Does anyone know why the brake lines have 2 or 3 coils in them near the master cylinder? Makes it a real pain to work on anything down in that area. Always snags ratchets and stuff...

My brother and I were discussing it the other nite, and the conclusion we came up with was, the first guy ever who was installing a brake system had tubing that was a couple feet too long, and couldn't find a tubing cutter, so he coiled them up. Then the next guy saw that and figured "hmm, so THAT'S how it's done", and so on... Kinda like the story about the lady who always cut off both ends of her ham before she put it in the broiler..

 

The coils allow for movement. The motion is absorbed over a longer length of line so no local area will fail due to fatigue.

 

Yea what thomabb said. It's for extra movement

 

I'm changing lines right now and I think the first explanation makes more sense.
Or Ford got a deal on 5 foot brake lines.
So why aren't the other lines coiled and if the reason is for movement then why is the line clamped to the truck?

 

The movement occurs at the firewall during moderate to high pressure pedal efforts, moving the master cylinder forward during these events. Without some ability for the hard lines to flex either with coils or swaged on flexible lines the hard lines would eventually crack fatigue.

 

The coiled lines damped potential movement of the cab (to which the MC is mounted) relative to the frame where the lines are physically clamped allowing no movement.

If straight-lined, everso slight movement would lead to metal fatigue (microcracking) and spring a leak... the same principle as bending a wire to and fro and where it eventually breaks.

 

These explanations would make sense if all the lines from the master cylinder were coiled but they're not.
Also, there is a clamp above the the coil between the coil and master.
So one can only assume that the engineers had the right idea but the designers screwed it up.
Kind of like why do I have to take the drive shaft out of my Blazer to change the exhaust pipe sort of thing.

 

Depends what the clip attaches to. I have never seen any vehicle that did not have both coils (when coiled) from the assembly line. Are you sure one was not changed over time?

The coiled lines also make it easier to assembly the lines to the master on the production line giving some play.

 

When I purchased the vehicle it had 24,840 miles on it and all original parts.
I understand the argument about vibration and the master moving but I'm sorry, I've been working on cars and trucks too long to accept that.
The long lines would have more movement just from temperature differences than from any other stress.
I've never seen a cracked line on a vehicle in my 45 years of working and restoring them but have seen plenty rust away.
Doesn't matter, it was just an observation, I suspect that even if Ford was asked about it they wouldn't have an answer.

 

not to bring a old post back to life , but rather not start a new one. I'm working on a 77 f250 4x4.
I 'm putting in fenderwell exhaust headers and the brake lines are coiled and a bracket is mount to them and mounted to the frame.
I need to move them so I can fit the headers in.
Someone on here uncoiled his and just rebent them out of the way.
So a few questions.
If I did what he did is this ok?
Or do I need to get new lines and move them and place coils back into the lines?
Also if the brake lines are lets say 1" from headers will it cause a problem when braking from the heat off the headers?

 

Keep the lines as far away from the headers as possible, use a heat shield if needed. I have done coil and no coil, with no ill effects. Sometimes there just isnt room. Just use common sense. Leave some slack and it will be fine.

 

These coils are a pain at times and rather unsightly. I have had a few people comment on why they are that way. I have often thought about trying to find someone that could make up some stainless steel braided rubber brake lines like the ones going between the frame and calipers and replacing the stupid coils with the flexible lines. It would look a lot cleaner.

 

I agree that would be cool and a lot nicer to work around