Brake Line Bender

[cory58]

The main front-to-back hard brake line on my Touring sprung a leak while I was removing the gas tank. Better now than on the highway at 80 mph! So I need to buy a tubing bender and have some questions for the collective wisdom of R3V.

1. A lot of the benders I see say they will work for 3/16 tubing, but recommend using the 1/4 slot for 3/16 tubing. Does that work?
2. Do I need a bender that will bend 180 degrees or will 90 degrees work?

Any additional guidance would be appreciated. I've read lots of posts at different web sites and there seems to be disagreement regarding whether the rear subframe needs to be lowered/removed to disconnect the line from the T-fitting.

Thanks, Cory

[roguetoaster]

Maybe get a copper nickel line kit, much easier to bend. 90 bends are fine, and a decent hand bender is more useful than a bench bender for one offs. Use whatever slot works for your bender/tube, do some test bends.

The subframe may need to move, unless you are lucky enough to have good access and the flats on the flare are in the right spot from the start.

[cory58]

Maybe get a copper nickel line kit, much easier to bend. 90 bends are fine, and a decent hand bender is more useful than a bench bender for one offs. Use whatever slot works for your bender/tube, do some test bends.

The subframe may need to move, unless you are lucky enough to have good access and the flats on the flare are in the right spot from the start.

Thank you for the response and info! I noticed that the part number for the brake line cross-references for a bunch of models, including an Isetta. That makes me wonder if it's a kit instead of an assembled brake line. I was planning to get the OE part to avoid the hassle of cutting to length and flaring, but if the OE part is a kit, then there's no reason to buy it. I read that the fittings are -3AN. Do you know if that's correct?

Cory

[roguetoaster]

Yes, the P/N would give you a coil of steel line. I suggest getting an SUR&R kit, which you may be able to get at your local auto parts store, same for fittings. Online may be cheaper of course.

[TobyB]

Even a cheapie hand bender will work fine- I like the KD one I inherited in a box of junk, because it's small and easy to use.

I just buy lengths from the FLAPS (friendly local parts store, he says, dating himself) and use a union or 2 where needed.
I have a decent bubble flare tool, but find it's a lot quicker for body runs to just use premade pipes. Every so often I have
to make one, but there are usually ways to avoid it.

As to using the right slot- do. If you use a wider slot, it may let the line flatten as it curves. It's a bigger problem with
larger diameter tubing, and the CuNiFer and similar lines are even less prone to it, but if it doesn't fit in the 3/16" slot,
it's compressed at least a little.

fwiw,
t

[cory58]

rougetoaster and TobyB - Thank you for the great info! I've had a flaring tool for years but only done single flares. Looks like I'll be learning double flares finally. Just checked out the SUR&R web site - great idea. Made in the USA!

Cory

[Sunnyledge]

I just replaced 6 of the 8 hard lines on my car and went with copper nickel. Some of the bends on that long front-back line are very hard to make in the factory steel brake line. All my bend were made with a cheap HF tubing bender or by bending the tubing slowly around larger diameter sockets.

[digger]

is there a good kit that suits E30's to buy with lines, correct fittings and tools that would cover repair of brake lines?

[Sunnyledge]

25 feet of 3/16” (4.75 mm) cooper nickel brake line with 10 M10 fittings is about $30. Almost enough to do a whole E30. Problem is you need a decent flaring tool for Euro bubble flares. Most $30-40 flaring tools are not going to do it. I believe Classic Tube sells a brake line set for the E30 in both steel and stainless.

[digger]

3/16" or 5mm? yeah the flare tool was what i remember being an issue.

[Sunnyledge]

3/16” OD is also marketed as 4.75 mm which is used on E30.

[cory58]

So I just assumed that my HF flaring tool would work for these lines. Seems like I need a metric-specific flaring tool. Is that correct?

Thanks, Cory

[cory58]

So I just assumed that my HF flaring tool would work for these lines. Seems like I need a metric-specific flaring tool. Is that correct?

Thanks, Cory

Just learned that double and bubble flares are different, so I'll be getting a new flaring tool regardless. All the bubble flare tools I see listed have either 3/16" or 4.75 mm dies, so why will the cheaper tools not work?

Thanks, Cory

[Sunnyledge]

The cheaper tools can sometimes make “acceptable” flares. But they are often inconsistent. So you get a good flare on one end of a line and a not so good flare on the other. You wind up throwing that piece out or reuse it to make a shorter brake line. The better flare tools produces good flares 99% of the time. And after all this is your brake system. On a positive note it easier to create good flares with copper nickel then with steel or stainless.

[nrubenstein]

If you use the copper-nickel brake lines, the cheap flare tools will work. If you use steel lines, they just aren’t strong enough to reliably give you a good flare.