Quote:
Originally Posted by KTL
I've bent a number of short hard lines for brake "upgrades" that need a longer line or different shaped line to connect with the caliper. For a fella just looking to get a few lines replaced and be done with it, ordering new OEM lines is probably the way to go from a quick & easy standpoint. Only reason I say that is because the local auto parts store straight, pre-flared lines are OK quality but the material they're made from is REALLY stiff. So it takes a bit of work with your GI Joe kung fu grip fingers to get the lines shaped the way you want them.
I typically use various hand tool sockets for bending the lines. Put a socket in your bench vise and "wrap" the line around the socket to make a smooth bend. With the auto parts store line, this requires some strong hands. Buy some better copper nickel (sometimes referred to as cunifer) hard line and life is a lot easier. https://www.belmetric.com/brake-lines-fittings-c-17.html?zenid=pj4icg4ath2m8nhv3flfgvk3p6 Belmetric sells pre-flared straight lengths.
If you want to get really crazy and re-do all your hard line on the car, you can buy a coil of the cunifer and some tube nuts. So all that's left to do is flare the ends and you need a proper tool for that. I'll get on my soap box for a second.......... The cheap split-bar wing nut style tools are total garbage. Making a clean straight flare with those tools is more luck than skill/talent. The split bar tools just plain suck and should be banned from being sold. They make crooked flares and put tool marks on the tubing, which is pretty unsafe. A great tool that provides consistent quality flares is the turret style tool. It's been around a while but recently has become more readily available via copycats of the original Sykes-Pickavant model. I got one from Eastwood Products (get it when a sale is going on and save a lot of $) and its fantastic.
Professional Brake Tubing Flaring Tool - Brake Flaring Tool - Brake Tube Flaring |
The auto parts store (Advanced Auto Parts) I went to had the super stiff line... which is lousy. Then they had the exact same material/softer line that porsche uses. Same solor, same mettalurgy, xctly the same... Its called nickel-copper brake line. Same as the OEM. You can form it with your hands, if you want to...
I bought the preformed porsche lines, and never used them. Still sitting somewhere in my garage. Comes in 6 inches, 9, 12, etc... Precut, preformed, same endings as stock.
Bo