• Hello there guest and Welcome to The #1 Classic Mustang forum!
    To gain full access you must Register. Registration is free and it takes only a few moments to complete.
    Already a member? Login here then!

Should I do my own brake lines or get a kit?

blu67

blu67

Well-Known Member
I've never had to run new brake lines on a car but since the accident, I've had all the original lines removed because some of them were in bad shape. I'm not afraid to do it myself but I am hesitant as it is such an important safety component. My concerns are: making good, secure flares/connecting everything up correctly/having all the correct fittings and distribution blocks. Getting a pre-bent kit would eliminate some of this, for sure, but I would like to use copper nickel lines for its durability and clean look. I've also heard it is easy to use.

Are there recommended resources that would help walk through the steps needed? I really would like to do the whole thing myself, if possible. I'll be running 4-wheel Wilwood discs with a power brake booster and proportioning valve. The disc kit came with braided stainless flex lines.
 
Do it yourself, no question. pre-bent lines are not cheap and I've read way too many times about how they were not exactly well fit and required lots of effort to install. You can buy a spool of good line, and tools to do the job for less. You can buy the Eastwood style flaring tool from a bazillion sources pretty cheap these days and it will make a perfect flare every time. You can do ok with a cheaper set-up as well but its not as sure or easy. Making your own lines also allows you to route them the best way not the factory way. Meaning it can be done simply. Don't be intimidated. It's neither difficult or dangerous if you use quality materials and decent tools.
 
Horseplay said:
Do it yourself, no question. pre-bent lines are not cheap and I've read way too many times about how they were not exactly well fit and required lots of effort to install. You can buy a spool of good line, and tools to do the job for less. You can buy the Eastwood style flaring tool from a bazillion sources pretty cheap these days and it will make a perfect flare every time. You can do ok with a cheaper set-up as well but its not as sure or easy. Making your own lines also allows you to route them the best way not the factory way. Meaning it can be done simply. Don't be intimidated. It's neither difficult or dangerous if you use quality materials and decent tools.
Click to expand...
I know you did your own lines. Any suggestions for where to get the best deal on fittings and line? How much line would I even need???
 
I bought pre-bent lines (standard steel) and had no issues with fitment or connections. Don't get stainless: it is way too hard to make flares if you want to make your own lines.
 
I use only stainless steel for all my lines both brake and fuel. https://www.inlinetube.com/ is a great source for pre-formed lines, coils of line and any other fittings or brake parts. Good prices too. They provide double annealed SS tubing that will double flare without cracking. To do it right though takes the right tools. The Eastwood flaring tool handles the SS well. Just lubricate the surfaces with brake fluid when flaring. Bending SS is the real issue. It is hard and requires good benders. I have RIDGID units for every size tube from 3/16" to 3/8". $$$ though. They range from about $100 to almost $200 apiece.

For your project, I'd suggest the more common green coated stuff. It will last a very long time, flares and bends easy. You can get it just about anywhere. You can use just about anything to bend it with good results. Spend a bit and buy the Eastwood (or other Chinese brand) flaring tool. I consider it a must have tool for this kind of job.
 
Horseplay said:
I have RIDGID units for every size tube from 3/16" to 3/8". $$$ though. They range from about $100 to almost $200 apiece.
Click to expand...
Ter, these look like good quality. I notice they make 300, 400 and 600 series. I'm guessing you use the 600, since its made for SS? What sizes did you get?
 
Yep, 600 series tools. I have 3/16", 1/4", 5/16" and 3/8". The two smaller sizes are for brake lines. When using really large calipers (big pistons) I like the extra volume of the 1/4" line. Plus, it looks cool! The larger sizes I have for fuel and also air. The F1 has a full air ride suspension which will be plumbed exclusively with 3/8" SS polished tubing. The fuel lines on the truck will be a combination of 3/8" and 5/16", polished SS of course. There will be "miles" of shiny piping on that thing.

benders.jpg
 
Midlife said:
I bought pre-bent lines (standard steel) and had no issues with fitment or connections. Don't get stainless: it is way too hard to make flares if you want to make your own lines.
Click to expand...
I just got the whole "pre-bent" brake line kit from Classic Tube for my Datsun. They were bent alright - but not at all like the stock lines are. They were very good about it and offered me a return or for me to send them my old lines and they would copy them exactly.

Gonna just bend my own now. I agree that it's best for a beginner to start with standard steel lines. After you've made a few sets, if you're feeling comfortable and want to pony up for the pricier tools, you could try annealed stainless.

If you aren't copying old lines, you can bend some stiff wire or a coat hanger the way you want to run your line, then use that as a pattern for your tube bending.
 
I redid the front lines in my 67 when I did disc brakes. I worked at Napa at the time, and ended up making more than a few trips to the store to sort out the correct length and fittings.

That said, modern anti-kink lines are much easier to work with, and getting them bent to the proper shape wasn't super difficult. I used the wire hangar trick mentioned above, and it worked out pretty well.

I do have a brake/fuel line bending tool, which made life a lot easier, but didn't save me from having to make a couple smaller bends with a socket as a mandrel.
 
When I got my '69 Mustang in the early 80's, I replaced the stock manual drums with stock power disc so I needed to redo / change some lines. Cutting back and re-flaring some factory lines was done on this car and have had to do so on other cars since. Early brake line fixes were single flare (young & dumb) on various vehicles including this Mustang. I also made my own S.S. fuel lines at some point for my '69, results were OK but had no way to bead the ends.

When pre-bent lines for Mustangs became available, I bought all new brake and fuel lines in the std. galvanized steel to replace my inexperienced teenager cobbled mix & match. This made sense to me since my brake system is stock Power Disc. I did add an adjustable proportioning valve in series with a Ford fixed prop valve, but this did not require any cutting of lines that came in the kit.

Making your own lines makes sense if you are not keeping it all stock. A lot more knowledge, parts, and affordable tools available for the average joe today to do this kind of work properly compared to the 80's too.

Doug
 
I bought this to bent my copper nickel brakelines.

remleiding-buigtang.jpg

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-A605FN met Tapatalk
 
I've never seen one like that before. Seems a bit strange having to draw the bend into the tube rather than form the tube around a shape. I suppose on soft tubing it would work well enough.
 
It works extremely well. Even for stainless steel lines.


Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-A605FN met Tapatalk
 
EAN Number : BGS-8718

Brand is : BGS Technic

Don't know if its for sale in the states.



Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-A605FN met Tapatalk
 
It looks like a clever tool, and actually is available from Amazon for 50 bucks with free delivery by April 21st. It says it bends 3/16, 1/4 and 5/16, but there is obviously a 4th position with no tubing dimension given. Any idea what the other may be?

It only got 3.5 on the reviews, but only one was in English, in which he complained it was obviously used and resealed with dirty hand marks and scratches on the tool. That's reason to complain! Don't know about the rest. Hmm.
 
It appears pretty basic in function. Much like using a socket and a fixed bolt like many of us have done. The difference I see is a lack of much leverage. That's why I originally wrote it might work well on the soft, easily bendable line they sell everywhere. Must require quite a bit of hand strength to draw and bend larger diameters and especially harder material like SS. Bruno, however, said it worked on SS. But with a name like Bruno he might be the size of Andre the Giant for all we know!

Amazon is notorious for using returned goods to fill new orders.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top