pedal more than half was unlessl you replace the master cylinder.

                 da prez

[Patrick]

Its not that hard a job. Its kinda common way up here in the Rust Belt ,especially over the past 5 years with the new 'liquid salt' being used.

[YoungPUP]

full replacment is the plan.  THe fun part will be that the two that are rotten are thefront lines around/by/under the engine.  Too easy for it to be the long ones running down the nice open frame towards the rear... 

[Tropic traveler]

Twenty four years in the Ford parts biz.
Most all Fords {and GM too} do not have the pre-bent brake lines offered even when the vehicle was brand new, especially the front to back ones. There are some exceptions. Think about just exactly how would you thread a complete full length brake line assembly in an assembled vehicle. Duh. The factories {all of them} install those components on the assembly line when they are easy to access. If the lines were offered as a whole then all the whining would be "why can't I buy just the piece I need?" 
Good advice from daprez...

[Dogg]

Listen, brake lines for an 02 ranger will work. Just the 4 for the wheels. Abs lines are different. You can also go to napa or pepboys and order after market brake line sets. Better off getting the new ones from frod for an 02 ranger, same config. And the 02 lines are teflon coated and wont rust. Almost 170,000 on my 02 ranger and my lines are perfect. And i live at the beach. Even the rain is salt water here.lol done a bunch of these. Also had to bend a bunch also. I have a hydraulic flairing tool i bought from snapon. Saves time and money in the long run. And my tube bender wasnt made by lisle either. Its also blue point and makes bending lines up to 3/8 of an inch a since. Good luck.

[R J]

Son just changed out the brake lines on a Rotted out Ranger today.

We measured all the lines, and I was headed out the door to go get them from O'Reilly's.   Owner asked what it was going to cost, ball park figure.   Son figured an estimate and he said, 'Don't have the $$$ for that, can we just fix the one leaking and the 1 laying by it that is all wet.

That was what we ended up doing.

When I got back, I took the straight length, and set down with the old line and copied the bends on to the new one.    Took my time and it went right in.   Grabbed some wire ties and secured both lines.     Took like maybe an hour from start to finish.

We probably do one or 2 lines a week, some weeks might go by and then we get a bunch of them.   We just measure the old line and buy what ever will fit, Don't get a shorter line than needed as you will be kicking your ass later.    Don't ask how I know that.

[Hooter]

   You have just encountered one of the biggest PIA you can come to. Remove what you can and re-route where you have to. Spray things down a day or two ahead of time might make it easier. Vise Grips, flairing tool, and bender are in your near future....nothin good about this job!

[Varmintmist]

Did my 98 F150 last year.

I went to Autozone. They sell pre flared coated steel line in different lenghts from 10 in to 60 in with ends. Spent 4 bucks on a hand bender and had to get a few adapters, and burned most of a day doing it, but it wasnt really that bad. I just bought what I needed and bent to fit.

Doing a double flare on the new steel line is something that is beyond my ability. I tried that, I think I gave the roll I had to the Boy Scouts for a yard sale.