I found some Russell brake lines that say 50 state legal, how could any be illegal? Also found some for half price called dna motoring, anybody ever heard of them? Or know if they're any good?

 

My recommendation, when dealing with a safety item such as brake lines would be to buy from a well-known manufacturer. I really would advise against steel braided lines for the street. IMO they are an unnecessary risk (longevity, reliability, fit) and you would be much better spending money elsewhere on the brake system.

 

I thought ss lines were supposed to be better and last longer?

 

They might FEEL better, but will not decrease your stopping distance.

If anything they last less. Dirt and debris can get stuck in between the braids. I remember an article / thread saying that braided lines on a street car should be replaced every couple years due to this.

I suppose the other option would be the teflon coated lines, which might "last longer" than the non-coated but still no better than the OE lines and for little to no benefit in terms of braking performance.

 

There is a very detailed discussion of this issue on an NSX forum somewhere. I can't remember the link and I'm too busy to search right now but it said the same thing sk8shorty012 said. Even the coated SS lines use a weaker teflon inner hose (inside the braided line) that is fragile, and the fittings are often inferior. Even the DOT-approved fittings are not necessarily great. From what I read they are not 20-year reliable like OEM rubber lines are. And failure = almost 100% likelihood of a bad crash.

 

Ok thank you for the info, might stick to rubber, or put ss anyways and just put a rubber or silicon layer on it to keep debri off

 

I have stoptech lines which have a clear plastic covering the stainless braid

 

Do you know if they make them for 97 accord?

 

why dont you try searching?

 

I to have stop techs and they have the coating doood mentioned. I wipe them off every time I have the car up on the lift and they still look brand new like they did when I put them on two years ago. SS brake lines are a nice upgrade on our cars because most have worn out 10+ year old rubber lines. The SS lines firm up the pedal nicely.

 

The stoptech lines solve one of the problems with SS lines (urethane outer coating prevents grit from penetrating the braid), but not the other two: breakdown of the teflon inner lining and less reliable fittings (where the fitting meets the braid).

 

I have Goodrich lines which also have a outer protective coating. No complaints so far but they have only been on less than a year.

 

Any that don't meet Dept. of Transportation FMVSS-571.106 requirements aren't legal, and most intended for race use don't.

 

Apparently the DOT-approved fittings are inferior to some of the ones used for racing. At least, so I've read. So the DOT-approved lines, while being the only ones legal for road use, may not be the safest.