Weeping Brake Lines

[GrumpierGrunt]

I have a 1999 Ford Ranger 2WD Auto 6ft bed with 140,000 miles.

I needed desperately to replace my brake drums and shoes so I did that over the weekend. While doing the rear brakes, I noticed the lines were kinda roached. I installed new lines as well but I’m just getting a tad bit of weeping from the pressure fitting into the junction box on top of the rear axle. I tried tanking it down, and maybe I’ll try again, but I think it might be a bad junction box.

I read that stainless steel lines are a bit finicky, any suggestions on getting a good seal?

I looked around but couldn’t find anywhere selling new junction boxes

 

[RobbieD]

On my earlier trucks, and I would think yours, too, the junction block with rear hardline ports is part of the rear flexible hose. Replacing the rear flexible hose line would be preventative maintenance, anyway, on an older truck, and doing so would compliment the new hardlines as to increasing the "time before having to screw with it again".

Otherwise, I would only crank down so much on the hardline flair fitting nuts. Rather, I'd try loosening the fitting and trying to get a straighter entry angle of the hardline into the block and then retighten. It's a flair fitting, and I think that the harder stainless won't conform to seal as easily as plain steel, if the angle's not perfect.

That's "advice in general". I've never had to use stainless lines myself, but I have had to reseat a line to fix a leak.

Good luck with it.