So, I had mentioned earlier about the brake line that blew on the van. It was the line for the front passenger brake, and it rusted out on one of the plastic clips that hold the line to the body. I spent some time Saturday taking the line out, but for the life of me could not get the fitting out of the proportional valve (whatever the thing is called that all the lines run to) or from the softline that goes to the caliper.

Insert side story - I borrowed my dad's '38 Chevy truck and took some yard waste to the city compost. I also made a trip to Clio where I met up with a guy and bought two 35x15.5x15 TSL SX tires. Ran them over to a shop where my buddy works and had them mounted.

Back to main story - I called it quits on the van Saturday because I was starting to get mad, and had other things to do. Sunday morning, since we didn't have a vehicle that would hold all the car seats, we stayed home and I worked on the van some more. I ended up getting the fitting out of the proportional valve (righty tighty lefty loosey something or another) but for the life of me couldn't break the fitting out of the soft line union. I took the bracket off that holds the union and tried and tried with vice grips and pliers to get it loose (it was rounded over from trying by this point). The only thing I accomplished was bending the bracket. Mind you, I had been using the ultimate repair tool both days - PB Blaster.

Finally I said screw it, went to ACE and bought a torch. Got a good cherry glow and a melted soft line and was able to get the hard line and soft line apart and out of the bracket. I NEVER would have been able to get them apart without heat.

With that done I was finally able to start putting the new line in. I had stopped at Harbor Freight (dangerous) and picked up a bending tool and flaring kit both for around $20. Picked up two 5 foot pieces of line and a union on Saturday as well. I am by no means good at brake line. I can visualize what it needs to look like, but I just kind of wing it and make it work. That I did. I got the line run - ugly, but effective. Then the real fun. Bleeding brakes is easy (especially with two people), but loosening bleeders is not. Got the system under pressure, re tightened all the fittings (dang leaks), re pressurized the system, and bled all the brakes. Good to go.

Back to side story - So I have these sweet new tires for the back of the buggy. Sunday the van is done, Bec is going to go shopping and I'm going to take the kids over to my parents. Perfect time to try the new tires out. I get the buggy out, take one of the tires off and start bolting on one of the new ones. I get two lugs on and notice that the tire is pressing into the leaf spring. Oh crap. So tonight, I'm meeting up with another guy in Birch Run and picking up some wider rims with less backspacing and crossing my fingers that these things will fit.