Prebent brake lines
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Prebent brake lines
So my pre-bent brake lines came in last week, I ordered them from Corvette Central. Well tonight I started tearing into and got off the 2 lines from the mc and the proportioning valve off. After lining up the original lines with the 2 new ones they are not the same.One is pretty close the other one is decently off. Should I try to massage them to be correct or contact CC. The one that is a ways off the end that goes into the PV takes a right turn when it should take a left. I guess my main concern is whether or not the other lines will match up.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,189
Likes: 111
From: Tolland CT
So my pre-bent brake lines came in last week, I ordered them from Corvette Central. Well tonight I started tearing into and got off the 2 lines from the mc and the proportioning valve off. After lining up the original lines with the 2 new ones they are not the same.One is pretty close the other one is decently off. Should I try to massage them to be correct or contact CC. The one that is a ways off the end that goes into the PV takes a right turn when it should take a left. I guess my main concern is whether or not the other lines will match up.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,112
From: Crossville TN
Call CC and make sure they sent you the correct lines. It's very possible that someone got in the wrong bin when they 'picked' the parts. Or, the bag could have been labeled incorrectly. If you can e-mail them photos of the areas with differences, it would probably help them figure out what went wrong.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,129
Likes: 770
From: Redondo Beach, California
Experience with about 5 stainless steel brake line sets made by two manufacturers. They should fit exactly. CC most probably didn't fab these lines, but probably bought them either from In-Line Tube or Vintage Tube.
I now buy from In-Line Tube.
I now buy from In-Line Tube.
Last edited by 68/70Vette; Feb 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,461
Likes: 361
From: Monson MA
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Grand Sport & Grand Sport X Launch Alongside All-New 535hp LS6 V8!
Michael S. Palmer
5 Reasons Bad Drivers Crash & 5 Ways to Avoid a Costly Mistake!
Joe Kucinski
7 Bolt-On Upgrades From Extreme Online Store to Level Up Your C6 Corvette
Pouria Savadkouei
How Likely Are These Five 2027 Corvette Rumors to Be True?
Brett Foote
9 Best Corvettes You Can Buy for Half Price (& 1 You Should NEVER Buy!)
Joe Kucinski
8 Very Best Corvettes of Amelia Island 2026
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 WORST Corvette Engineering Failures of All Time!
Joe Kucinski
10 Records the C8 Corvette Generation Has SMASHED (& 1 Glaring Failure)
Joe Kucinski
7 Wildest Corvette Concepts Ever Made
Brett Foote
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,438
Likes: 40
From: Raleigh NC
St. Jude Donor '13-'14
Did you order the TBW or stainless lines? I believe they will require some "massaging."
I have not installed mine yet, but was also noting the differences. These are from Zip, but I believe the major vendors purchase them from the same source. Mine did line up fairly well though.
I have not installed mine yet, but was also noting the differences. These are from Zip, but I believe the major vendors purchase them from the same source. Mine did line up fairly well though.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
LeMans Pete...those looks about how mine are bent. I did not get the ss lines. Because I know how much harder SS is to work with in case some things needed to be changed. I guess I'll have to go down to the shop and collect the brake line #'s and call CC
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 9,063
Likes: 2,735
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I went through a number of different sources before I found a set that fit. I wanted to use stainless lines, bought them from Corvette America and CSSB, who gets them from Classic Tube. I lost lots of money because they would accept and refund the purchase price, but not the shipping, and its not cheap. The lines were NOT even close, wrong bends, wrong angles coming in to the rear brass blocks, etc. They all kept telling me that minor bends would be required, but these were not minor bends. Way off. There is also differences in how the tubes travel around the lower rear support braces. My original tubes travel aft into the corner, make a ninety degree inward and up over to the back. The Classic Tube pieces go and cross at a 45 degree....not original on a 77 at least.
I ended up going with TBW from Inline Tube directly, and they fit almost perfectly. The minor bending required was easy with the TBW tubes. Had they been stainless, even the minor bends would have pushed the limits. I do not understand how and why then cannot produce the correct bends. One excuse was that my car is modified...sorry not so.
I ended up going with TBW from Inline Tube directly, and they fit almost perfectly. The minor bending required was easy with the TBW tubes. Had they been stainless, even the minor bends would have pushed the limits. I do not understand how and why then cannot produce the correct bends. One excuse was that my car is modified...sorry not so.
