Hammbones

iTrader: (1)

I notice a pool of fluid under my right rear rotor. I closely inspect it and apparently the coupling where the brass brake line meets the rubber hose has a slow leak. Didn't stress it, tightened it up until I couldn't see a drip anymore. Put all the wheels back on, getting ready to take it to the suspension shop for an install and wham, "Service ESC, Brake Fluid". I have to E-BRAKE to get the car to stop even at 5 mph.

I'm pissed, its 10:30pm and I need to have this car dropped off tonight for the lowering springs install. I send my wife off to WalMart for 2 bottles of brake fluid because I'm taking the damn fitting off, wrapping it in Teflon Tape (Pipe Thread tape) and tightening down on the damn thing.

My neighbor came over to see why I was still working on my car at midnight and I showed it to him, He scratched his head how all of a sudden this would happen so, we can't figure it out.

After doing my little repair on it, I asked him to pump the brakes twice and hold it. Bam, Fixed the pressure leak. Put the wheel back on, refilled the reservoir with more brake fluid and drove it 20 miles without an issue. I dropped it off for suspension work at 1am locally.

I asked the guy that is working on the suspension to take a look at the line and he calls me back about 30 minutes ago saying this:

"Man, I just put a line wrench on it and I got 2 1/2 turns on it. It seems like it just needed to be tightened. I'm going to verify that its fixed and if it is, no sweat but just understand the parts are about 40-50 bucks if I have replace the line."

To me, brakes, suspension and powertrain are the most important aspects of the car so I want to be sure I'm safe and able to stop. I have no idea how this just "happened" because its a crush fitting and it would take someone yanking on the brake line to get it to come loose.

Just thought I'd share it with the community to be sure to check your fittings on the lines everytime you take your wheels off. Had I not seen the small fluid pool on the floor, I wouldn't have realized what was going on until it was too late.

Zero6LS

Good advice. Sorry to hear that tho

Malaclypse

iTrader: (1)

I had a leaking caliper on my '06 SS/NA around 40-50k miles. Its odd that I see calipers leak on any GM vehicle anymore... Or lines for that matter. Pretty much the biggest culpret for brake fluid leaks in GM cars/trucks are rear wheel cylinders in drum brake setups.