for little more money you can get the one i linked, and do 3 different sizes.
the superduty trucks use 3/16 for the front lines, but 1/4 line for the rear brakes.

 

for $28 you can get a kit that has a bunch of different sizes to do flares with.

unless you're flaring brake lines everyday, a cheaper less expensive kit will do.

if I had it to do over again, I would get a more expensive flaring tool, but I dont flare brake lines but every once and a while
....

 

Tom, I read all the various reviews of the tool you linked and, frankly, it rates poorly.


88_Ford, I already have an (relatively, Ridgid) inexpensive tool that has f'ed up every single 3/16 flare I've made with it.


I just can't bring myself to go down the same road twice. I've had plenty of time this long weekend to consider why my current tool doesn't work any better than it does. In short, if you can't keep the double flare bubble cap in the perfect place, the flare is going to be lopsided. The Ridgid tool locates neither the top nor the bottom of the cap in any sort of positive location. No wonder the damn thing doesn't work. The error isn't accumulative on the larger sizes of tubing and that's probably why I haven't had problems with those sizes.


I'll also say that, having plenty of time to think about all this, it's no surprise that they make the little tool only for 3/16" tubing and not the larger sizes. The clearances required for the tubing vs. the tool are just too great to always get a good flare without a carefully located flaring head.


In the case of the Eastwood tool (it looks like) the flaring head is held in very good alignment with the tubing via the threaded connections and cannot tilt. Only some actual experience would confirm that, but this little critter has a 4.8 rating on Amazon, higher than any of the other flaring tools.


I think I'm going to buy one for 3/16" tube and keep my Ridgid tool for larger sizes. I'll report back on it.

 

Interesting thread, I've never had to replace a brake line so far, but this will eventually become handy.

 

really? i have never had any issues with it. but then again i take my time when using it.
what i like best is it can be used on the vehicle in tight places unlike thw old style clamp bar tool.

 

I found an adapter. I swear google returns different results on different days of the month. The Napa part # is 7911, the Edelmann part# is 258302. Napa has no description for this part on their website, and Edelmann's description on their site is, at a minimum, very confusing and could be considered flat wrong. I found it on a 3rd party website and worked backwards. Napa had it in stock. This is a 9/16-18 for 3/8-24 tube nut, and is appropriate for my '90.

 

Brake lines for BMW?s and E30?s: the Bubble flare not the Double flare | RTS - Your Total BMW Enthusiast




I've only ever used the HF double flaring set. As long as I'm not in too much of a hurry to do things properly it works every time. I don't mean "works every time on a workbench in a clean well lit shop with soft NiCop tubing and new flare nuts." I mean "works every time on stainless steel under a vehicle with poor lighting and using junkyard flare fittings." You absolutely must make sure the proper amount of tube is sticking past the clamp. That's part of operating the tool properly. If you're too lazy to operate the tool properly even the highest quality flaring tool won't work for you. A drop of grease on the mandrel helps a lot too but is optional.


With single and double flares it's common practice to tighten them down harder than you should once or twice before final assembly to get the tube to match the receiving fitting. I don't know if it's technically "the right way" and I try to avoid it with steel line and brass fittings. I learned it from a guy that installs HVAC and I find that it helps a lot.


IIRC (it's been awhile since I had the brakes apart) everything on our trucks is SAE single or double flares which are easier to make than bubble flares IMO.

 

What a great tool! This things makes flares that look just like the pre-made flares on a section of line you might buy at Napa. I knew the Ridgid flares sucked, but wow!


The downside: it's no less clunky to use than the Ridgid tool, meaning there are a lot of frivolous little actions that have to be performed, but, at least, you actually get a well-flared tube at the end of the exercise.


The upside, besides the quality of the flare, is that the tool is pretty much fool proof. There's even a screw-in plug to set the tubing depth exactly right without having to piddle around with it. The only thing that's going to go wrong is that occasionally-forgotten fitting not going on first. Well worth the $40.


Now, if they would just make one for 1/4" tube.

 

they do. it is in the kit i linked.

 

And in the larger kit I have. I just enjoy top quality tools (and we already talked about the tool you linked )

 

the tool i linked only got bad reviews from people that did not use it correctly.
people that take their time and use it properly have no problems. i bet the same people that badmouthed the one i have would also badmouth the eastwood one too, because they are always in a rush to do things half assed.

 

Same goes for the HF tool