Brake lines

Capsule · Post by **Capsule** » Wed May 23, 2007 7:17 am

Hey guys,

I would like to hear if any of you have installed new brake lines and if so, did you use ready made kits like the ones at Year One or Paddock?

I have looked at the Year One kits in stainless steel, does anyone know if they fit well and if they are an easy install?

Can anyone recomend any kits?

Capsule

72GY9Runner · Post by **72GY9Runner** » Wed May 23, 2007 5:07 pm

I made my own fuel, emissions, and brake lines out of new steel (non-stainless). You can buy the tube benders for a pretty cheap price and with a little practice it doesn't take long to make a set that is almost an exact duplicate. My bender was a cheaper one, and it cost me $15.

Most automotive stores carry the lines in 25ft rolls in varying inside diameters (3/16 all the way to 1/2), and it's alot cheaper than buying the pre-made if you don't mind doing the work yourself.

I'm not sure if they carry it in stainless, but I'm willing to bet you can order the rolls in.

Just my 2 cents.

Capsule · Post by **Capsule** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:29 am

Just bought a roll of brake line tubing and a flare tool. I went for copper tube, it doesnÂ´t rust and its really easy to bend.
Copper tube is the standard in most of Europe, since we get a lot of rain which just kills steel brake lines in no time!

This will be my first set of home made brake lines, hope it will be fun!

Capsule

72GY9Runner · Post by **72GY9Runner** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:08 pm

He he...
Ya Right, Fun.

Actually the brake lines are the easiest to make, just be sure that you double flare on brake lines. Single flaring will not seal properly.

Now Fuel and Vapor lines.... Those are fun. You have to go slow or the line can kink on you really easy.

I'm not sure how much easier or harder it will be to work with copper though.

Good luck!

Post by **bruce** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 4:17 pm

Can anyone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a REASON the factory doesn't make the brake lines out of copper? Like the fact that the copper won't be as strong under hydraulic pressure or something? Am I wrong about this?

ROADRUNNER7169 · Post by **ROADRUNNER7169** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 4:22 pm

I dont think copper can be dubble flared

rr6pak · Post by **rr6pak** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 4:02 am

Copper cannot be double flarred

Capsule · Post by **Capsule** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 5:23 am

I'm almost 100% sure that Copper can be double flared. It won't be tight if not double flared and as mentioned, spare brake lines in copper are standard in most of Europe.

My guess is that the car manufactures are not using copper because its quite a bit more expencive that steel. The French car manufacturer CitroÃ©n used to use copper brake lines from the factory, not sure if they still do!

Capsule

ROADRUNNER7169 · Post by **ROADRUNNER7169** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:42 am

you might want to check, im pretty sure european car use a single flare I could be wrong but I know my sisters BMW has single flare steel lines but then again I could wrong im not big into enything but mopars

ROADRUNNER7169 · Post by **ROADRUNNER7169** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 12:57 pm

Ireally hate to beat a dead horse the only reason im posting this is to help save lives (my uncle died in a car crash in the 70's cuz he had a brake line exploded)

this is a posting off of a site about bending break lines and such
this is a direct copy and paste off the site

Brake lines should always be fabricated from Bundy tubing having a wall thickness of 0.028" minimum. Brake line pressures can and do exceed 1000 psi. On no account should copper, aluminum, or commercial fuel line be used, despite the fact that they are easily available and appear to be easy to work with. Pure copper tubing work-hardens and becomes very, very brittle- especially at flare fittings. Under the cyclical loadings seen from brake applications, and in the presence of moisture (and possibly high concentrations of chlorides, if you live in a road salt area), they will almost certainly fail. They will tend to crack and fail right at the flare, generally with little or no warning. (Copper also catalyzes the auto-oxidation of fuel, the mechanism of sludge formation. Copper should never be in contact with fuel.)

and the link to the site is

www.dimebank.com/BrakePlumbing.html

and again im sorry to beat a dead horse this is only for safty reasons I'd hate to hear about someone totaling one of theis beutiful machines

Post by **bruce** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 1:02 pm

No, you're not beating a dead horse, and I'm also happy to hear I wasn't hallucinating! I was SURE I had heard that brake lines shouldn't be made from copper, and now you post some confirmation. Thanks!

72GY9Runner · Post by **72GY9Runner** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 1:21 pm

Extremely good information!

I was not aware of the potential problems with copper. That said, I've always used steel replacement lines that are treated with a rust protective coating on the outside. They don't look quite the same as original, but they don't rust the same either.

As far as the double flare thing goes, I don't think you will get a brake line to seal against the mating surface of a wheel cylinder or brake hose without it. The double flare puts more surface on the flare so it squeezes up against the seat when tightened. I've had poorly double flared lines that leaked like crazy when installed because there wasn't enough seating surface. It's kind of why I make all my own now.

ROADRUNNER7169 · Post by **ROADRUNNER7169** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 1:44 pm

one really good thing iv found is when I bend a new line I coat it with POR-15 this is the beast paint iv ever found this stuff will not chip off or rust threw you can even paint over rust (I usually dont paint up to the flare nut I will leave about 1/2" or so and then I will put one of the rubber bleeder caps on the bleeders and this will sound weird but then spray a little white lithium greas on it to keep the bare metal from rusting also it keeps the brake bleeders from seizing up)

rr6pak · Post by **rr6pak** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:55 pm

Roadrunner7169 is correct. I'm a aircraft mechanic and you think automotive line might have 1000 psi and/or more going through these lines, try a airplane brake system. There we are talking 3000+psi. You'll NEVER see a copper line for brakes, least here in the USA. Copper will not seat right because they do and will crack around the flares of the lines and they cant withstand the pressure as well. You can break the flare simply by tightening the copper line on(if you did use them). They are always aluminum or stainless steel.

landon1 · Post by **landon1** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:17 pm

this is way dif, i know, but didn't they used to do some copper lines on old motorcycles...(maybe just fuel lines)???