LR4 Stainless Steel Brake Lines

[Land Rover Joe]

Greetings LR4 fans,

Has anyone fitted stainless steel brake lines to their LR4? It is time for me to replace the pads and I will be doing a full brake fluid flush (will replace with DOT 5.1).

There are a couple companies who manufacture LR3 stainless steel brake lines [http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/partdetails/StopTech/brakes/brake_lines/Stainless_Steel/19201 ] and I am wondering if these will fit the LR4 and/or if there are any LR4 lines available on the market yet.

Cheers,
Land Rover Joe

 

[emurray]

Video?

When you do the change for the brakes... Can you video a "How to" for the rest of use wanting to try it??
Thanks!
EPM

 

[94speedster]

When you purchase your new OEM brake pads from the dealer, they come with an instruction guide written by TRW (the supplier). Not the best instructions, but replacing pads is almost self-explanatory.

And to the OP - the factory brake lines look pretty rugged, though I can understand the desire to go to steel if offroading in extreme conditions...

Good Luck

-B

 

[Land Rover Joe]

Thanks for everyone’s interest and attention,

So I have completed Phase I of the brake job.

Emurray,

Making a video exceeds my level of effort. However, I do have the “Haynes Automotive Brake Manual” which is a decent summary of brakes in general, as well as the LR4 workshop manual…which is of limited use but the diagrams explain what exactly everything is. What may be very helpful is the link at ************** Photo Gallery - Bodsy's Brake Bible (see forum page at http://www.*******************/forums/f41/how-change-rear-brake-pads-lr3-58032/ ).

This is for the LR3…but it is basically the same from what I experienced and has excellent color pictures with fairly simple explanations for each step.

94speedster,

I purchased my OEM brake pads from British Parts of Utah [BPU]. They did not come with instructions but they did come with the bolts and anti-squeal (although I bought and used the Mercedes paste from BPU).

The part number for the front pads is LR032063 and they work like a charm; this is a new part number as Land Rover has apparently phased out whatever pads they were using before.

The part number for the rear pads is LR019627 and they are substantially smaller than the front (rear calipers have only one piston; front have two). Unfortunately, BPU sent me part number LR019618…which are the pads for the LR3 (and do not fit). !@$!%!. I didn’t realize this until after we had tried them and I called BPU to figure out what had gone wrong…and they had simply sent me the wrong part. There are apparently two slightly different sizes for the LR4 rear pads depending upon VIN, but either will fit. 19627 should be the right PN for 2010. So-holding off on the rear pad install until I get the correct part.

We flushed out the brake fluid…and it was pretty bad after three years (heavy duty use but very low mileage). The pads themselves have some life left…but replacement now is fine, a good PM measure and the breaking is now a lot tighter with new pads (ok…new pads on the front). But the fluid really needed to be changed. I used a French brand (Total) DOT 5.1 fluid. This is NOT Silicon (DOT 5) but the newest formulation of brake fluid (and highest boiling point yet). We will pull more fluid out when we do the rest of the work to see how things are doing. The experts tell me Silicon is a really bad idea for ABS. So far-everything is very smooth.

So for brake lines…I went and bought (after the pad drama) LR3 front and rear stainless steel brake lines from Race Inspired online, made by Stop Tech. They should fit…so we will try them out when everything gets here and we begin Phase II (change rear pads, change brake lines, drain/inspect brake fluid). I will let everyone know the results and post some pictures.

One thing I did not buy, but probably should have, were the pad sensors: they are pretty flimsy, really easy to break, and I will definitely change them out next time whether I go through the pads or not.

Also, I filled the tires with Nitrogen. I thought this was really pretty silly--someone talked me into it--but I really think it does make a bit of a difference: the wheels feel a bit firmer and don’t float quite as much, especially when they heat up on-road. I am told that a lot of folks are going to this for high-performance stuff.

Costs:
Front Brake Pads [PN LR032063]: $270 (BPU)
Rear Brake Pads [PN LR019627]: $90 (BPU)
Brake Anti-squeal Paste [RCBAS]: $8 (BPU)
Brake Fluid [DOT 5.1]: $60 (local supplier)
Front Stainless Steel Brake Lines [PN STO-950-22000]: $88.82 (Race Inspired)
Rear Stainless Steel Brake Lines [PN STO-950-22500]: $78.95 (Race Inspired)
Nitrogen: $25
Assorted Shipping: $40

Total Cost for this experiment: $665

Cheers,
Land Rover Joe

 

[Disco Mike]

Here is another group that I highly recommend for their brake lines made from both stainless steel as well as teflon.
http://shop.tacticalrovers.com/Accessories_c5.htm

 

[ougrad1]

Thanks for everyone’s interest and attention,

So I have completed Phase I of the brake job.

