Steel BrakeLines

["David A. Leonard" <dleonar1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<<Where can I buy Steel Brake Lines>>>
Snippage

NAPA autoparts has many different lengths and diameters of brake line
tubing, and brass couplers and adapters available for re-doing your brakes.
It is a "soft steel " line, which can be either hand bent or you can by a
$20.00 bender which is a little neater.  Bring in your old lines to
establish the collection of different lengths you will need.

I was surprised that even a Chevy Suburban doesn't have pre bent lines
available, as I just had to replace them from stem to stern on my 89 3/4
ton(I used about 20' in my Suburban this summer)..as I replaced each
section, the next one was rusty, and would rupture from the wrench
torque/metal fatigue...  I even got to replace the ride height proportioning
shut off valve in the process...What a PITA...At 11:00 PM  the NAPA manager
commented that it must be going okay, as I wasn't swearing or in a bad mood!
I explained that I finally had everything apart, and had run out of swear
words.  By the next day, when I got it all back together, bled them for the
third time, and found the next section leaking..my mood had deteriorated
some!  Oh well good thing "Dave's Auto and Marine" has a NAPA account!  (My
wife has gotten used to saying yes when vendors call the house looking for
the owner of my various fictitious enterprises...."yes, he's here' I'll go
get him"..) You can save a lot of money setting up wholesale accounts, and
the businesses never seem to mind...(Dave's Air Repair)(Dave's Plumbing)


Some words of advice..

Buy the lines a little longer than stock..you'll never be able to exactly
duplicate the factory bends.

Buy a set of tubing wrenches(NAPA, $15), as the brass coupler nuts will
strip otherwise.

Wear safety glasses when under the car.

If you heat the old brake line coupler nuts to get them undone..be aware
that brake fluid WILL explode, blow up  the flexible lines/swage fittings,
and scare the hell out of you(see the safety glasses warning..been there....
thought I'd lit the gas tank!!!)

Be patient.

Buy a pressure bleeder.

Be patient.

Be ready to replace wheel cylinders, as it is sometimes impossible to undo
the rusted old fittings on the brake drums .   Get a six point wrench over
the brake bleeder screws, and use a little heat, and tap the wrench with a
hammer and you might not snap the bleeder screw off when you try to loosen
it.  a couple of light taps in the tightening direction sometimes will help
crack them free before using brute force and ignorance, breaking them, and
replacing the wheel cylinders

Good Luck

Dave Leonard

88 735i( Nokian Studded tires, LSD)
91 325ic(in the hangar for winter)
89 3/4 ton 4wd Suburban 8600lb GVW package,TH 400 three speed, 350 TBI,
Flowmaster exhaust,electric brake controller,  10,000 lb towing capacity!!
(just the thing for towing almost anything, and driving around in
blizzards!)

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