I want to inspect all my brake lines, but do not know where they are located.
Can someone help me make a list of all major brake lines, and how I can locate them, so I can visually inspect?
If someone can take photos of where to look, that would be a big help

It may be time to junk this XJ if it gets too expensive to replace all these brake lines.
So, I may want to only replace ones that are rusted.

 

Just start at the source. Each brake line will be connected to the brakes on each wheel. Look for the rubber hose coming off the brake caliper in the front, which will then turn into a hard metal line. Then follow them up to the master cylinder under the hood...
It will be a hard line coming out of the back of the drums in the rear, all the way to the front...
I guess that's the simplest way to put it.....

 

OK, so there are 4 main lines coming from the wheels.
I got confused at people saying brake lines are very complicated under the hood, and a nightmare to replace.

 

Yeah that could be a possibility. The places the lines could be in the worse shape will probably be within a few feet of the brakes, and at places two lines come together.

 

The one that rusts the most is the one that runs along the frame rail to the rear axle. It's held onto the frame with metal clips and it tends to rot out under the clips. It's probably the easiest one to replace though. If you have ABS brakes it gets a little complicated because sometimes the ABS unit uses bubble flares on the tubing instead of the normal double flare. Save yourself some headaches and use Ni-cop (nickle-copper) tubing because it bends easy and doesn't rust....ever! However, the fittings do.

 

What do you mean "within a few feet of the brakes" ?
Near the brake pedal, or the caliper?

 

There is only one line that runs to the rear?
Then it splits near the rear axle so it can go to both rear wheels?

That is the one that is burst on my XJ
Under the driver's side rear door....

 

Caliper

 

Within a few feet of the calipers and drums, and as dave1123 mentioned, on the frame rail. Dirt and moisture gets lodged in there, and with the possibility of vibration can lead to chaffing and rotting. And yes, 1 line going to the rear then hits a tee and goes to both wheels.

 

Ok, I got under the XJ and took a closer look.

The lines for the front looks fine.

There is a line that goes to the rear.
There is a coupler half way back, so it's 2 pieces.

Near the rear driver's wheel is another coupler/junction to the soft line.

The soft line goes to a coupler/junction block on the axle itself.
This splits the line for both wheels.


I would like shop to replace the entire rear brake lines.
1) M/C to coupler (hard line)
2) Coupler to soft line (hard line #2)
Soft line to axle junction seems fine
4) Both hard lines from axle junction to wheels.

Can a shop replace these with generic standard brake lines at their shop?
Or should I pre-order the various brake line parts? Will they have the various couplers in stock ? Universal?

 

One more question, XJ rear brakes are drums.
I thought brake fluids is only for disc brakes and calipers.
Does the fluid make a big difference?

When my rear brakes failed, I lost like 80% of my braking power.
I thought front brakes do like most of the braking.
Are you telling me that rear drum brakes are doing most of the stopping?
Or did it have something to do with loss of pressure due to rear fluids leak?
Can the front brakes not work 100% when rear brakes are busted, or should they be totally independent?

 

They are shaped specifically for the route they have to run, along with the length. A shop could take piece of straight hard line and shape it, but that'll take hours and $$$. Ordering brake lines will come pre-shaped and to the correct length. But I'd have to guess if you took it to a shop, they would order XJ specific lines anyway since its not a custom built vehicle requiring custom brake lines. I dont know how the XJ system is put together, but if all it takes is some line wrenches, soclets or screwdrivers to loosen clamps, PB blaster to loosen fittings, and some shop rags, I bet you could do it yourself if your mechanically inclined enough and your only replacing a couple pieces.

 

And if there is a leak in the system, it wont build pressure. So if you lose rear brakes, even if they only provide 30-40% of the stopping power, it makes it feel like a lot more because youre used to having full brake power.

 

Yes,that's the one that is usually the first because it's exposed to the most water and road debris. It goes to the rear axle with a rubber hose to a "T" fitting and then to each wheel. Some vehicles with 4 wheel ABS have separate lines to the rear wheels, but not always. My wife's Dodge Caravan had separate lines and only the fittings were different sizes so you wouldn't get them mixed up. If you have a union under the door, someone has already replaced that section.

The master cylinder has 2 chambers and 1 is for the rear brakes and the other is for the front. Those 2 chambers feed fluid to a proportioning valve that controls how much pressure goes to each part of the system. The front calipers require more pressure and less fluid to do their work than the rear drums do, but the calipers do most of the braking force. The proportioning valve will close off a section of the system if a line ruptures, giving you at least part of the system. Older systems only have one chamber in the master cylinder and if you pop a line, you lose everything. Those are 4 wheel drums anyway.

When you replace that line, don't strip out the old one. Use it to support the new one by using cable ties in a figure-eight twist to keep them separated, but supported. I suggest replacing the brake hose at the same time because it's easier that way.

 

It makes sense to just replace everything from the M/C on back. Parts are cheap, labor is not.

Can someone help my find the parts I need ?
I want to get all the parts for the shop, to save them the time.

5212 7976: Hard line from Prop.Valve (Part #6)

5200 7662: 2nd Hard line to rubber hose (Part #6, DIAGRAM 2)
Does this come with axle junction box that sits on axle?

5212 9022: Right hard line (Part #1)
5212 9023: Left hard line (Part #1)