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Thread: General Brake Set-up Question

  1. #1
    Senior Member JOP33's Avatar
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    General Brake Set-up Question

    I have really struggled with FFR's suggested Front Brake Line routing suggestion (from the manual) with the hard lines. Made several trips to the auto parts store to replace the pieces I have misformed. I have also tried to cut and flare myself with no success as well. I know several members have posted the cons of the flexible lines (squishy-ness, etc.). So are the issues they present so drastic that they are not a viable (or safe) solution in most' opinion? I thought the routing around the bottom of the firewall would be the most difficult, but what I am finding is where they want you to make the terminations with the "T" has been the greatest challenge. I am sure that giving perfect forms and routing it's a breeze, but what I have found is that if you are slightly off the placement of the "t" ends up being in an area right behind the shock tower. I am just not real happen with this as a solution right now.

    My next question would be that on mounting the brake fluid reservoirs...do the bottom of the reservoirs have to be higher than the lines feeding into the master cylinders? This just seems like it might be a challenge to achieve since the reservoirs feed out exit from the bottom and the entrance to the mc's are a the top and then take into account staying under the firewall line.


    Thanks guys.
    33' Hot Rod Coupe/Roadster (GEN 1), Fendered, Ford 302, 350hp, EFI, AOD, 4-Link, Double Adjustable Koni Coilovers, Split Rear Exhaust, Electric Power Steering, AC/Heat/Defrost, Moser 8.8"-3.55, Willwood Front/Rear Brakes, 18" x 8" Fronts/20" x 10" Rears, Ordered: 1.26.17, Arrived: 3.29.17, First Start: 7.2.18, Go Cart: 11.4.18 Paint/Body: 2.23.19, Back Home: 11.24.19, Completed: NEVER!; View More Pics @ https://starmobileone.com/

  2. #2
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    A 25' roll of NiCopp tubing might be a good investment. It's cheap on Amazon. I'd have to see a picture of the proposed routing to be of any help. One trick is not to make a straight run perfectly straight. If it has a little bow in it, then it can be straightened (and vice-versa). The NiCopp tubing bends easier than steel and lot easier than stainless steel. Bending a piece of heavy wire into the needed shape first may also help. I used NiCopp for the first time this year and found it so easy to bend that I did all bending by hand without a tubing bender.


    The bottom of the reservoirs should be close to the same level as the MC fitting, or above. If they aren't some of the fluid won't drain into the the MC. Surely FFR provided parts that will work?
    Last edited by DaveS53; 04-30-2017 at 02:34 PM.

  3. #3

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    Regarding your flaring woes, the tool makes all the difference in the world. A lot of people like the approximately $200 Eastwood turret-style flaring tool, which is by all accounts far better than bar-style flaring tools. I had good results with a cheaper Eastwood tool, the $40 "on car brake flaring tool." It only works on 3/16" double flare lines, but that was all I needed to flare. It works great if you read the reviews on the Eastwood website and follow the caveat about how far you insert the line into the tool.

    I researched running flexible AN lines from the master cylinders to the calipers. Virtually no one on the internet thought it was a good idea. I can't offer any help on the other questions.

  4. #4

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob McCrea View Post
    Regarding your flaring woes, the tool makes all the difference in the world. A lot of people like the approximately $200 Eastwood turret-style flaring tool, which is by all accounts far better than bar-style flaring tools. I had good results with a cheaper Eastwood tool, the $40 "on car brake flaring tool." It only works on 3/16" double flare lines, but that was all I needed to flare. It works great if you read the reviews on the Eastwood website and follow the caveat about how far you insert the line into the tool.

    I researched running flexible AN lines from the master cylinders to the calipers. Virtually no one on the internet thought it was a good idea. I can't offer any help on the other questions.
    I couldn't make a decent flare to save my life until Edwardb told me about the same tool:

    https://youtu.be/UxeA1lhSCsk

    Now I can flare like a professional.

  5. #5
    Seasoned Citizen NAZ's Avatar
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    Don't give up on the solid lines and use flexible brake lines in their place -- you won't be happy with the result. Working with tubing is where a quality tool makes a night & day difference. Don't skimp on a good cutter, a good bender and a good flaring tool. Brake tubing is not expensive so just plan to purchase more than you need to make the quality shapes you need. Pay attention to the center line radius of the bender and the tangent where the bend starts in relation to the clamping point on the bender. That way you know exactly where the bend starts from the point you will mark the tubing. And you'll be able to calculate how much room the bend takes for the angle, i.e. 45-deg, 60-deg, 90-deg... When I work with larger tubing such as when building a roll cage I will often make cardboard patterns I can use to check the fit in complex areas. You can do the same thing with smaller tubing when dealing with complex shapes but with the low cost of the brake line tubing you can take scrap pieces and make a 45-deg, 90-deg, etc that you can tape together and use to mock-up a difficult shape.

  6. #6
    Ol Skool
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    The roll of NiCu, with a pile of fittings, and the on car tool will eventually serve you well. As for the reservoir mounting, again it depends on which pile of parts you got in the kit. I think a lot of people are having problems with trapped air. Wilwoods compact cylinder ends up almost the same overall length but the line exits differently and the reservoir mount sits a little different. be careful on height as the body sits very close to the caps. Look at everyones builds and see which style you like. there has been a lot of variation here.

  7. #7
    Senior Member JOP33's Avatar
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    Thanks for the input...as easy as it would be to opt for the flex lines, I think i am just going to invest in a better flare tool. I think once I have a good tool I should be able to route lines for about three cars with all the scraps I have on the floor, but oh well. What are ya'll using as far as clamps? Or are most happy with the insulated clips that FFR provides?

    Thanks again!
    33' Hot Rod Coupe/Roadster (GEN 1), Fendered, Ford 302, 350hp, EFI, AOD, 4-Link, Double Adjustable Koni Coilovers, Split Rear Exhaust, Electric Power Steering, AC/Heat/Defrost, Moser 8.8"-3.55, Willwood Front/Rear Brakes, 18" x 8" Fronts/20" x 10" Rears, Ordered: 1.26.17, Arrived: 3.29.17, First Start: 7.2.18, Go Cart: 11.4.18 Paint/Body: 2.23.19, Back Home: 11.24.19, Completed: NEVER!; View More Pics @ https://starmobileone.com/

  8. #8
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    One of the most important steps of doing your own brake lines is to properly deburr the cut end of the brake line prior to flaring. To get a good flare you MUST cut the line "square" and then deburr the line both on the outside and inside of the tube to achieve a proper flare. Eastwood makes a very good combination tool just for this step of the process for about $26.00. It worked great on my stainless lines.
    Bruce

  9. #9
    Ol Skool
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    Eastwood has videos showing use of all of the brake tools they offer. You may want to view those.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Tampa33Build's Avatar
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    Eastwood also had the best price and warranty I could find.

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