[C2] Rear brake hardlines
02-18-2017, 08:57 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Rear brake hardlines
Weather was great today, got back to brakes, the rears. On the right side first. I removed all the brakes, shoes, springs, cylinders, hardline (from cylinder to flex line, where it connects at the 12 pt tab) and the flex line. Have new parts, cylinder, hardline (stainless) flex hose.
Put the flex hose on and the new wheel cylinder in. Trying to put the new SS hardline in. WTF!!?! It's more or less in the same shape of the one I took off, but if I connect it at the flex line (12pt) tab, it's a little difficult to get onto the cylinder. If I do the reverse, hard to get on the flex line.
Even the old now doesn't exactly match up, but closer than the new one.
Is there a trick here?
They're also referencing a copper washer in the shop manual, but I think that is for the front lines, not the rear, since when I took things apart in the rear, no copper washers anywhere.
Put the flex hose on and the new wheel cylinder in. Trying to put the new SS hardline in. WTF!!?! It's more or less in the same shape of the one I took off, but if I connect it at the flex line (12pt) tab, it's a little difficult to get onto the cylinder. If I do the reverse, hard to get on the flex line.
Even the old now doesn't exactly match up, but closer than the new one.
Is there a trick here?
They're also referencing a copper washer in the shop manual, but I think that is for the front lines, not the rear, since when I took things apart in the rear, no copper washers anywhere.
02-19-2017, 07:23 AM
#2
Race Director
I may not understand what you are dealing with completely but I do know that I've never replaced a brake line with a reproduction line that didn't need at least a slight bit of tweaking to make it fit - sometimes more than a slight bit. Often you just have to slightly realign the ends so that they are pointing in the right direction to line up with the rubber hose/frame mount or connection block they go to. I use an inexpensive tubing bender tool I use when I can and when that doesn't work just some gentle hand or over the knee massage. Just have to be careful on shorter radius curves because at some point they will take off suddenly and kink if too much force put on them.
02-23-2017, 07:50 PM
#3
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Why me? Even when I use the right tools, it goes wrong. Am I the only one?
Got the right side all buttoned up, we'll sort of. Reused the steel cylinder hardline instead of the new SS one.
Onto the left side, the steel line wasn't budging. Used some pb blaster and finally the wheel cylinder flare connection broke free. The other side that connects to the rubber line, no way Jose. I was even using the 3/8 flare nut wrench. Eventually it stripped...yeah...
. Ended up cutting the rubber line since I was replacing it anyways and backed out the hardline through the 12 pt hole...ugh.
So now I have no choice but to use a new steel line. I'm wondering if I should just get some regular steel lines instead of using the SS ones.
Are they better than the SS ones?
I should just had it flatbedded to the local shop and opened my checkbook.
Got the right side all buttoned up, we'll sort of. Reused the steel cylinder hardline instead of the new SS one.
Onto the left side, the steel line wasn't budging. Used some pb blaster and finally the wheel cylinder flare connection broke free. The other side that connects to the rubber line, no way Jose. I was even using the 3/8 flare nut wrench. Eventually it stripped...yeah...
. Ended up cutting the rubber line since I was replacing it anyways and backed out the hardline through the 12 pt hole...ugh. So now I have no choice but to use a new steel line. I'm wondering if I should just get some regular steel lines instead of using the SS ones.
Are they better than the SS ones?
I should just had it flatbedded to the local shop and opened my checkbook.
02-23-2017, 09:21 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
Stainless is very unforgiving. Tough to make even small adjustments. IMHO the marginal extra safety is not worth the aggravation. ( I used mild steel on my car).
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02-24-2017, 07:34 AM
#5
Race Director
Most definitely. Unless you drive your car frequently on salt treated roads (who does that any more) mild steel will outlast you and your children.
02-24-2017, 07:59 AM
#6
Safety Car
Thread Starter
02-24-2017, 08:02 AM
#7
Safety Car
Thread Starter
I may not understand what you are dealing with completely but I do know that I've never replaced a brake line with a reproduction line that didn't need at least a slight bit of tweaking to make it fit - sometimes more than a slight bit. Often you just have to slightly realign the ends so that they are pointing in the right direction to line up with the rubber hose/frame mount or connection block they go to. I use an inexpensive tubing bender tool I use when I can and when that doesn't work just some gentle hand or over the knee massage. Just have to be careful on shorter radius curves because at some point they will take off suddenly and kink if too much force put on them.
02-24-2017, 08:54 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
The last time I had to fit a lot of lines I never used a bender. The "modern" steel lines are a snap (pardon the pun) to bend by hand. In a couple cases of small radius bends I just ran the line over a deep socket of the appropriate size.