Mike went out with his road bike one afternoon. Suddenly he fell into a roadside ditch and this damaged the brake hose of his bike, which was the Shimano brake hose. Now he wants to change the brake hose. So he went to his house and found a Tektro brake hose. But he was confused about whether Tektro and Shimano brake hoses are interchangeable. I was helping him to get rid of that confusion. And today here, I am going to discuss the matter Tektro and Shimano brake hoses are interchangeable or not.
What Is Brake Hose?
A brake hose is an important brake element. It is a flexible pipe that is made of rubber. It connects the brake lever to the disc brake and operates on mineral fluid to the disc brake. As it is flexible, you can use it as you want, it will not break or crack.
Necessity Of Brake Hose
A brake hose carries brake fluid to the disc brake. It affects the braking system. As a result, the brake works properly and the wheel turns. Without this, you may fall in danger. So it is very essential for your bike if it contains a hydraulic disc or disc brake.
Shimano Brake Hose And Its Features
Shimano is a well-known Japanese cycling component manufacturing company. It manufactures almost all types of cycling equipment like wheels, brakes, pedals, shifters, cassettes, chain sets, chainrings, and so on.
Shimano brake hose is a product of Shimano. It is very popular for its different useful features. Let’s see what features it has:
- It is usable in all types of bikes like road cycle, trail, enduro, gravel, and so on.
- Thick and durable.
- It comes with a two-year warranty.
- It comes with a banjo connection.
- Easy to install.
Tektro Brake Hose And Its Features
Tektro is a Taiwan-based cycling component manufacturing company. It has been manufacturing cycling equipment for 35 years. It mainly provides high-quality braking systems and braking equipment like hydraulic disc brakes, mechanical disc brakes, brake fluid, levers, and so on.
Tektro brake hose is a product of Tektro Corporation. It is popular for its best quality and budget-friendliness. Let’s see some features of the Tektro brake hose:
- It has banjo fittings.
- Genuinely stiff and durable.
- It doesn’t expend when under pressure causing brake power loss.
- If the product is broken, then it will be replaced by the factory.
- It is easy to install.
Similarities Between Tektro And Shimano Brake Hose
Although Shimano and Tektro brake hoses are two different companies products. But they do the same thing. So, they have a lot of similarities. Let’s find out the similarities:
- Both come with banjo fittings.
- Strong and durable.
- Both have a long warranty.
- Both are easy to install.
Are Tektro And Shimano Brake Hoses Interchangeable?
It is a tricky one, which means, the answer to this tricky question is slightly confusing. I want to say that it is interchangeable and not interchangeable. You may get confused and think about how it is possible. Okay, don’t worry! I’m explaining everything step by step to clear up your confusion.
- To insert a different brand brake hose into a different brand lever, you have to match the inner diameter of the brake hose. Because different brand brake inner diameters are different. So, you have to be careful about this.
- The Shimano brake hose’s inner diameter is 2.1 mm and its outer diameter is 5 mm. On the contrary, the Tektro brake hose’s inner diameter is 2.5 mm and the outer diameter is 5.4-5.5mm. So, it is a 0.5 mm difference between the two brands. But it is possible to interchange between them! Because the end fittings are compression fittings. That’s why a 0.5 mm difference is considerable to work.
- If the difference is more than 0.1mm then the olive ID will fail to be crimped onto the hose. As the brake hose is compressing to fitting. So, it is possible to interchange but it will be too tight or too loose.
- If you want to insert a Tektro hose into a lever instead of Shimano, you have to sand down a 0.5 mm layer from the Tektro brake hose. Because we already know that Tektro is 0.5 mm larger than Shimano. By sanding down 0.5 mm, you can make it equal to a Shimano brake hose.
- On the contrary, if you want to use a Shimano brake hose in place of Tektro. Then you have to forcefully press the Shimano hose into the Tektro lever hole. Since the Shimano brake hose is 0.5 mm smaller than the Tektro brake hose. That’s why it looks smaller and unfit for the hole. To remove this unfit condition, you must use a pad to the hole as the brake hose does not come out of the hole.
- Thus, you should maintain the pushing force until the brake hose is connected to the lever/ caliper. You can use a little amount of grease. It will help to insert the brake hose.
Last, of all, I want to say that Tektro and Shimano brake hoses are interchangeable. But sometimes it can cause problems and doesn’t work properly. Though it is possible to use them interchangeably, I recommend using a specific brake hose instead of a specific brand.
Which Hose Is Better: Tektro or Shimano?
It is difficult to answer directly as it depends on some facts. Both houses are powerful, durable, and noise free.
- If you do a deep investigation, you can see that Shimano is more noise-free than Tektro.
- Besides, Shimano is more budget-friendly than Tektro.
Their differences are minimal and sometimes they are ignored. So, it would not be correct to select one as best. As different brands have different characteristics and qualities, you can use whatever you like if they match.
The Final Saying
Tektro and Shimano brake hoses are interchangeable, and though they come from different brands, they have many similarities. But before use, you should check the diameter size. If the diameter size difference of the brake hose you have is 0.5 mm, then there is nothing to worry about. Because they are compressing fitting.
Despite having so many advantages, I would say to use a brake hose of the same brand. Because the same brand of brake hose is safer and more secure for your cycling desire.
