Looking for advice on replacing all the hard brake lines

[grannyknot]

Having the car stripped down to the shell I started looking at the hard lines and fittings, they are in sad shape, usable but just.

Has anyone replaced all their hard lines and have any advice to offer? I'm thinking I'll make them myself from fresh tubing but not sure which bubble and flare kit to buy, if I should stick with zinc coated steel lines or go with SS.

Thanks,

Chris

[zKars]

I may have mentioned this before, but I'm a huge fan of the Cunifer (Knickle Kopper alloy) lines.  So easy to bend and flare. You know that tight little S shaped front caliper hard line? You can ALMOST bend it by hand into that shape. POC with a simple bending plier.

And they shine up real purdy. I got my stock from fedhillusa.com, best price I found anywhere. I also bought their flare tool and various fittings from them as well. Their flare tool is top quality. 

BrakeQuip also has the alloy line and great flare tools as well. 

[ksechler]

Stainless is a bear  to bend and flare.  Classic tube has a kit for $300 that works out pretty well.  I used that on my 280z without issues.  

[Patcon]

2nd Fedhill!

You can rent their flairing tool too if you can't justify purchasing one...

[sweatybetty]

5 hours ago, zKars said:

I may have mentioned this before, but I'm a huge fan of the Cunifer (Knickle Kopper alloy) lines.  So easy to bend and flare. You know that tight little S shaped front caliper hard line? You can ALMOST bend it by hand into that shape. POC with a simple bending plier.

 

+1  very easy to bend and flare. i bought mine at carquest for about $40 for a 25' roll. i used about 1 1/2 rolls + the new fittings

[Namerow]

Personally, I'd go with the SS kit.  A little spendy at US$300, but so much less work and hassle.  Also, you won't have to worry about finessing the lines to get them straight.  Or getting the bends at the right places so that the lines fit the body and the mounts. And you won't need to get into discussions about how to get a rental flaring tool back and forth across the border. 

Note, too, that a good 'bubble' flaring tool and a tubing straightener are going to cost you US $350 (plus tax plus shipping plus brokerage fee plus duty), so that US$40 roll of cunifer tubing -- which I really like, by the way -- may not be so economical as it first seems.

Classic Tube is in Lancaster, NY (see: Buffalo Airport, Lancaster Speedway, etc).  You could drive down, take in a Bills or Sabres game, have some wings and Big Ditch beer, and with any luck get waived through on the duty on your way back home.  In addition, there's a new Princess Auto outlet in St. Catharines that you can check out on the return trip. 

BTW, if you go the pick-up-in-person route, the $$$ you save in courier delivery costs will more than pay for your gas. Heck, it might even pay for the game ticket and the wings and beer!

[Namerow]

Sorry.  Double post.

Edited November 21, 2016 by Namerow
double post

[ksechler]

One thing I forgot to mention about the classic tube kit.... NO LEAKS!  I had one joint I had to tighten (a lot), but overall the quality of the flares was good and the lines fit the stock routing without modification.

[grannyknot]

Thank you Gents, great suggestions as always. I almost went with the soft SS line from BrakeQuip but really like that warm colour of the Cunifer from Fedhill, also ordered all the fittings from them as well.

Eastwood has a sale on their K Tool Pro brake flaring setup, so ordered that. I'll be able to make brake lines for anyone!

I went through all the brake and clutch lines this morning and found out that some PO had cut off the stock 3/16th x10mm fittings on the rear brake lines and replaced them with some weird fittings that worked with the flexible rubber brakes hoses he used at the time, after I figured that out I grabbed all 8 lines and pitched them in the snow. Done.

[wheee!]

Bold move...

[sweatybetty]

13 hours ago, grannyknot said:

Thank you Gents, great suggestions as always. I almost went with the soft SS line from BrakeQuip but really like that warm colour of the Cunifer from Fedhill, also ordered all the fittings from them as well.

Eastwood has a sale on their K Tool Pro brake flaring setup, so ordered that. I'll be able to make brake lines for anyone!

I went through all the brake and clutch lines this morning and found out that some PO had cut off the stock 3/16th x10mm fittings on the rear brake lines and replaced them with some weird fittings that worked with the flexible rubber brakes hoses he used at the time, after I figured that out I grabbed all 8 lines and pitched them in the snow. Done.

just dont forget to put the fitting on the tubing before doing the flare. been there, done that

[Captain Obvious]

Been there too, done that too.

Made up some new words too.