Rubber Brake Line Length and Connections

I'm tired of replacing my coiled pex red and blue brake lines because the tubing crimps on itself and then risks breaking for an air leak. I've seen uncoiled rubber airlines on trucks, with a slider bar, but I can't find a packaged set for my Volvo VNL 780, or for any other truck that I know of.

Can someone who has this set up tell me what I need to do to optimize such a set up?

While I'm at it, I want to install fittings on the tractor red line--a brass T, a ball valve, and quick connect system for easy tubing replacement and for connection for tools and tire pump supply.

I need a safe and durable air supply that allows me to jack knife the trailer without tangling or breaking the air lines.

 

I prefer the rubber one's too. They don't crack in the winter so easily. I was able to get them at one of the local dealers. As far as putting an air fitting. I would just buy one of the glad hand air chuck hoses that they sell at the truckstop. Then put on a 3/8 or 1/2 inch coupler on the end of it, whichever all your male fitting sizes are. I can't remember on mine, but I think I had to cut the end of my line off and put some new plumbing on it because the air chuck was crimped on, not screwed on. That's what I did and it was cheap and easy.

 

used to do that to all the trucks---measured out to maybe a foot past end of frame--just used bulk air lines and electrical cord with couplers----then just ran 2 springs to the bar on back of cab
and covered the lies,cord with spiral wrap so they sat nice and didnt get tangled

 

How's that measurement go? I have reefer trailer with glad hand connectors on the front driver's side of the trailer. My Volvo's thread connection is on the driver's side, recessed behind the electrical plug.

Standard red/blue coiled pex air lines are 15' long (stretched out). I'm not sure how high off the catwalk those slider bars are placed, but they are higher than the low one I have stock on my Volvo, it seems to me. Maybe 5 feet to the spring on the slider bar, and then 10 feet to the glad hand on a straight tractor-trailer combo. Then, when the combo is jack knifed, the spring extends another 5 feet?

You say measure from back of cab to a foot past the end of the tractor frame?

 

mine are 12' which is more than enough. I'm still running a pogo stick instead of a slider bar and I have at least 3' more hose coiled before the top of the post. This truck is a daycab and the trailer has an 18" king pin so mines probably farther away than a reefer would be. I bought the 2 lines and electric cord as a kit with the spiral wrap. The 2 extra lines I just made with bulk brake line. Any parts place should have all the fittings. Always ran coiled before but these are much cleaner.

 

if i remember right it was about 18 ft----that was a 244 wheel base trucks ---and the cab connections were in the middle--then the hoses went up to a keeper on the headache rack--then to the trailer

 

Ok, so with a pogo stick and 12' of hosing, you have enough slack to provide safe connnection on a hard right jack knife, while also not drapping the air hoses onto the catwalk? (your picture worries me a bit about the latter issue)

 

iowa 80 has complete sets --both air and electric line combo for $147.......15 feet

http://www.iowa80.com/DirectionsWEB/webcart_productDisplay.php?itemid=42899&itemdesc=3+in+1+Air+Power+Line+15%27


.........

 

thats why we had them to top of the headache rack --for the loop and no pogo---on the van trucks it was the same--except they went to the back of the sleeper--on the horizontal bar--still had that loop catch the side fairing on mine tho and snap a glad hand--wasnt a sharp turn--not sure how it did it

 

Yes mines only drooping on the catwalk because I have 4 air lines and 2 electric lines and an old pogo. You choose how much is drooping by how much you push through the loop on the pogo.