jolt-tsp

Has anyone bent their own hard steel brake lines? I was about to buy earl's braided but someone told me to look into solid lines. Has anyone done this?

hatchdrvr

OMFG! you're not serious are you? Have you ever thought that there's a reason that the hard line stops and is connected to a flexible line that goes to the caliper? If you run hard lines all the way to the caliper, you wouldn't make it out of your driveway before your brakeline broke. The flexible part is what allows your suspension to travel up and down with bumps in the road.

ATS*Mark

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee around and round we go

jolt-tsp

Yes I am serious, I know how a hard steel brake line works. However, braided supposedly still has some flex, and the shorter the distance a braided line is the better. Now I was thinking there really isn't enough pressure to make a difference between solid steel and braided, which is why I was asking if anyone else had done it.

.jacob

Solid won't work.

Why?

Because your suspsension arms move up and down. This flex will cause the solid lines break.

Why?

Because sold is solid, not flexible.

jolt-tsp

That is why the last few inches would be flexible, either rubber or braided steel.

enrique

I have some rear braided lines I will sell you for 40 shipped.

.jacob

It'd have to be a lot more than a few inches, it'd have to be exactly how it is stock.

EG2 SiR

Do braided lines make a noticable difference?

seppuku

OK...you are not going to get away from flexible brakelines going to the cailper because of the above stated. If you are thinking about running new (bigger) steel lines to your MC you'd better know what you are doing...that is only a consideration if you are running a 4 caliper piston.

Steel braided vs. rubber...there is really no difference in most brands...the steel braided adds an extra level of protection from damage and adds some heat deflection and expansion control, that's it...most braided lines are simply a rubber brake line encased in a braided steel mesh.

PupaScoopa

...and you can accomplish the same expansion control with a redneck-engineering method of attaching zip ties one after the other along the length of the flex line.

jolt-tsp

I don't think you guys really get what I'm saying. I know that I cannot run a hard line all the way to the caliper. But, especially in the rear, there is a long run of flexible brake line, I am thinking of bending my own hard steel brake lines to run the long distances where the line is still attached to the body, and then for the few inches at the end where we go from the body to the caliper would be braided steel. I know this can be done because it's been done on many cars. I was just wondering if anyone has done it to a Civic yet.

.jacob

But whats the point, you can achieve the same non-expansion results from using braided steal.

jolt-tsp

Solid is cheaper (if you can do it yourself) and more durable from what I've heard. Then again, I know nothing about it, just trying to gather info.

1dumbscreenname

they have given you all the info needed. you probably wont be doing that kind of hard *** braking where you might see any difference between stainless and rubber lines.

jolt-tsp

I know there's a difference between steel and rubber, I'm not keeping my rubber hoses. I autocross very often and therefore brake crazy hard all the time. I'm not asking about the difference between rubber and braided steel, as thats been talked about 100+ times on this forum. I'm asking if anyone has bent solid steel lines for their Civic, and if they have, what info they have on it.

tilt

I rotated my tires the other day and got a quick look at the brake lines.

From what I could see the rubber lines start at the inner wheel well and end at the caliper assemblies. I think the length from the inner well up to the strut assembly could be fab'ed for steel lines, thereafter you'd probably have to use braided/flexible lines to take into account for the damper and spring travel.

Conclusion: you'd end up with about 1-1.5ft of added steel lines per brake and you will probably have to have custom length braided/flexible lines. Is it worth it and would it make a noticeable difference? imho, probably not. But since you autox, and if it is that competitive, the "every little bit counts" thinking might apply.

enrique

if doing this worked and was worth it, then why don't we hear more people doing this? You should post this in the RR/AX forum.

racecarpete

i get what you are saying and i'm assuming if you used some nice fittings like stock then you would be ok. I say go for it, it won't be taht expensive and will be a nice little experiment.

jolt-tsp

I talked to a shop, and they can do it for me. I'm gonna take the car over later and get measurements taken and they'll give me a quote. Figured I'd better watch it be done before I try on my own. I guess I'll give an update as to what happens if any of you guys really care

seppuku

Get picts and post them