Emurray,

Making a video exceeds my level of effort. However, I do have the “Haynes Automotive Brake Manual” which is a decent summary of brakes in general, as well as the LR4 workshop manual…which is of limited use but the diagrams explain what exactly everything is. What may be very helpful is the link at ************** Photo Gallery - Bodsy's Brake Bible (see forum page at http://www.*******************/forums/f41/how-change-rear-brake-pads-lr3-58032/ ).

This is for the LR3…but it is basically the same from what I experienced and has excellent color pictures with fairly simple explanations for each step.

94speedster,

I purchased my OEM brake pads from British Parts of Utah [BPU]. They did not come with instructions but they did come with the bolts and anti-squeal (although I bought and used the Mercedes paste from BPU).

The part number for the front pads is LR032063 and they work like a charm; this is a new part number as Land Rover has apparently phased out whatever pads they were using before.

The part number for the rear pads is LR019627 and they are substantially smaller than the front (rear calipers have only one piston; front have two). Unfortunately, BPU sent me part number LR019618…which are the pads for the LR3 (and do not fit). !@$!%!. I didn’t realize this until after we had tried them and I called BPU to figure out what had gone wrong…and they had simply sent me the wrong part. There are apparently two slightly different sizes for the LR4 rear pads depending upon VIN, but either will fit. 19627 should be the right PN for 2010. So-holding off on the rear pad install until I get the correct part.

We flushed out the brake fluid…and it was pretty bad after three years (heavy duty use but very low mileage). The pads themselves have some life left…but replacement now is fine, a good PM measure and the breaking is now a lot tighter with new pads (ok…new pads on the front). But the fluid really needed to be changed. I used a French brand (Total) DOT 5.1 fluid. This is NOT Silicon (DOT 5) but the newest formulation of brake fluid (and highest boiling point yet). We will pull more fluid out when we do the rest of the work to see how things are doing. The experts tell me Silicon is a really bad idea for ABS. So far-everything is very smooth.

So for brake lines…I went and bought (after the pad drama) LR3 front and rear stainless steel brake lines from Race Inspired online, made by Stop Tech. They should fit…so we will try them out when everything gets here and we begin Phase II (change rear pads, change brake lines, drain/inspect brake fluid). I will let everyone know the results and post some pictures.

One thing I did not buy, but probably should have, were the pad sensors: they are pretty flimsy, really easy to break, and I will definitely change them out next time whether I go through the pads or not.

Also, I filled the tires with Nitrogen. I thought this was really pretty silly--someone talked me into it--but I really think it does make a bit of a difference: the wheels feel a bit firmer and don’t float quite as much, especially when they heat up on-road. I am told that a lot of folks are going to this for high-performance stuff.

Costs:
Front Brake Pads [PN LR032063]: $270 (BPU)
Rear Brake Pads [PN LR019627]: $90 (BPU)
Brake Anti-squeal Paste [RCBAS]: $8 (BPU)
Brake Fluid [DOT 5.1]: $60 (local supplier)
Front Stainless Steel Brake Lines [PN STO-950-22000]: $88.82 (Race Inspired)
Rear Stainless Steel Brake Lines [PN STO-950-22500]: $78.95 (Race Inspired)
Nitrogen: $25
Assorted Shipping: $40

Total Cost for this experiment: $665

Cheers,
Land Rover Joe

Thanks for the write up, Joe! I'm a few months away from replacing my brake pads and rotors and will be looking to purchase both from an online OEM dealer too. I'm glad to hear of your good experience with British parts of Utah.

 

[Land Rover Joe]

Dear All,

First-Merry Christmas wishes to everyone and warmest regards for the holidays.

So-- I have finally completed all the work. Here are a few notes and responses from others posts.

OU Grad--thanks for the note and I hope that your pad change went smoothly. Let us know if you had any drama.

Disco Mike is right—Tactical Rovers supplies a lot of really high-quality off-road gear. However, I had asked them if they would supply their stainless steel + Kevlar brake lines for the LR4, to which they responded no. That said, I cannot tell you really how different these brake lines are for different vehicles. I can tell you that my bush mechanic friends out here in Africa use old (un-used but expired) aviation hydraulic steel hose lines in their Defenders. A little too experimental for my tastes, but once they figure out the configuration, a whole lot cheaper.

