I arrived back in Oregon after a Christmas vacation only to be greeted with a ruptured right front brake hose. I decided it was a good idea to replace both front hoses, pads and flush the brake fluid. Unfortunetly the connection from the driver side hose to the hard lines was very stuck. After a lot of PB Blaster, WD-40, carb cleaner, brushing, Brakleen and frustration with a 3/8" wrench I had significantly marred and rounded the nut in the connection.

What are my options at this point? Is it possible to cut the hard line, make a new connections to a small length of line that would then connect to the hose in the same location? I'm assuming the nut is not savable at this point.

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1978 4 door Dodge Aspen, Super Six

Might sound very strange, but use a large pair of vice grips across where the points used to be clamped very tight. This has worked for me on a few occations.

Richard

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Yep, Vice Grips.......

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

The old vice grip method often leads to deformed nut or what that fitting would be called which probably won’t thread into new fitting correctly rendering the contraption a leaking mess. Having worked on rusted old New England junk for years has taught me that replacing this short length of brake line is the fastest least frustrating method of leak fee repair once that nut is rounded and deformed it often pinches tubing disallowing its ability to rotate around tubing when reinstalling.

If you experience problems removing the other end of line from distribution block, cut line close to nut, and remove nut with socket, extension, and ratchet. It generally takes quite a bit of torque to get these old connections to brake free, tubing wrenches often can’t do the job without rounding fitting; socket method makes quick work of it. You may have to shim the distribution block to keep it from twisting on its bracket during the removal procedure.

Use the old tubing as a guide to bend up new using wire ties to attach each length of tubing to old after each bend; this will make a very close reproduction of original part.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

BRAKES. I would replace the line. Cheap insurance in my mind.

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1964 Dart GT

Funny (or not so funny), but I had exactly this happen to me today, trying to replace the hydraulic hose on my fronts and I've been pondering what to do. I guess I'll have to replace that section of bent steel brake line. I really hate bending and flaring line though: such a PITA to get it exactly bent like the original and exactly the right length.

I've noticed on my '63 Dart where the front brake lines (on both sides) bend under the wheel cutout and rise up again in an upside down U-form to thread into the hydraulic hose fitting at the bracket, that the way the line is bent actually blocks one from being able to work on the upper control arms.

Why wouldn't one use some kind of 90° elbow flare fitting at the steel line/hydraulic hose junction so the line could enter from a horizontal position, and NOT block the upper control arm access? Any problems with this modification? I haven't given this a ton of thought, but I'm sure one's available...

I know this is a bit late but I followed the advice here and replace the line. Not as much of a pain as I thought but not exactly fun. The double flaring tool, now that is different story. The ones on loan at O'Reilly were just such a pain to use. But I was able to get a good looking flare after some attempts. new pads are in and fluid in the front has been flushed and bleed. Things feel much better on the braking front.

Thanks for the help everyone!

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1978 4 door Dodge Aspen, Super Six