I need new lines, due to the MC change to power...front lines are too short.
All the lines are original, so thinking about the following.

Stainless vs Steel ?

Make vs Buy...

I guess they will be easy to make but flaring stainless is not trivial...unless you have a hydraulic flare tool ($400 ?)

Do I buy sections of pre-made straight stainless and bend it like Beckham?

If it were stock, LMC has a nice price on a stainless kit (~$150/$175)
I could use this on the rear as the line going back would be too long but I can probably adjust it.

JEGS sells lines pre flared w/ends and they are reasonable. Just need to measure and piece together a set that would work. Not sure if they come with male / female connectors...would expect 3/8-24 ends.

To keep cost down, could just use galv. steel. Kit w/ bender is $75.

Any suggestions? Product /vendor recommendations?
Thanks,
Bryan

 

I've never heard of galv. brake lines, just steel or SS. If you decide to go SS you could use the AN fittings and not have to double flare. I usually end up with just the steel brake lines and cut and fit and reflare as needed.

 

I agree with Leckart, Stainless lines look nice but are difficult to bend and work with. I always use the steel lines and they work great and look good. Get a tube bender and a double flaring tool and you can make your lines.

 

Bend up a pattern of what you want your lines to be and send them to one of the 2 major line manufacturers that offer them is SS. I dont think the cost will be much different.

 

You should be ok with Stainless steel lines, just make sure that you get proper stainless brake line that is double annealed this means that it is as easy to bend and flare as regular lines.

Speedway Motors sells this.
3/16" Stainless Steel Coil Line

Cheers
Lee

 

Save your money for more important things. Don't buy an expensive tube flaring tool or SS lines. I got pre-made steel lines at NAPA. They worked fine and I didn't have to flare anything or buy any special tools other than a tubing bender which I picked up at a swap meet for ten bucks...

 

I've been doing that too.. but the stock steel lines tarnish, at least mine have (always garaged).. maybe the stainless ones would stay clean/new looking

Sam

 

Inline Tube makes a quality pre bent kit with fittings for our trucks. I was really happy with the quality of their lines. Of course the front you would have to probably make your own.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions Guys!

The Jegs catalog lists their steel lines as galvanized....I think the old lines off my truck look to be gavanized as well. They also have some powder coated steel and the stainless lines.

 

What about the flex lines at the front wheels....I have the SuperBell kit (mustang caliper)....So some mustang lines should work, but what about the thru the frame fitting? Do the mustang lines have a large threaded end that fits thru and bolts up like the stock?

Also, flex line for rear, stock line should be ok, would like something better than oem....are most lines the same? I will document the threads and length...

Thanks!
Bryan

 

I haven't done it in a while, but I used to steel wool and polish my lines, then topcoat them with a decent clear. They'd hold up pretty good, and looked good as well. If they are truly galvanized, I probably wouldn't do that, personally. But steel? Sure. Or, alternatively, you can rough them up and paint them, I've seen them painted the car color, looks ok, on a rod, and they disappear if painted the same color as the frame...

Depends on the look you want.

R

 

I got braided stainless lines & fittings from Austin Performance on Lamar. Welded the tabs to the frame.

I am using the Volare front end on the green truck. I bent all my own lines.
used small braided stainless between the cab body & the chassis for flex, with a firewall mounted booster & master. I got my line blanks from OReilly auto parts.

Sam

 

I went thru this decision making process...I got a box of part's with the truck that included AN ..which a 37 degree flre was recommended to use , a 20' roll of stainless tubing, and an assortment of 45 deg hose's and fittings, stainless 37 deg front flex hose's (2 ea.) , 2 thru the frame fitting's ,also 37 deg one end and 45 deg on the other....
Just to keep things simple , I went to Napa and got new factory hose's, a hand full of 45 deg fittings and 4 -6' pieces of the galvanized tubing,had everything bent and mounted before lunch. I figure, if I ever have a problem, Napa can hook me up.
As far as corrosion down the road goes, if you keep the truck out of the Ocean or salt covered roads, They will last much longer, you could steel-wool them ,then clear-coat, or paint them.
My truck will not be a showstopper by any means, so bright shineing lines were not a priority...they do look good though!
I have also had my Cheby up to the frame in the Ocean and snow, I guess thats why every single metal line on it blew prematurely at least once if not twice each...which might say it would never happen with stainless....maybe...but I was back on the road pretty quick by just bending up some galvanized tubing...
Here's a tip!..Use a coathanger or welding rod to shape and form your lines the way you like them, then transfer them( the bends) to your tubing...works real nice...Dont forget to put your fitting's/nuts on before flareing....Just my .02$ Good Luck!

 

I went to alot of trouble making my brake lines look good. A friend of minor was building a 37 Ford at the same time, so I got ideas from his brake lines. I use stainless braided lines for flexlines to the calipers, I kept looking at his stainless lines and the difficulty he had bending them making them look right. I figure this. Stainless is very expensive, it does look nice when polished and is very durable. My thing was this, How many people are going to crawl underneath my truck and focus on my brake lines? Am I going to place a mirror underneath my truck when I park it? The answer was "no" All the other streetrods I've owned have had steel lines and I've never had one person ask me about my brake lines or how cool they look. You can route the steel lines just like SS and they look clean. The key is routing the lines in a matter that makes them look clean from underneath.

 

I bought a coil of steel line from Jegs, along with a double flare tool and bender. Once the lines were completed, I cleaned and painted them yellow to match the frame. They look great and I have the bender and flare tool for the next project.