Diy Brake Lines

[TOMsGPTurbo]

Hey Guys,

 

Does anyone have any experience in making your own brake lines?

 

I'm in the process of putting on braided lines on my Corolla and the fittings are basically seized onto the pipes/tubes so in the process of attempting to undo the connections I ruined the fittings.

In my research I found a whole bunch of videos of people doing all their own brake lines, mainly on hot-rods and muscle cars.

 

It appears everything that's required can be purchased for approx $30.00 to $50.00 - which is a brake line flaring kit and a brake line bender.

 

Has anyone had any success doing their own brake lines?

 

Cheers,

Tom.

[altezzaclub]

yep! haven't had to use a flaring tool for some years, but there was one lying around somewhere.

 

The bender can be avoided, there is a lot of cylindrical objects around a garage (mainly steel pipes) that you can make the right diameter curve around. Just make sure you are making the right cone with the flaring tool each time.

 

..and modify that damm front strut clamp so you don't have to crack the brake line to take the strut out.. well, that's what the KE70s have!

[corollaart]

I ve done a few now ,with one of the tte flaring tools .It does take a bit of practise to get a good sealing double flare.

 

The biggest trouble i had was getting very tight 90 degree bends with out kinking the tube.

 

The cheap tube benders are just that, garbage.

 

The other think is you must cut the tube dead straight to get a good flare.

 

I'm no expert just what ive found by doing it my self.

 

rob

[Evan G]

cheap flareing tools and dies are JUNK. youll have to buy a snap on /blue point set to get some decent flares

[ke70dave]

yeah i used whatever you get a supercheap

 

took a few goes to get something reasonable.

 

After that i just took it to a hydraulic shop after i had bent it into shape and said "flare this". 5 secs and its done.

[rian]

^this, get the hydraulic/brake shop to flare if for you. Last time I went to the brake shop I think it was $5 per flare.

[TOMsGPTurbo]

I might give it a go, thanks for advice!

It's not really something you want to get wrong tho, as in brake failure.

 

Stupid question, can you buy the lines at your local hardware store?

Edited March 12, 2013 by TOMsGPTurbo

[carbonboy]

The bender can be avoided, there is a lot of cylindrical objects around a garage (mainly steel pipes) that you can make the right diameter curve around. Just make sure you are making the right cone with the flaring tool each time.

 

..and modify that damm front strut clamp so you don't have to crack the brake line to take the strut out.. well, that's what the KE70s have!

 

Two careful cuts with an angle grinder will take a notch out of that hole big enough to take the brake line out without disconnecting. Just make sure the U-shaped clips are on properly, can double up if worried about the lines falling out at all. I've had no problems with this.

 

It does take a bit of practise to get a good sealing double flare.

 

The biggest trouble i had was getting very tight 90 degree bends with out kinking the tube.

 

The cheap tube benders are just that, garbage.

 

The other think is you must cut the tube dead straight to get a good flare.

 

^ Pretty much echoes my experiences.

 

If you can find some thick gauge wire a little smaller than the ID of the tube, push it into the tube when bending it to prevent kinks & pull it out when done (electrical wire works well, just be sure to blow through the tube after removal to make sure any possible shavings are removed). Only good if the bend is a reasonably short distance from the end of the tube though.

 

yeah i used whatever you get a supercheap

 

Bursons instead of SCA for me, but a cheap one all the same. Provided your cut is square ($8 tube cutters from Bunnings will suffice, worked for me) & you have a few practice flares on some old tube first, you should be fine. :y:

Edited March 13, 2013 by carbonboy

[altezzaclub]

Stupid question, can you buy the lines at your local hardware store?

 

Brake shop only I think. Make sure you know the diameter/take a sample.

[orangeLJ]

You can buy the bundy tube from repco/bursons (not sure about supercrap)

 

Cheap flare tools are shitty, middle of the range price wise work fine though, I haven't found the need to spend a fortune on a snapon one yet (and I've made a shitload of brake lines)

 

Best advice I can give is to remember to put the flar nuts on BEFORE you flare the pipe.

 

Invest in a pipe cutter (small clamp ontool with a cutting wheel, you simply tighten, then roll around the outside of the pipe, tighten again roll and you have a straight cut.)

 

And always leave a good inch or three past where the end of the line will be, while bending you tend to take from that end. Leaving spare means you wont come up short (same for when you do the flare, it takes a couple cm of pipe length sometimes.)

 

Always remember that when you first install the line, you will need to do it up tight as a nuns nasty, then undo, do up once or twice more and then final tighten. Usually the flare tool leaves a bit of an uneven surface (after all, it is crushing it into shape) Doing it up a couple of times helps the male-femal parts work into a groove and seal up properly.

[19914afc]

I'm yet to make the brake lines for my T18, I have to re do all the hard lines because all the master cylinders are now inside the car instead of on the firewall as they are normally.

[B.L.Z.BUB]

When you make the flare, tighten the tool, loosen it, tighten it etc about 3-4 times and you will get a better flare.