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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ braided stainless steel brake lines

Posted by: ken914 Mar 2 2005, 09:52 AM

My brake pedal is real soft (914-6) . So I plan to

1) flush and bleed the system
2) replace the flexible brake lines with braided stainless steel lines (please recommend a source for the lines)
3) replace the master cylinder.

Some people say don't use the braided steel lines on a street car, some say it is fine. What does everyone think????

Thanks.

Posted by: ken914 Mar 2 2005, 09:55 AM

HERE IS A PHOTO OF SOMETHING SOFT...

Attached image(s)

Posted by: Joe Ricard Mar 2 2005, 10:00 AM

Stainless braided lines are OK if you promise all of us that you will regularly check them for damage including the parts that get near one of the lines and start to saw through it. It can take less than 100 miles to saw through an aluminum swaybar end link. ala. 928 rear bar. Personal experience

Posted by: seanery Mar 2 2005, 10:00 AM

The Cap'n will tell you to replace with new rubber lines.
Others will agree, some will disagree. If you decide to
go with stainless lines make sure you get the DOT rated lines.
Check with GPR and Paragon Products, they both have 'em.

Posted by: wrpspddrvr Mar 2 2005, 10:01 AM

WTF?

As far as the brake lines go, I've had them on two cars (240SX and an Accord). It improved the brake feel on each. The Accord was one serious braking machine, whereas the Nissan was so-so. I didn't regret putting them on either car. 've got a set on order for my teener (that isn't even here yet!).
Not only do they improve brake feel, but they also always gave me peace of mind. Something about braided steel as opposed to thick rubber standing between me and not stopping (i.e. hitting a tree). It's all mental, but it's reassuring.

They look cool too!

Cole

Posted by: Rough_Rider Mar 2 2005, 10:02 AM

Some braided lines aren't DOT approved, IMO so long as you make sure you've got DOT approved ones your fine.

The only problem i'm aware of is the braiding can cover cracks / blisters in the tubing underneath.

Posted by: Travis Neff Mar 2 2005, 10:18 AM

Whether you go DOT braided or rubber lines, you have to remember they are a maintenance item - replace them every couple of years.

That said, about 3 years ago I replaced my lines with new rubber lines. The car probably has 6K miles on it since then, when bleeding the brakes you can see the lines flex.

Posted by: Mark Henry Mar 2 2005, 10:18 AM

Not a huge fan of SS lines on a daily driver.
I've seen old ones corrode and break off at the fitting.
(one was on my own summer only '67bug)

If you use them get new ones every couple of years.

Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Mar 2 2005, 10:18 AM

Peace of mind with SS covered teflon lines? Whaddya, nuts? The opposite should be true. Period. The ONLY place they belong is on a pure track car, where they're inspected every time the car is tracked, and replaced often. DOT approval means little when the line fails and you end up part of the landscape or firmly attached to the back of someone's car. Ive PERSONALLY SEEN the results! Others I know have had them fail, both on the street and on the track. They don't fail like OE lines, with a slow deterioration. They fail catastrophically, and all of a sudden, out of the blue, you have NO brakes. None! It's your decision, just don't EVER drive behind ME. I firmly believe any perception of better "feel" is entirely a self justifying deception in the mind of the person who spent the money to buy them! The Cap'n

Posted by: scruz914 Mar 2 2005, 10:30 AM

Somewhere there was a discussion on re-enforcing the master cylinder mount to prevent flexing of the bulkhead. You may want to look into that as well.

Posted by: mike_the_man Mar 2 2005, 11:43 AM

QUOTE (scruz914 @ Mar 2 2005, 08:30 AM)
Somewhere there was a discussion on re-enforcing the master cylinder mount to prevent flexing of the bulkhead. You may want to look into that as well.

They did that in the Grassroots Motorsports 914, and they had a good write up on it. Probably not needed for street cars, although I've heard that the MC mounting points can flex quite a bit.

I've heard more bad about SS brake lines then good. IMHO, I would just get the stock rubber lines. If the rest of the braking system is in good shape, there probably won't be much difference in feel, and the rubber ones are cheaper as well. Although I'm a cheap SOB!

Posted by: Type 4 Mar 2 2005, 12:02 PM

Troutman has them.
http://www.germanpartsusa.com/bbl.html

Posted by: Rhodes71/914 Mar 2 2005, 12:09 PM

The Fed-ex guy should be here anytime with my Stainless Braided brake lines. These will go on a street car. Oh and I have a K&N air filter, sorry Cap'n.

