Lets Talk Brakes Lines!

[Shea Laking]

Fittings for standard, 45 degree double flared tubing are basically sized for the tubing they will be used on. In most cases, the brake line system should only require you to use either 3/16" or 1/4" line (this is the outside diameter of the line).

There are often a couple of different lengths of fittings, their use depends on the depth of the part or hose they are threading into-I.E. rubber flex hose, wheel cylinder, master cylinder, proportioning valve, etc.

Are you just planning on overhauling your original brake system? If so, I would work one piece of line at a time. Remove it and it's fittings and then try to reproduce it on the bench. Ripping the whole works out and trying to do it all at once is a recipe for disaster...

Any local auto parts supply store can hook you up with the common size line fittings and your International should most likely use only one or two different sizes.

I like using the rolls of steel line to replace brake or fuel lines. It comes in 25 foot lengths and is relatively easy to bend. I prefer this to the added (unnecessary) nonsense of unions to attach together multiple pieces of "straight" tubing. I've yet to find a "straight" section long enough to form from the master cylinder to the rear axle flex hose all in one piece. All those unions are just more places to possibly leak, IMHO.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Shea

 

[V8Square]

Brake lines

Does anyone have, or know where I can get a diagram, of a typical brake setup? That is, with lines, hoses, proportional valve, master cylinder, etc?[S

 

[dmw56]

Does anyone have, or know where I can get a diagram, of a typical brake setup? That is, with lines, hoses, proportional valve, master cylinder, etc?[S

Speedway Motors online catalog and hard copy.

 

[V8Square]

Speedway Motors online catalog and hard copy.

So, you think there may be a diagram in the Speedway catalog? I was just up there in April and they had a really good model set up. My camera took a dump before I could get a picture of it.

 

[Neto]

(I know this is an old thread, but thought it would be better to revive this one than to start a new one for more or less the same subject.)

I just did a brake line repair on my 98 S10 (off topic, but I'll get to it), and I'm wondering what brand of factory lines you all use, if you are not doing your own flaring. I ended up with one that had a bad flare. It was a bit lop-sided on the end, and it refused to seal in the inverted flare fitting. Because I am not close to the parts store, I decided not to just take it back and exchange it. I finally managed to get it to seal by filing the end, then using a drill bit followed with sand paper to correct the shape of the inside part of the flare, but it was a real pain, and I had to make the fitting extremely tight to get a seal. (The one I bought that was wrong was from Advance Auto, Poly Armour brand.)

Another question - is there a different flaring tool for doing stainless lines, or is that too difficult to do yourself?

 

[Yankee Transplant]

I do not know but , I think you will have to have a special flare tool for stainless ,, if they make one ,, I guess stainless would be good for you up there ,,, do they still put salt on the roads in winter ? My kin used to wash down there stuff after they drove in it ,,, dont know if it helped any ...

 

[Neto]

I do not know but , I think you will have to have a special flare tool for stainless ,, if they make one ,, I guess stainless would be good for you up there ,,, do they still put salt on the roads in winter ? My kin used to wash down there stuff after they drove in it ,,, dont know if it helped any ...

Yes, they still put the salt down like crazy (lots of hills around here). Actually, I've heard that they are now using something else, which is said to be worse than salt. Yes, the washing down must help, but how often? Every day after work? And the closest decent car wash is farther away than work, so that doesn't work well. I tried doing it inside the garage once, when I thought it was warm enough, but I got a total sheet of ice all over the garage floor. I worked longer trying to get that up off of the floor than I did washing the car. I've wondered if a basement garage would keep warm enough to just use a power washer, but mine has a gas engine, so that doesn't work inside, anyway.

 

[Yankee Transplant]

There is no salt down here to deal with ,, may get snow or ice that would last more than a day one time every 10 years and it dont last but 2-3 days then its gone .. I cant say I miss it . but I know that salt is bad on lines and bodys ..if you were to put stainless lines on it would out last your truck,

 

[Neto]

There is no salt down here to deal with ,, may get snow or ice that would last more than a day one time every 10 years and it dont last but 2-3 days then its gone .. I cant say I miss it . but I know that salt is bad on lines and bodys ..if you were to put stainless lines on it would out last your truck,

I won't put stainless on this vehicle - I was asking because of a dream I have to build a daily driver, to get away from all of the new-fangled stuff you can't work on w/o all of the computer equipment, and hands the size of a 2 year old (to be able to reach in amonst all of the junk they're putting under the hoods these days).

 

[YBeNormal]

I think if I lived up north I would build some sort of warm water undercarriage wash unit that went across my driveway

 

[Neto]

I think if I lived up north I would build some sort of warm water undercarriage wash unit that went across my driveway

If I had a really good sized 3 phase power washer, I'd try to adapt one of those drive way washers to point up instead of down, so that I could just wheel it back & forth under the vehicle to wash off the underside. I'd want to make it so you could tilt the handle to angle the jets forward or back a bit. (Would also have to be in a basement garage, so the water wouldn't just freeze on the car.)

 

[Oldboy]

Oh yes,
Definetly buy a flaring kit. You wont go wrong. The satisfaction you will get out of flaring your own lines, and ending them professionally where you want them to go, is well worth the price of the kit.

 

[vht]

KOI and a few other people sell a new type brk line. It's got a copper like color, won't rust, and bends and flairs real easy. it comes in 25 and 50 ft rolls. That is all I use now in the garage. When I do my dodge, I'm going to do it all in it. If you need info on it, PM me and I'll get you the info.

 

[King Herald]

Okay, I'm not looking to spend a million dollars - I mean, I get it...it's my lives on the line when it comes to the brakes so I'd make sure they are done RIGHT but I'd love to redo them all.

What is all these double flaring, bubble flaring stuff... and as far as fittings - I just need the ones that fit the MC and wheel cylinders right?

Seriously, you need to do some research yourself, look on Google, buy a bender and flaring kit, read the instructions etc.

You can't get every answer to everything merely by asking on an internet forum, some of it you actually have to try out yourself, and you will make mistakes, mess things up, but for brake lines you need to learn what to do. This takes time, trial and error, effort.

I use copper for brake lines, proper heavy duty copper brake line material, and it is soft enough to work easily, but tough enough to take any brake pressure you can throw at it. most stock brake lines will be steel though, which can be a bitch to work yourself.