Front brake lines questions! URGENT!

[theianmonster]

I have a 10/70 car and are the brackets on the struts that hold the front brake lines supposed to be different passenger/driver? On the passenger side it is the vertical bracket, but on the driver side, its the same bracket, only laying down, horizontally. Is this normal?

Also, how the hell do you get the brake lines off? I almost twisted the small pipe that goes into the caliper!

[xray]

Both of mine(5/72) are vertically-oriented...a good 10mm flare nut wrench will take off your brakelines, after a dousing with something like PB Blaster...I used (IIRC) a 16-mm box wrench to hold the flexline stable, then turned the flare nut wrench against that. This should keep you from twisting the S-shaped steel line. BUT, new ones are not expensive, and you may as well change them both while you're at it!

Steve

[Nissanman]

You need to undo the 10mm tube nut which mates to the flexible hose.

The hose end should be held captive by a metal clip allowing you the grip the hard tube nut and unscrew it.

[theianmonster]

All is good, got them off, now I can install my new shocks and springs, and my new stainless steel lines, whooo.

[Carl Beck]

Hi Nissanman (everyone)

For others following this thread, I'll add "should" is the operative word in: "The hose end should be held captive by a metal clip allowing...."

Perhaps due to age, many of the original metal clips have weakened and will not hold the the flexible hose end captive enough to prevent them from twisting. Perhaps too, the original flexible hoses have been replaced by some aftermarket parts - where the metal hose ends have smaller nuts... In those cases, as xray mentions.. you have to use a proper size wrench on them.

"good" is the operative word in xray's comment; "a good 10mm flare nut wrench will take off your brakelines, ...." Believe me when I say that there is a huge difference between my Craftsman and Snap-on flare nut wrenches. After rounding off too many flare nuts - I coughed up the silly high price for the Snap-on tool.... and over the years its been worth every penny.

It's not so much a case of the hard lines being expensive or cheap - it's a matter of having ones you can re-use when you need them - without trying to order them and getting them days or weeks later.

Worse Case:

If the flare nut, even with a good flare nut wrench, still won't come loose without the flare nut wrench slipping... I had a older still, cheap-off brand. flare nut wrench. I cut the end off it - then took the end to the grinder, and removed about half the outside metal. On "impossible" flare nuts, I slip the end of the flare nut tool over the flare nut - then squeeze it down tight on the flare nut with vice-grips. I've saved several flare nuts that way...

In any case - the best advice is "Plan Ahead" - and if possible have a new set of hard lines on hand before you start. Hummmm ..... come to think of it, I need to add them to my next parts order...

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Carl Beck]

All is good, got them off, now I can install my new shocks and springs, and my new stainless steel lines, whooo.

I'm guessing that you have new braided stainless steel flexible lines - right? Or did you get new stainless steel replacements for the hard lines?

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Arne]

A couple of additions.

1.) Both the tabs on my 10/70 car are vertically mounted.

2.) Also -- as some one who did brake and suspension work for a living for a few years -- I agree with Carl on the wrench bit. A Craftsman or other 'normal' grade flare nut wrench may be fine on a nicely maintained fairly rust-free car, but you'll want something better for your average 35 year old rusty 240Z.

FWIW...

[beandip]

the last time I ordered the metal lines only one side was available from Nissan. Sorry I cant remember which side it was. The one I did receive was Part # 41230-E8710 I think this is the left side. Ditto on the tube wrench quality wise. Gary