There are many parts on your car or truck that can be replaced with generic replacements, but there are a few that shouldn't. Your car or truck has several systems that use hydraulic hoses and hard lines to contain the fluid pressure in those systems, and replacing them with the right parts is critical to proper operation.

Hydraulic Hoses

Hydraulic hoses are used in several places on your car and often look like rubber hoses with metal ends on them. These hoses are engineered to hold high pressures as the fluids in the system are pumped through them. 

Hydraulic hoses that are weak can expand when the system is pressurized, which allows the pressure to drop inside the system. It is critical that you replace any hydraulic hose on your vehicle with a quality part that will not expand under pressure, or you could have a failure and breakdown.

Brakes and Hydraulics

The brakes that stop your car use two different hydraulic lines in the system, and the pressure in the system can get extremely high, so buying the best quality replacements for brake lines and hydraulic hoses is critical. Most vehicles use steel brake lines from the master cylinder to the frame just above the suspension system. 

The steel lines contain the pressure produced when you depress the brake pedal and are durable enough to last many years with everyday use. The connection from the steel line to the wheel cylinder or brake caliper is made with a hydraulic hose so it can flex and move as the tire bumps up and down with the road surface. 

These high-pressure rubber hoses need to be long enough to allow wheel travel, but not so long as to get caught in the suspension, and they need to be designed to hold the same pressure as those steel lines that run along the frame of the car and connect to the hoses. 

Replacement Parts

Over time the rubber hydraulic hoses can get scuffed and wear enough that they need replacing. Using a replacement part that meets the same standard as the original part is critical. Most dealers and parts stores sell replacement hoses designed to work and will fit the car properly. 

The steel brake lines as less likely to need replacement, but if they do, you can buy replacement lines that are pre-bent to the proper shape through any dealer and most auto parts stores. Replacing brake lines and hoses is a job that requires some skill and knowledge of how to bleed the system properly, so it is better left to a professional, but you can buy the parts and get a mechanic or auto tech to install them for you.