Brake lines

[64impala]

Im getting ready to start runnin my brake lines and just curious what you guys are going with? Are you buying the pre-bent kits or making your own. Is it worth spending the money and going with stainless? Thanks

[John Wright]

I made my own, but used regular steel lines.

[wmhjr]

I made my own stainless, but probably would not do it again.

[Ron.in.SoCal]

^ Why not WM?

[ProdigyCustoms]

We have a non corrosive easy bend material that flares easy (MUCH easier then stainless). Makes tight bends with bending pliers we provide and is bendable with your thumbs without kinking for most bends.

Enough line to do the emtire car, tube nuts and bending pliers is only $175 for the entire kit

[wmhjr]

^ Why not WM?

For some of the reasons Frank mentioned. Stainless is hard to bend well, hard to flare well, requires extra attention in making sure things don't leak, work hardens, is expensive - and happens to look real nice. I have all the right tools - except skill and patience. It's just a PITA. I'm glad mine is done but honestly there are a couple things I'd like to do but since it would mean touching my brake lines I'm staying away.

[NOT A TA]

I make my own. I use regular steel that comes coiled for most of the vehicles I work on, and the stainless on show cars. Recently got a new Eastwood flaring tool thats awesome if you do a lot of tubing work in various sizes. It's much quicker than a standard double flairing tool and doesn't make a clamp mark on the tubing like the basic tools do. New tool is in the vice and the standard tool in the red box in the background in the pic below. A tubing cutter and deburring tool will also speed up the operations but you can do the work with hacksaw and files. Brake lines are very easy to form by hand. There are tools to help curve the tubing but you don't really need one for brake lines.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/06/MVC026F2-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/06/MVC027F2-1.jpg

[brans72]

No picture to share with us on the kit Frank? Brandon