front brake lines

[RICH MUISE]

I am wanting to run the front brake lines before I install the engine. I am running the Granada front discs that have the flex lines exiting to the front, so I have already relocated the flex hose brackets to in front of the control arms. Years ago I had ordered a complete stainless brake kit and have already installed from the firewall back to the differential. With the Granada discs, and the hydroboost master, I obviously won't be able to use the front oem lines from that kit.
I am thinking it would be better to run the crossover line under the radiator/core support rather than trying to get it around the control arms, and too close to the exhaust manifold heat, to route it along the engine crossmember. So, for you guys with front exiting calipers, how have you routed your lines?
Can stainless brake lines be made at home with hand flaring tools?
should I run the passenger side line into a tee near the drivers side, or does each wheel have it's seperate line from the hydroboost master/ cylinder/proportioning valve?

[57 Ford Kustom]

Rich, my Dad tee'd into the line within 6" of the master cylinder. He ran his along the cross member with the control arm on it, but, I have Manuel brakes, and Manuel steering. I am not sure if either will work for you. Tim

[RICH MUISE]

Yours has the traditional routing. My crossover braketube line,I'm thinking, has to be routed differently for the reasons explained in my opening post. Also mine will have a proportioning valve.

[57dohc]

Rich;
The Mustang parts car I have ran the brake line under the front radiator support thru the anti-lock brake control but I can't remember how many lines came off the hydroboost.  I will check tomorrow as the lines are all still intact.
I have made up new lines on another car (steel but not stainless), went okay but hard to get professional looking bends.  You will need a quality double taper flaring tool for the connections.

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks Al. I found out today there is a shop in town that makes the custom brake lines. I'm going to check it out tommorrow. If I have to make them, I'll probably go with a copper-looking nickel tube some guys on the HAMB were talking about. They all say the tubing is easy to flare with any flaring tool, and will last 50 years. The stainless ones like I did the back of my car with, are apparently difficult, or more difficult, to flare. If the shop in town can do it, I'll stay with the stainless. I did pick up a few tips on flaring. If I end up making them, the tips will help alot. The best one that seemed to solve everyones leakage problems was not to do a tight final forming at the last step of the flaring, but to just snug, allowing the fittings to do the final forming. Also, if fitting with brass junction blocks, to first seat the tubing tightly into a steel fitting to finish forming the flare.

[BWhitmore]

Rich - stainless tubing is very difficult to double flare.  I went through about 8 feet of tubing trying to get nice smooth bends and the proper double flare even with a Snap-on flaring kit and tubing bender.  I finally gave up and used steel brake line tubing (3/16).  For the lines coming from the master cylinder I had 3/16 stainless braided tubing made by my local hydraulic hose shop.  About $60 for two lines about 2 feet each and one line about 6 inches long allowing me to "t" in a brake light switch near  the master cylinder.  Looks great and was very easy to install with the flexible lines.  I am running an adjustable proportioning valve bolted to the driver's side of the frame rail just below the m/c.

[RICH MUISE]

Went back on the hamb to do some more reading and found this video by Jay Leno garage. It gets into the tubing I was talking about with some good explanations and drawings..I now know what they are talking about with the 45 degree double flare. I'm not sure what the point was at the end of the video having the guy with the upper end snap-on hydraulic flaring tool (4-500?)set do what the first guy accomplished with a $25. set.
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/all-about-brake-lines/190260/
It may be my computer, but the preliminary advertisement kept pausing..once it got to playing the video it went non-stop.
Another tip I picked up from several locations was not to use a tubing cutter on stainless tubing. Apparently the tubing cutters will work harden the stainless, making it dificult to flare properly. Suggestions have mentioned cutting with a fine tooth hack saw blade.
Rich

[57dohc]

Rich;
I checked the brake system on the mustang.  There are 2 lines from the hydroboost to the proportioning valve. The front line is bigger (front brakes).  Same size lines (2) exit the valve and are routed under the radiator support to the antilock controller.  There are individual lines to each wheel from here as each wheel is controlled separately.  Without antilock brakes, you will need a T connector for both the front and rear brake lines.  The difference in line length should not make a difference with hydraulic pressure and front and rear brakes will operate as separate systems.
You may have an issue with the hydroboost being Metric and other parts not.  I would expect someone makes a junction box if you need to make the conversion. I haven't research this but I will have that problem. Al

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks for checking that out Al. While I was checking Jegs for the cu-ni tubing, I noticed they carried sae to metric adapters for the brake lines, so hooking up to the metric hydroboost shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for the info. This is the tubbing, btw. Lots of good reviews on the HAMB
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/635800/10002/-1?parentProductId=2111534

[gasman826]

Have you built a tubing straightener yet.  I've seen manufactured ones and home made.

[RICH MUISE]

No, and I'm sure as heck not paying 250 for one either. A few guys on the HAMB roll them on the floor with a board over them. At any rate, the only ones I'm concerned with now are the ones crossing the front and there are no straight sections in it anyway. Just want to get what I can done before engine goes in.

[RICH MUISE]

Gary...you got me thinking how I'd make a straightener if I do end up needing one. I've got some heavy duty perforated corner angle. I think I'd just need to find some rollers or bearings..4 or 5 of them, and mount them on the inside of the angle alternating the mounting sides.
I ordered a 25 ft. coil of the nicopp brake lines with the fittings from Jegs.  I can get a tube flaring tool from the loaners at O'reilly's. I'll let you guys know how that stuff works. It's at least twice the cost of stainless tubing, but the flaring is supposedly a lot less troublesome. Of course, I'm along way from being able to check the flares for the important part...leaks. I did find some cheaper sources for the tubing on ebay, but not enough info given to try and judge it's quality, like where it was made.
edit...got it this morning...made in China..should have saved the 17. bucks and got from the cheaper source.

[gasman826]

Double flared steel is much cheaper than stainless.  It is not only cheaper for the tubing but even more for the fittings.  Stainless tubing nuts and ferrules are around $5.00 per joint.  I just used steel.  With the conditions my car is exposed to, steel will last another fifty years...long past my concern.
A little practice and you can product quality double flares.  After you cut tubing, ream the ID to remove the inward ridge.
If you are set on using stainless tubing, get a Ridgid brand flaring tool that oscillates.  Pricey but does a nice job!

As far as tubing straighteners...yes, a 30-40" long by 3-4" wide piece of flat stock with 4 or 5 wheels/pulleys mounted in line with each one alternating on each side of the line.  Pull the tubing through the pulleys and its straight.

[RICH MUISE]

Nuts and Ferrells? are you using the 37 degree flare? I'm using the 45 degree double flare. The nicopp tubing, like stainless, will not corrode, but "is said" to bend 58% easier, and "is said" to form flares much easier with "just about any flaring tool". I was hoping to use the loaner tools from O'reilly's. Picked up a flaring tool today and played with it a bit. It took my third try before I figured out how to get the flare straight...just too much slop in the worn out tool I think. The adapter has so much slop in it, the flaring spindle wanted to tip it.The good news was a nice double flare with no signs of cracking or splitting. I don't have that many lines to run, as I've already run them to the back.
question: does the double flare on the ouside where it contacts the nut/sleeve have any sealing properties, or is all of the sealing done on  the inside flare against the inverted flare on the fitting? The reason I ask is the flaring tool I was trying seamed to scar the ouside of the flare where it is clamped into the split bar....probably makes no difference I'm guessing.

[Frankenstein57]

I was surprised to see plastic tubing on my friends dirt modified used as brake lines. There is lots of dirt and rocks flying around under these cars. Mark