Posted by: StratPlayer Mar 2 2005, 02:06 PM

SS lines here and K&N Filter also

Posted by: mharrison Mar 2 2005, 02:25 PM

I have K&N Stainless Brake Lines.....

Posted by: Aaron Cox Mar 2 2005, 02:45 PM

!!!i have stainless too.... and a ss braided oil pressure line....and KN filters

Posted by: Travis Neff Mar 2 2005, 03:02 PM

Sorry Aaron, we still wont put a pooshey on your headstone when you keel over.

Posted by: Aaron Cox Mar 2 2005, 03:05 PM

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 2 2005, 02:02 PM)
Sorry Aaron, we still wont put a pooshey on your headstone when you keel over.

a what?

Posted by: Travis Neff Mar 2 2005, 03:07 PM

an engraved porsche on your headstone of your grave. Arent you supposed to be peeking at all the posts around here, er what?

Posted by: Aaron Cox Mar 2 2005, 03:19 PM

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 2 2005, 02:07 PM)
an engraved porsche on your headstone of your grave. Arent you supposed to be peeking at all the posts around here, er what?

Pathetic Attempt at humor - Five yards..First down

Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Mar 2 2005, 03:19 PM

Bragging you have chosen stuff that is provably inferior just points out your slavery to the babble eminating from Madison Avenue, NOT that you're smarter than we are, nor that you're a rebel ................. Might as well throw a Fram oil filter on there as well, a set of Splitfires, and one of those fuel line magnets. Oh, and don't forget to add a can of Slick 50 while you're at it. The Cap'n

Posted by: Travis Neff Mar 2 2005, 03:22 PM

Hey now, I put magents on the chicken coupe. double duty, one to help hold the double hinged door shut, the other THE MONSTER EGGS, FOOOM FOOM

Posted by: jwalters Mar 2 2005, 05:59 PM

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 2 2005, 04:22 PM)
Hey now, I put magents on the chicken coupe. double duty, one to help hold the double hinged door shut, the other THE MONSTER EGGS, FOOOM FOOM

Posted by: jwalters Mar 2 2005, 06:08 PM

On my two 67 ford fairlanes everything under the hood was braided--does that make me what you said there krusty also???

J/K

I got DOT braided lines, run a fram oil filter, bosche +4's, and no less than 9 inline fuel filters to help keep my idle jets from clogging- --

If they say DOT approved then they will burst just as brutally fast as the rubber ones---you people just do not have a clue as to the testing these things go thru with big brother--as long as it says DOT--AND has the official DOT stamp approval numbers attached---they will explode every bit as fast as the last TWO brand fucking new rubber lines I put on my car last year- --thank god that 33 year old shuttle valve still worked...

Oh and by the way--my 3 other 33 year old rubber lines still held--go figure on that one huh???

Posted by: Travis Neff Mar 2 2005, 06:19 PM

The DOT seal of approval comes from their "whip" test. bending and kinking up the hoses. And to pass that, there must be a plastic (or teflon or whatever) sleeve on either end of the lines where the fittings are. So, DOT basically means they are approved in kink type scenarios. Still can deteriorate like the other (but you just can't see what is going on inside the lines. Easy thing with the rubber ones is to have someone pump the brakes and watch the lines. If it turns into a ballon animal, your due.

Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Mar 2 2005, 06:19 PM

The catastrophis failure mode reflects things the DOT doesn't test for and can't control .....................Installation being the prime cause. Unnatural bends, length, rubbing on places where they shouldn't, etc. The Cap'n

Posted by: Travis Neff Mar 2 2005, 06:23 PM

You are starting to describe that silly bunny rabbit..

Posted by: jwalters Mar 2 2005, 06:24 PM

All true--all true--

When I was 17 and had my 67 ford I had to bow up on the four non-power drum brakes pretty hard one day when I heard what was like an M80 going off and my pedal go to the floor rather quickly--Talk about losing ones cherry real quick that afternoon-----bad memories---but me and the ford survived--that hunk of steel took out a three foot mississippi red dirt berm the road grader left by the wayside--also the first time I ever got air in a car----hmmm

Posted by: iamchappy Mar 2 2005, 06:27 PM

I had one fail on me before.

Posted by: jwalters Mar 2 2005, 06:29 PM

Got a real pucker factor to it doesn't it???

Posted by: xsboost90 Mar 2 2005, 09:25 PM

i blew a brake line out on my mustang and bumped a suburban barely! after downshifting hard to first and pulling the ebrake...whew! Ive run braided lines on my 944 street and strip, hard braking and all, and never had a problem. No k$n on the teener, but i got one in the truck!