Brake Lines - Buy Them or Bend Them?

[Kartoon]

If I could swing the money, I would go with stainless lines if your planning on keeping the truck and you get winters where you live. Put them on and forget them.

 

[96TD]

For $220, I'd get a double flaring tool, tubing, fittings, and do it myself. Then spend the $150ish left on beer or something.

Why go stainless? Regular steel will outlast 99% of the truck if it is a 95.

Well, You wouldn't want to have to do them again in a couple of years, and the stainless kit only costs $20 more than the regular steel. But if you want plain old steel lines, they sell those too.
Another company is InlineTube.

On my 4x4 that I plow with, I have had the fuel and brake lines line go, and bent and flared my own lines. No big deal. I have had the truck for only about 7 years, and the brake line rotted out again. I was under the truck the night before a big snow storm trying to get it ready. If I had bought them prebent in stainless, I wouldn't have invented all those new swear words.

 

[Matt C]

At NAPA here they have two types of line, just the regular steel, and this new coated line. The coated line is nice, it bends nice and should withstand the rust just fine. Here in Minnesota this is all we install at work anymore, the regular stuff just didn't hold up to the salt. The new line is only a couple bucks more then the regular stuff.

 

[94K30]

what is the coating?

 

[Matt C]

I really don't know what the coating is, the lines must be made out of a different material because it is damn near impossible to kink it, unless you actually try to of course.

 

[dracor85]

That new brake line from napa is the copper nickel alloy coating that was talked about in the begining of this thread. From what I recall my local Napa rep told me it comes with something like a 30yr warrenty, I will double check on that since I'm doing brake lines on my rear axle today.

Justin

 

[GM Guy]

well, since we are drudging this up, Ill add some stuff as well. www.inlinetube.com you can get pre-bent lines here, and get them in regular and stainless.

 

[dracor85]

I wish they had a local store that I could go pick up parts for a unexpected repair, but good to know for future repairs.

Justin

 

[jrsavoie]

I agree on going with quality lines. Re doing lines sucks. It sucks enough the first time, especially if you're old and fat.

 

[Crankme69]

I just replaced my front passenger side one with a couple of lines from Napa. Made the hoop at the ABS ourselves & used 2 couplers. Never gave any thought to SS...kinda thought if that factory line made it for 15 winters here in ILL that the ones from Napa should far outlast the truck.

Bleeding the system was the biggest PITA.

 

[jrsavoie]

I've had cheap lines rot out as fast as 2 years. They aren't as good as the OEM's

 

[Crankme69]

Thanks for sharing that, I'll keep an eye open.

 

[Paveltolz]

Jinxed?

So I read this thread and Crank69's other one on bleeding. Thanks for the great input. Tonight I drove down the hill, put on the brakes and I'm mud wrestling with the steering wheel Pulls left, then right. I release pressure and hit 'em again and it's like nothing has happened.
Think I'll be investing in SS or NAPA stuff this weekend too.:mad2:

 

[Woody35]

these probelms remind me that were driving trucks that are 10- 18 years old. it just seems like yesterday these things were on delaer lots new!

 

[jrsavoie]

these problems remind me that were driving trucks that are 10- 18 years old. it just seems like yesterday these things were on dealer lots new!

Time flies when you're having fun.

Something to remember when bending tubing. Tubing is very susceptible to metal fatigue and cracking. You are really only supposed to bend it once. If you bend it and re-bend it, it is very likely to crack.

 

[bobbiemartin]

I don't know if its the exact same stuff, but I have used the copper coated brake pipes on Minis and its really nice stuff. Its very easy to bend. In fact the hard part is making a straight run, as it comes in a roll and its almost impossible to make a nice straight tube. I cannot say how it holds up as we don't have a big problem with brake lines down here in Florida, but they do in England and its very popular there and they have been selling it for years, so it must be OK. Its pretty much the standard brake line replacement material for old Minis running around there. Thanks for posting the link as I will be repiping my Mini soon and now I know where to get it in the states.

 

[Burning oil]

I've used Inline tube before. Got the SS lines. Very nice product. I would recomend that route because it seems you can never get a professional look/install bendinig your own. You also get everything you need in a box and don't have to make trips to the store finding little misc brass fittings....

 

[minisub]

Wow, need to go find the zombie icon.....

That said, it will be 2 years with my self-bent, locally-bought lines this spring. Last time I was under the truck, they were superficially corroded more than I would have expected in that time. I still have little confidence when/if I need to mash on the stop peddle "hard."

I do not expect this truck to last much longer (I've been thinking that for the past 4 years though...) In hindsight, if I had the link to the pre-bent option posted above, I would have just dropped the $160 and got the lines from inlinetube....