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Location:
Sydney NSW
Registered:
July 2004
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Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 01:58
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Anyone know where i can get a kit to make up a short length of brake line? I need to make a length about 25-30cm long.
OR, i could go to a brake place to get it made, OR, mabey i could just get a length of flexible line about that length. I would prefer to do it myself, but obviously i need a tool to flare the ends etc.
I have gutted my stock Proportioning valve in the sproonter, to cope with the new JDM rear end, but to get the biasing correct i want to plumb in my proportioning valve.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Australia
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 02:07
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I'm not sure if its legal to make your own brake lines.
Just go get one made.
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Location:
Sydney NSW
Registered:
July 2004
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 02:10
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How can it not be legal? Its just a length of the appropriate steel pipe correctly flared at each end with the correct fitting at each end, as long as you are clean and dont allow metal filings and other contaminants into the line, you should be ok.
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Location:
cambo
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 02:12
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i make my own, i cant see it being illegal for the average person to make, whos gonna know?
the flaring tool costs maybe $20 - $50 you can do single flares only not double but thats good for most things. then you buy a roll of copper pipe (cant remember the cost) and you have a go at it. its pretty easy to do yourself.
we bought one for work, its come in handy a few times for brake conversions and the like.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Australia
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 02:12
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Brake lines have to be ADR approved.
Hence lots of imported braided lines are illegal.
I'm pretty sure home made lines wouldn't be ADR approved.
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Location:
Sydney NSW
Registered:
July 2004
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 02:21
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Copper pipe makes more sense than steel, dunno what i was thinking there. Just have to get out the verniers and measure up me pipes i suppose.
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 02:32
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I had to have a few small sections made up when I transplanted all the AE92 Levin GTZ braking gear into my Nova, the GTZ has a Junction block on the firewall... I basically cut the rear brake lines on the GTZ cut to where I needed a flare and nut put on them so they'd meet the Aussie rear brake lines...
I then took them down to ABS and said I need either new sections with the exact same curves and showed them what fastener to put on each end and the flare type (referenced off the old brake lines...
Cost was $11, they re-used one line and made up another one.
I was planning to used coathanger wire until the idea of cutting the old ones as templates popped into my head...
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Location:
cambo
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 02:33
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yep copper is the go, its very easy to work with. doesnt take much effort to flarethe ends and its easy to bend/shape the way you want it to go. ive used it to make new pipes when using different master cylinders, calipers and when the pipe on the diff is crushed due to car being too low 
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Location:
Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Japan
Registered:
January 2003
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 02:58
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sorry boys, there is a reason copper is not used...
over time, with vibration etc, copper can work harden and become a lot more brittle, and CAN fail!
steel lines on the other hand take more stress (or should that be strain  or both... ) before work hardening, and are less likely to fail in use.
double flares are stronger and supposedly seal better... and are less likely to break if the lines are pulled side to side at any time.. basically they are just more reliable.
the double flare tool costs more, but results are better..
or your local Enzed will do it for a coupel of bucks...
my life is worth more than $11 
Cya, Stewart
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Location:
Montrose, VIC
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 03:14
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Yup, copper is illegal! My advice would be to go buy some tube, and a pipe bender (although many prefer to use their knee...), and make up the pipes to the correct shape, then go past any brake place and just get them to do the flares - if you go there half often, they usually won't charge anything then, as it takes them all of 3 seconds to do. There's never a reason not to do it properly!
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Location:
cambo
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 03:18
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in europe every workshop has a flaring tool and copper tubing cause of the salt they use to get rid of the snow, causes the factory lines to rust out. i dont know if this is still happening but thats the way it was so it cant be too bad.
the copper lines coming from my master cylinder were the first i made, they have been on the car for over 3 years now and dont seem to have any problems. they probably arent subject to much movement and 3 years isnt a real long time but im happy with them so far.
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Location:
Terrigal
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 03:25
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I got a brake shop to make some new lines and they did em all out of copper? that could be concerning if pros are using copper too and its weaker. 
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
June 2005
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 06:35
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What I think you will find is the line is still steel. The last lot of line I bought had a coppery finish instead of the usual zinc plate. I was about to give it to the salesman but then had a look at the cut end - absolutely not copper 
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2004
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 07:14
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last time i checked a flaring tool was more than $50.
It wasn't worth buying one just for a single job.
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 07:27
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| oldcorollas wrote on Tue, 21 June 2005 12:58 |
sorry boys, there is a reason copper is not used...
over time, with vibration etc, copper can work harden and become a lot more brittle, and CAN fail!
steel lines on the other hand take more stress (or should that be strain or both... ) before work hardening, and are less likely to fail in use.
double flares are stronger and supposedly seal better... and are less likely to break if the lines are pulled side to side at any time.. basically they are just more reliable.
the double flare tool costs more, but results are better..
or your local Enzed will do it for a coupel of bucks...
my life is worth more than $11
Cya, Stewart
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The new line was not copper...
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Location:
Montrose, VIC
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Makin' Brake Lines
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Tue, 21 June 2005 11:17
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Yeah, most of the time when you go to buy bundy tube these days, it's got a thin copper coating on it, but you can get them with a variety of different coatings, including various plastics
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