Even though JakeSoup did an editing fellow rewrite, the article http://www.wikihow.com/Change-Brake-Lines
seems to need to either be corrected or dismissed (deleted). It has too many loose ends for me to try to rewrite it, but three glaring problems appear. First, it begins by telling the reader to loosen the lug nuts and jack up the car. We don’t remove the wheels to replace brake lines, all the connections are external. Jack the car up? Yes, if it is too low to get underneath it. Remove the wheels? No.
Second, it tells the reader to cut the brake lines (and use brass fittings to reinstall new ones), but brake lines are steel, with inverted flare connectors, and honestly, brass is too soft for the pressure potential (the system is hydraulic, for crying out loud), not to mention, the average shade tree mechanic doesn’t have resources to make an inverted flare on a steel tube to facilitate the connection.
Thirdly, brake fittings are particularly troublesome to unthread/ thread, since they often require holding one side stationary while turning the opposite (the flare nut has to turn, but if the line itself turns, the tubing is ruined), and explaining the process for accomplishing this isn’t something I would attempt.
My point is, if incorrectly done, this project could easily, and most literally, kill people. The article simply doesn’t provide accurate information on how to safely do it, and the low accuracy ratings seem to support my belief.
Anna
2
Thanks @Bobbyfrank
- Since Brooke is still mid-process on these edits, working with the professional mechanic reviewers, I’ll send your concerns to her and she can pass those on, along with the edits you made. It’ll be great to get it fixed up further before they shoot the videos for it
system
3
Any news on this? No edits have been made by anyone since @Bobbyfrank
brought up these grave concerns… still mid-process?
Anna
4
Yep, still in process! The article will still be worked on from this requested review through the actual in-person filming with our video producer, Brian, and the mechanics, and then the video editing and uploading. On some titles, it’s a long process
I did get a progress update for you: the main reviewing mechanic looked over Bob’s comments and didn’t agree with all of the points (or at least how best to convey them), so they’ve looped in another mechanic for a triple check. I’m sure some of the nuances of how to approach the instructions will become clearer when they actually film, too - so I expect more edits at that point, as well.
Sorry about the longer process but since these folks are out fixing cars all day, the reviewing can take a while. Hopefully the filming session is scheduled for the not too distant future, since that’ll probably be the easiest place to get their input face to face
Anna
5
Ok, more info!
The good news is the disagreement wasn’t as big as I thought initially - my apologies for misinterpreting that part of the situation. For the part the mechanic did disagree with, they went ahead and got a second opinion to be safe, but the point was actually fairly minor: Both mechanics feel that removing the wheels is a personal preference and is done most of the time for access, so they recommend it, even if it’s not always necessary.
Aside from that disagreement, it sounds like the first mechanic, second mechanic and Bob agree that the article has too many loose ends and could use a bigger overhaul. The edits Brookenado made were a start, but they were not the end of the process and the article wouldn’t be marked as expert reviewed in its current form. The plan had been to do more work before and during the filming. It’s normal for these articles to go through many edits before they get that review stamp.
Timing here is actually turning out to be a bummer, because they’ve coincidentally had to postpone the shoot, which is where the rest of the feedback and editing would have happened. I know you’ve already made some edits to remove some of your concerns, Bob (thank you!), but since there are others, and I don’t know when they’ll be able to do that shoot, I’m going to go ahead and add the accuracy tag. Hopefully before too long, we’ll be able to roll the ball again on fixing/filming this one and remove the tag once it’s complete, but for now, it seems like the safest course!
Editing these professionally reviewed articles is often a long process, with lots of back and forth, and it’s a bummer that this one won’t be completed very quickly - tough thing about working with professionals is they’re out there being professional most of the time, hah. Thanks for raising the concerns, and I’m sorry to have to tag it for now, but it does seem like the best thing to do, given the postponement!
The issue about removing the tires is actually harmless, although leaving a vehicle on the ground is always the safest way to work underneath it. I could draw out a laundry list of other deficiencies, as I am sure your mechanics could. Brake lines are not universal, the fittings are often complicated, using crush washers, various different flared connections, materials for their basic construction, and the list goes on. The problem I want to illuminate is the fact that, unlike pages detailing how to clean a fish or attract a crush, etc, is that incorrectly done, brake lines can, and actually do, kill people, cause property damage, and end up in other disasters. If our job is to provide accurate, useful information, it is also to make the processes we describe as safe and successful as possible. Pages that cannot offer that to readers will send them to other sources, and end up costing wikiHow its credibility.
For the time being, an accuracy tag does suffice, and having an expert mechanic’s input gives me reassurance the issues can be overcome. On the other hand, seeing edits by wikiHaus sanctioned editors like seymour edits and editing fellows that incorporate dubious sources or simply take pages off-topic really have caused me to just skip those edits while patrolling recent changes. Thanks for the attention and the update, though!
I agree with bob on this. Tbe article leaves too many loose ends to instruct the general driveway mechanic on properly and safely replacing break lines as he pointed out that hydraulic pressures are extremely high for any soft metal like brass or other metals or materials with a lower tensile strength than high pressure steel lines. Another problem i need to point out is that most aftermarket or original manufacturers do not offer break lines contoured and shaped specifically for the car model needed. For this it is best to leave it for professionals with the proper equipment to bend shape and flare steel brake lines. Any minimal imperfection on the fittings and the connections will just give the inexperienced reader/mechanic a headache. This is just one out the many overlooked details for the required task of dealing with hydraulic systems. Specially when it comes to vehicular brake lines. Even some experienced mechanics can have a hard time with this. One example of this is the awesome deal i got when i purchased my truck from a certified mechanic. he couldn’t figure out how to deal with the transmission clutch shifting problem. He said that after three compete transmission overhauls and returns to dealer repair shops he sold me his Tacoma for just $1200 . Turns out that whoever worked on the hydraulic lines. Neglected to use a simple flare nut wrench to loosen and tighten the lines. A simple flaring correction and a quick bleeding of the lines and that’s all it took to exorcise the ghost he claimed haunted his tuck for over a year.
