I use 5 or 5.5mm Di tubing, dip end of tube in boiling water (boil the kettle and pour a little in a mug) to make it soft and suple.
Then slide that end of the tube over the nipple, the tubing will cool down fairly quickly and it's normal ridgiity will return, with a good firm seal and grip on the nipple.
To remove the tube from the nipple just give it a good tug.
Should you be a DIYer and love to take good care of your car, you might love to do the brake bleeding in your garage. It would help if you considered many aspects, such as the perfect brake bleeder hose size.
This blog compiles the essential information and a complete guide on easy and effective brake bleeding. Please scroll down for further details!
Why Should We Bleed Brakes?
Bleeding brakes is crucial to maintain the performance of engine power and driving experience. Those who have not had a mechanical foundation might find this process challenging.
Brake bleeding refers to purging all air bubbles in the brake lines – the pipes and hoses having the brake fluid. And it plays an important role in vehicle maintenance.
Throughout the use process, air bubbles will increase in the brake system. Gradually, it will profoundly impact the hydraulic pressure and depreciate the effectiveness and reaction of the brakes.
Imagine how dangerous it would be if you drove a car with incompetent brakes. This reason is among the common culprits of many car accidents.
So, regular brake bleeding can extend the lifespan of brakes and guarantee your safety. Some signs calling for a brake bleeding are you have changed a bad rotor or longer braking distance.
The thing that matters is how to conduct this maintenance appropriately!
Brake Bleeder Hose Size: How To Properly Bleed Brakes?
The size might vary according to the different models by manufacturers. Yet, the common hose size for bleeding brakes is 3/16-inches by 5/16-inches.
Also, the tips that smoothen the process are to turn off the engine and take out all four wheels.
Step 1 – Lifting Your Car
The first thing to gain is the understanding of the manufacturer’s instructions. Without a playbook, technical issues happen due to the avoidable mistakes and the lack of fundamentals!
You need to notice some notes during the procedure on the hydraulic brake systems.
- Having your vehicle on a solid, flat surface when fulfilling the brake fluid is advisable.
- When unscrewing the lug nuts on the tire, you can use a tire iron to alleviate this step.
- The next step is to use the car jack and jack stand. Position the car jack under your vehicle and then use the lift to raise the car for the stand to fit in safely.
- Make sure that you position the jack stand correctly before removing the jack.
Step 2 – Taking Out The Tires
After securely mounting your vehicle, the next step is to remove the tires. It is one of the crucial steps.
The following content covers the detailed guideline that you can follow to remove the tires securely.
- Loosen and take out the lug nuts from your tires.
- Be careful when removing the tires and wheels.
- Getting them out of the working site.
- At this point, you will see the caliper assembly and rotor on each brake. It is a sign for the next step!
Step 3 – Unscrew The Bleeder Screw
- Check the brake bleed tube size of your vehicle for a fit wrench. There are various sizes and locations of speed bleeder screws as manufacturers have different designs for each car model.
- It would help if you started with the furthest brake from the master cylinder. In most cases, it is the assembly of the passenger rear brake.
- Yet, you should check the manual as the bleeding order might differ from one manufacturer to another.
- Once you know the recommended first brake, it is time to unscrew the brake bleeder screw.
- If you find it too hard to loosen, you can spray penetrating oil and leave it there for a few minutes to ease the process!
Step 4 – Use Vinyl Tubing To Shroud The Opening
- You can cover the bleeder’s opening with vinyl tubing, but a piece of plastic tubing is still fine. You should wear work gloves to protect your hands during this step.
- Using the hose to connect the other end with an empty bottle or jar is time. Of course, you need to choose a fit hose size for brake bleeding (find the details in the FAQ section).
- Make sure the fluid is in before the brake bleeding process. So, the trapped air can easily and smoothly bubble into the plastic bottle or jar you already prepared!
Step 5 – Activate The Bleeder Valve And Connect With The Brake Pedal
- The first is to push the brake pedal twice slowly and hold it to the floor. Then, open the bleeder valve. To find a suitable wrench, you should check the brake bleeder valve hose size.
- Due to the increasing pressure inside, the air and dirty fluid will be out of the brake line through the tubing.
- Close the valve and slowly release the brake when the first batch of dirty fluid comes out of the brake line.
- The whole process should be in the loop until you find no air or dirty fluid in the tubing. The tip for checking is comparing fresh fluid and the one from your brake lines.
- If they are the same color, it is a finishing touch to this step.
- It is much more convenient to have a partner who supports you in the process. For example, he could hold the brake inside the car while you bleed the brakes.
- The note is to keep your car’s engine off throughout this procedure.
Step 6 – Repeat The Process On Each Brake
- The common bleeding order is:
- Passenger rear brake
- Driver rear
- Passenger front
- Driver front
- Repeat what we instruct in step five on each brake. It is important to check the fluid level. If it is lower or higher than the indicator line, you should adjust it to the standard level.
- Once you finish the bleeding process on all brakes, it is time for the reassembly procedure, including:
- Close the bleeder valves.
- Press down the brake pedal.
- Fulfill the brake reservoir.
- Reassemble the tires.
- Lower your vehicle by adjusting the lift.
- Tighten the lug nuts.
- If there are problems like spongy brakes after the bleeding process, you should check more information or call the professional mechanics.
FAQs
This section highlights some questions that people usually have about brake bleeding and a suitable brake bleeder tube.
The aspects we bring up are what you should know in advance to ease the process!
What Size Tubing To Use For Bleeding Brakes?
The fluid will flow into the tubing when you start bleeding brakes. Then, the trapped air churns into the jar to alleviate cleanup. The most ideal brake bleeder tubing size is 3/16-inches by 5/16-inches.
Most manufacturers design hoses with such a tubing size to fit in many vehicles. So, looking for a 3/16 inch by 5/16 inch size hose is not challenging!
Should You Bleed Brakes While Tires Are On?
We instruct you to remove all four wheels before bleeding brakes in the guideline above. However, the fact is that you can still carry out the process without doing it.
It is advisable to take out tires to avoid inconvenience while the brake bleeding process happens. There will be more space for you when the car is up in the air without wheels!
Conclusion
This blog shares the detailed guideline and the answers to one of the most common questions: the suitable brake bleeder hose size.
Hopefully, it can find the exact size of tools and smoothen the process so that you can enjoy a fantastic driving experience with powerful brakes!