Last edited by Shovels and Vettes; Feb 20, 2014 at 12:50 PM.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
I went through a number of different sources before I found a set that fit. I wanted to use stainless lines, bought them from Corvette America and CSSB, who gets them from Classic Tube. I lost lots of money because they would accept and refund the purchase price, but not the shipping, and its not cheap. The lines were NOT even close, wrong bends, wrong angles coming in to the rear brass blocks, etc. They all kept telling me that minor bends would be required, but these were not minor bends. Way off. There is also differences in how the tubes travel around the lower rear support braces. My original tubes travel aft into the corner, make a ninety degree inward and up over to the back. The Classic Tube pieces go and cross at a 45 degree....not original on a 77 at least.
I ended up going with TBW from Inline Tube directly, and they fit almost perfectly. The minor bending required was easy with the TBW tubes. Had they been stainless, even the minor bends would have pushed the limits. I do not understand how and why then cannot produce the correct bends. One excuse was that my car is modified...sorry not so.
I ended up going with TBW from Inline Tube directly, and they fit almost perfectly. The minor bending required was easy with the TBW tubes. Had they been stainless, even the minor bends would have pushed the limits. I do not understand how and why then cannot produce the correct bends. One excuse was that my car is modified...sorry not so.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 987
Likes: 7
From: Surrey British Columbia
It seems C.C. is the place to go for pre-bent brake lines. I too ordered from them. I was a bit dismayed when I opened to box to discover that the S.S. tubing lines were folded in half. It's a good thing I have a passion for Spagetti because after 1/2 an hour I was able to separate and unfold the works. Everything lined up very well. My fuel lines caused me a bit of grief, but in the end they look great too.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,129
Likes: 770
From: Redondo Beach, California
I had some difficulties with In-Line Tube. It's a long story, but basically they sent me, after maybe two line sets, power brake lines and then insisted that the lines were for non-power brakes.. I offered to send them the lines..basically they refused to believe what i said. I installed In-Line Tube lines on my 68 and 70. I also specified stainless steel fittings for the SS brake lines, this cost another $30.
I have Stainless Steel Brake Corporation (SSBC) aluminum brake calipers. They require a custom brake line from the trailing arm to the caliper. In-Line Tube makes custom brake lines. I fabricated a brake line from the trailing arm to the caliper housing using copper tube and steel fittings. I sent the mocked up copper tube brake lines and fitting lines to In-Line...they laser scanned them and duplicated them in stainless steel lines with stainless steel fittings. ...Perfect fit. It was not that expensive. In-Line Tube for me is great to deal with.
Make your custom brake lines in 5/16 inch copper tubing and use steel fittings. The copper is soooo easy to work with and double flare. Send the custom lines to In-Line Tube and get back duplicate ss lines with SS fittings.. They are not expensive.
I have Stainless Steel Brake Corporation (SSBC) aluminum brake calipers. They require a custom brake line from the trailing arm to the caliper. In-Line Tube makes custom brake lines. I fabricated a brake line from the trailing arm to the caliper housing using copper tube and steel fittings. I sent the mocked up copper tube brake lines and fitting lines to In-Line...they laser scanned them and duplicated them in stainless steel lines with stainless steel fittings. ...Perfect fit. It was not that expensive. In-Line Tube for me is great to deal with.
Make your custom brake lines in 5/16 inch copper tubing and use steel fittings. The copper is soooo easy to work with and double flare. Send the custom lines to In-Line Tube and get back duplicate ss lines with SS fittings.. They are not expensive.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Well I called cc today and they told me to take pictures of the new lines compared to the original lines and email it to them. They'd forward it to the supplier and send me new ones if they decide they aren't bent correctly. I asked if they would cover the shipping if I had to send them back and they said they would since it would be a defective product.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
After emailing cc and getting their reply, which was their lines were correct mine were just different. I went ahead and got the front 4 lines installed. they were all pretty good except the obvious rear mc line. The trick for that one is to undo all the bend so it's a straight run. Thread in the bottom first. Then the fitting at the mc needs to be loosened, then whilst pulling up a bit thread in the new. The problem is that rear line is, imho, too short.