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Should you have to bend prebent brake lines?

A

AtlantaSteve

Active Member
So, I have a '67 rear-axle in my '66 (yes, it's 2" too wide,but gives me perfect offset for my late model wheels)

I just bought this kit from CJ:
http://www.cjponyparts.com/brake-line-k ... MU1005C-V/

along with a new 67 style rear-brake hose.

The left side line (the short one) was pretty much dead on. The right one, when screwed into the wheel cylinder was pointing way away from the axle...ok I thought, so I bent it to run parallel to the rear-axle, and clip into the brake line clips that are pre-built into the rear-end.

Then when I put the brake hose on, the end of the brake line was like a good 6" or more past the T on the end of the brake hose. I was able to manhandle the line to the right position, but it looks like an untrained idiot bent a prebent brake line...probably because an untrained idiot bent a prebent brake line. I bought prebent lines so that the results wouldn't look horrible (Like it looks anytime I try to bend brake line) and now? it looks horrible. I'm gonna try persuading it to "contour" along the rear-axle better tomorrow, but the end result is I feel like the darn thing wasn't made for a 67 mustang...

Which is more likely? The lines just sucked, or CJ tossed the wrong line in the bag. (The product came in a sealed bag with a label that says 1967-1969 mustang...so the right part#, but maybe the part?

anyone done this in the past? I'm sure CJ isn't gonna take these lines back now that I've monkeyed with them, but if I got the wrong one I'll just buy another from a different vendor.

Thanks for any tips/thoughts.
 
its been a few yrs, but bought a set of prebent stainless lines for my p/u when I was putting it together. I had to tweak a few of those to get them where they need to be, so always figured that they get you in the ballpark, but that's about the extent of it. that's my only experience with them though. after that, I bought the tools & make my own.
 
Yeah, I imagined a little tweaking was going to be in order. But this was so out of spec that tweaking is *NOT* the word I'd use. I'll probably climb back under there tonight and try to smooth things out and get them looking as good as possible.

Thanks, Steve!
 
"cmayna" said:
At worst case, if the line is too long just cut, tweak and flare a new end.
Click to expand...

HAHA I bought pre-bent to avoid having to flare. I am TERRIBLE at flaring lines. I suppose if I had one of them fancy eastman flare tools, but the ones you rent from NAPA? SO many botched flares.
 
There is more than one application for at least a 69 depending on the housing used. I believe they differentiate based on the number of splines on the axles. I am not 100% convinced the splines is an accurate distinction but it may be. The axle vent is in a different location and possibly more differences.
 
If your local NAPA has a machine shop like mine does, maybe they can flare the end for $5 each like they charge me.
 
You're talking about the end that goes from the line end mounted to the underside of the car at the rear to the T on the axle right? A few match up problems I could think of:
  • your car was originally a 6 so the tunnel line if in the place for a 7.5" diff.
  • as you mentioned the '67 axle is 2" wider than the '66 so that puts the connection point farther out

I don't see many 'fit like a glove' brake line posts and you are mixing and matching years/6<>8/rear end widths I can see where a stock part wouldn't fit exactly or even near.

I rented the flaring kit and used the polymer covered lines for all my brake lines. Yes the flaring part was hard to learn to do right (thanks Steve @ Sellers for that help) but the polymer lines bend easy as noodles w/o kinking.
Jon
 
Steve I think I may have figured out the problem. It sounds like you're using a single exhaust style brake hose. The block is pretty much mounted right on top of the axle housing tube, right? It looks like the '67 hose is more like 65/66 dual exhaust hose. That hose has a bracket with the block and hose attached at the front of it (thereby moving it forward from the axle housing), and the bracket is held onto the tube with the vent fitting. This could explain why your brake line was so far forward from the block. Just a thought.
 
Sorry, lots of comments and I haven't thought to check on this post.

OK so.

Jon, I am discussing the two part line kit that goes from the T out to the wheel cylinders.

John/Ponyman,
I have the 1967 style brake hose, which uses that "offset" plate. So, no the block does not sit right on top of the axle tube where the vent-hole is.

Since I have a 67' rear end, I figured a 67 hose would be the right one to use with the rear-end.

So the fact that this is in a 66 car is immaterial. It's a 67 rear-end, a 67 hose and a 67 line kit. I should be able to assemble this correctly without even having a car to put the axle into.

So I dunno. I contoured stuff and made it look as good as possible. I think it'll work.

Thanks everyone. I'm still perplexed by this issue, but I've moved past it, I hope.
 
&quot;Ponyman66&quot; said:
Mine was just a spit ball shot. Good luck with it Steve and nice to see you posting again!
Click to expand...

Thanks! No doubt, when I first had the problem I wondered if it was a dual vs. single exhaust problem, but of course, for 67 up, there is no single exhaust version of that hose...they're all the "offset" version.

Oh well, as long as they hold fluid and don't leak, I guess it'll work. :)
 
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