In my case, I used the stainless steel brake lines I ordered from Race Inspired. The manufacturer is Stop Tech and the SKU is STO-950.22000 for the LR3 front lines and STO-950.22500 for the LR3 rear brake lines. Total cost for the break hoses plus the shipping was $190.00 (by Race Inspired) and these lines can fit on the LR4.

I also ended up buying and replacing the brake wear sensors from BP Utah; Items number SEM500070 and SOE000025 for front and rear; these parts fit and work fine. It was good I bought them…because my rear pads ended up wearing out in the meantime and burned up the sensor. The rear pads have significantly less surface so they are more likely, in my opinion, to turn to dust than the front. On the other hand, the front pads seem to do most of the work. BP Utah did send the Rear pads, and LR019627 is the correct Part Number for my 2010 LR4.

In terms of the fitting of the stainless steel brake lines: a lot more work than it looks. The rear brakes have two hoses each (that is four total kids), and require the proper fitment. The parts from Race Inspired (LR3) do fit the LR4, but the routing of the hoses and fitting of the assemblies was a lot more work than I had expected. The front was even worse. There is a large hose for the front brake, but the OEM rubber hoses have a very different configuration, requiring a lot of routing and plastic ties. After about six hours of playing around with all of this stuff with my mechanic friend, it came together. The Stop Tech lines for the front fit, but the different configuration of the hose assembly made for some interesting work.

All this caused us to drain and then fill and prime the brake fluid again. No issues with the DOT 5.1 fluid thus far.

How does it work? So far, so good. Braking power and responsiveness has increased substantially…although that is certainly due more to the new brake pads than steel hoses. But, the LR4 drives better and I do feel a bit better about the durability of the after-market hoses (nothing like emotional appeal!) In Africa, one doesn’t have to worry about the freezing of brake lines and such, so steel is usually better than rubber, which warps and rots in the heat and sand. BPU and Race Inspired came through with the goods in the end, so that was a positive experience. One final note—I did not use the anti-squeal paste…and no one knew the difference. There was no brake squeal from the new pads, and the disks are still in good shape.

Were the steel hoses worth it? Well…frankly not really. At least not now. The factory hoses are actually stronger and more rugged than they look on the vehicle. They were corroding in some places, but there were several years left on the metal components, and I don’t think that the brake fade was so bad that it warranted a hose change. One never knows in the bush if some components are better than others and will make that critical difference, but I think the OEM parts would have been fine for another 3-5 years. Especially on street driving. Of course, I do like the look and feel of the steel hoses…but they probably don’t warrant the $200.00, plus hours of turning and twisting under the vehicle. Thus, if you have to change out your hoses anyway or are doing some other major brake work, then it would probably make sense to upgrade to the high-performance (and ostensibly stronger/better) stainless steel hoses. But for routine driving and such, probably overkill. For the perfectionists who can afford and demand only the best: why not?

-The Brake Job of 2012 Summary-
Front Brake Pads [LR032063]: $270 (BPU)
Rear Brake Pads [LR019627]: $90 (BPU)
Brake Anti-squeal Paste [RCBAS]: $8 (BPU)
Brake Fluid [DOT 5.1]: $60 (local supplier)
Front Stainless Steel Brake Lines [STO-950-22000]: $88.82 (Race Inspired)
Rear Stainless Steel Brake Lines [STO-950-22500]: $78.95 (Race Inspired)
Break Sensors (front and Rear) [SEM500070 and SOE000025]: $46.00 (BPU)
Nitrogen: $25
Assorted Shipping: $40

Cheers and best holiday wishes-
Land Rover Joe

 

[Finlayforprez]

Hey Land Rover Joe and Everyone,

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays... This was an AWESOME post! I am still a while away from changing my brakes, but will take this route as well.

Regards, David

 

[Land Rover Joe]

David,

Many thanks.

I am posting a couple of pictures of the brake work for posterity—I was working on my truck today and had my camera out.

Please see pictures of the rear right hand side wheel well; in the first, the lower stainless steel brake line fixtures are highlighted with red circles while the brake pad wear sensor is shown in blue.

In the second picture, the lower and upper (there are two for the rear wheels) stainless steel brake lines are highlighted in red circles while the factory steel connecting hose (along the strut) is highlighted with a straight red line.

The last picture is the upper steel break hose with fittings.

Hope folks enjoy the pictures and find them useful! If I pull off a front tire and have my camera handy, I will update the post with pictures of the front stainless steel brake lines.

Cheers,
Land Rover Joe

 

[Finlayforprez]

Hey Land Rover Joe,

VERY helpful photos - thanks so much for taking the time to post the instructions and pictures.

-David