bendable hard brake lines

[rede30]

I have been seeing brake hard lines that are bendable by hand and they don’t kink when done this way, what do you guy think about these? Long term effects?

[Jscotty]

I guess its only instinct to second guess something that seems too good to be true and something that operates outside of what is customary. So when I think about how steel tubing is supposed to behave when bent, I also consider what properties would cause it to act differently.

So given that I would consider what can you do to steel tubing that will allow you to bend it without kinking it and my best guess is that its actually a double tube or its very very hard to bend by hand.

[rede30]

Thats along the lines of how i feel. My friend is starting to put together his 240 ls1 project and he is going to put in all new brake lines. He has been looking on these soft/hard lines but i have been skeptical.

[Jscotty]

I also think about what takes place with plumbing-

If you install a new sink or toilet you can buy those flexible supply lines that make the faucet easy to install without it leaking. Yet a REAL plumber will only use the copper or steel supply lines with the compression nut and so forth. So I figure that there must be something to the original stuff that plumbers use. Otherwise they would use the flex lines also.

[Mike325]

Good point. To give my thoughts on the plumber deal. Plumbers get paid by the hour. To put in the easy flex line takes all of 5 min with no skills needed. A real plumber will do it the "old fashioned" way because it takes more time and costs more to the customer.

You should just get a tubing bender for this job. I replaced the hard line from the front to back on my e30 this winter, as well as most under the hood, and I used my hands, some sockets for bending tools and a marker. I had no problems with it.

[Jscotty]

Good point. To give my thoughts on the plumber deal. Plumbers get paid by the hour. To put in the easy flex line takes all of 5 min with no skills needed. A real plumber will do it the "old fashioned" way because it takes more time and costs more to the customer.

Actually I was suggesting that the plumber does it the old fashioned way because he knows that its the better way of doing it even though the quick easy way seems to be just fine for the rest of us. Besides, the plumber is still going to charge you for 1 hour of labor regardless of whether it takes him 5 or 35 minutes.

[backtrail69]

They sell brake line benders...not a big deal.

[ColdAccord]

^wrd

[winstontj]

You know that most brake lines come from BMW (if you buy used) straight - especially the long ones. At least they do for the 2002's.

Are you talking about getting a roll of SS brake line and bending/flaring yourself or buying pre-flared sections and bending by hand? Just roll them around a section of pipe, jar, bat, anything. Bending and rolling the line isn't very hard - flaring them properly is another story!

[ivo316]

I also think about what takes place with plumbing-

If you install a new sink or toilet you can buy those flexible supply lines that make the faucet easy to install without it leaking. Yet a REAL plumber will only use the copper or steel supply lines with the compression nut and so forth. So I figure that there must be something to the original stuff that plumbers use. Otherwise they would use the flex lines also.

The steel and copper are a lot cheaper ;)