Brake line flare/cutting/bending kit

[concealer404]

Any input on what i should be looking at? Willing to pay for something that WORKS, but i'll be surprised if i use such a thing more than 5 times in the next decade, so i'm not real interested in spending an amount that would just let me pay someone else to do the job.

Long story short, rear brake lines from halfway down the car all the way back are pretty rotted on the race car. Trying to decide if i should farm it out or do it myself.

Can i get anything decent in the $100 or less range? Open to suggestions, thanks in advance!

 

[djkeev]

What manufacturer? There are different brake line flares, both for which reasonably priced tools are available. American is most often a Double Flare, European are most often a Bubble Flare..... Though exceptions for both do exist.
You CANNOT use one for the other!!!
The jobs a nasty one with rust and dirt and oils but done properly it isn't all that bad. To bend brake line simply massage with your fingers being careful NOT to crimp it. The are bending tools, the cheapest would be the long coil spring tools. You slip the pipe into it and gently bend it, it helps prevent kinking on the tighter bends.

If you've got more money than time, pay someone to do it.

Dave

 

[keithwvd]

I help out at a shop, and one day a car came in for a brake line. Someone had "borrowed" a whole bunch of his tools and we had no flare tool at the shop, so I stopped at Sears and picked up one just like this for about $25 just to get the job done:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00951255000P?prdNo=4

It works fine, but after 10 or 15 cars now it doesn't always grab the line well enough. I just put a little piece of sandpaper in there now and it holds it, but the threads/teeth that are supposed to grip the pipe are clearly flattened and dulled from use.

I'm going to pick up this one this week, for the extra $25 I think it's worth it, and from what I've read these grip the pipe a whole lot better:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM3191824302P?prdNo=12

 

[Buckgnarly]

I help out at a shop, and one day a car came in for a brake line. Someone had "borrowed" a whole bunch of his tools and we had no flare tool at the shop, so I stopped at Sears and picked up one just like this for about $25 just to get the job done:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00951255000P?prdNo=4

It works fine, but after 10 or 15 cars now it doesn't always grab the line well enough. I just put a little piece of sandpaper in there now and it holds it, but the threads/teeth that are supposed to grip the pipe are clearly flattened and dulled from use.

I'm going to pick up this one this week, for the extra $25 I think it's worth it, and from what I've read these grip the pipe a whole lot better:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM3191824302P?prdNo=12

You WILL NOT be disappointed!!!! Prior to getting mine, I would have ranked teh flaring tool up there with the greaes gun as my most hated tool. Aside from the much more expensive tools like the Mastercool, nothing beats the Rigid tool.

 

[Monte]

Any flare tools out there which will do stainless steel lines ?

 

[vssjim]

Those tools do not do double flairs as used on brake lines, you should use the proper flairing tool to fix brake line, Double flair or bubble flair etc. If you want to make your job easy buy some Nicop or bendable brake line as some people call it and it makes the job a snap.

 

[dankicksass]

Any flare tools out there which will do stainless steel lines ?

You need different tools and fittings for SS lines; they're single-flared to 37deg. OTC has one, doesn't cost any more than the regular 45deg tool. The Ridgid brand version is prettier, but is a little more expensive than the OTC.

 

[tonycastec]

I suggest you use "cunifer".The correct tool and the easy bend brake line are available from Fedhillusa.com . See that little U.S.A. part in their address?

 

[concealer404]

What manufacturer? There are different brake line flares, both for which reasonably priced tools are available. American is most often a Double Flare, European are most often a Bubble Flare..... Though exceptions for both do exist.
You CANNOT use one for the other!!!
The jobs a nasty one with rust and dirt and oils but done properly it isn't all that bad. To bend brake line simply massage with your fingers being careful NOT to crimp it. The are bending tools, the cheapest would be the long coil spring tools. You slip the pipe into it and gently bend it, it helps prevent kinking on the tighter bends.

If you've got more money than time, pay someone to do it.

Dave

Good point.

It's an oddball. It's an ******... but in name and body panels only. 100% Mazda running gear, sooo...

I'm going with double flare.


How's this bending tool?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RCGVDO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[concealer404]

You WILL NOT be disappointed!!!! Prior to getting mine, I would have ranked teh flaring tool up there with the greaes gun as my most hated tool. Aside from the much more expensive tools like the Mastercool, nothing beats the Rigid tool.

The Ridgid was recommended to me prior, i was told there was a complete kit that they make that includes that flare tool, a cutter, and it's all in its own box, which i would like.

Those tools do not do double flairs as used on brake lines, you should use the proper flairing tool to fix brake line, Double flair or bubble flair etc. If you want to make your job easy buy some Nicop or bendable brake line as some people call it and it makes the job a snap.

Nicop, got it. Thank you!

I suggest you use "cunifer".The correct tool and the easy bend brake line are available from Fedhillusa.com . See that little U.S.A. part in their address?

I'll look into them as well, i appreciate it.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Those tools do not do double flairs as used on brake lines, you should use the proper flairing tool to fix brake line, Double flair or bubble flair etc. If you want to make your job easy buy some Nicop or bendable brake line as some people call it and it makes the job a snap.

No, they do doubles but some of the kits do not include the adaptors to make the double so they say it does not do doubles. There is one flaring tool kit from Ridgid that does do doubles, the 345-DL.

Only difference between the two is the 345 does not include the adaptors, which you can use from any cheap flaring tool kit.

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/345-Flaring-Tool/EN/index.htm

 

[concealer404]

No, they do doubles but some of the kits do not include the adaptors to make the double so they say it does not do doubles. There is one flaring tool kit from Ridgid that does do doubles, the 345-DL.

Only difference between the two is the 345 does not include the adaptors, which you can use from any cheap flaring tool kit.

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/345-Flaring-Tool/EN/index.htm

Ok so i want the 345/150DL kit, right?

" No. 345/DL w/No. 150 Tubing Cutter and Case Kit"

Any input on the Eastwood pipe bender thing i posted above?

Thanks!



Actually... Buckgnarly, is your for sale thread up to date? Tell me about the Gearwrench flaring stuff you have?

[edit]

Duh, that's just the tray/holder, isn't it...

 

[Buckgnarly]

Ok so i want the 345/150DL kit, right?

" No. 345/DL w/No. 150 Tubing Cutter and Case Kit"

Any input on the Eastwood pipe bender thing i posted above?

Thanks!



Actually... Buckgnarly, is your for sale thread up to date? Tell me about the Gearwrench flaring stuff you have?

[edit]

Duh, that's just the tray/holder, isn't it...

Yeah, that's the tray for the GW flex flare wrenches.

Any of the 345s will work, but the DL comes with the adaptors. If you already have any double flare kit, those adaptors will work. Usually the 345 alone is cheaper, but if you don't have a cutter or adaptors the full kit would be a good choice.

That Eastwood tool looks real nice, but it's 2-3x the cost of the 345 IIRC. I already had the 345 and really don't do enough flaring to make the Mastercool or Eastwood kit a viable option....though they both are DAMN nice.

 

[concealer404]

Yeah, that's the tray for the GW flex flare wrenches.

Any of the 345s will work, but the DL comes with the adaptors. If you already have any double flare kit, those adaptors will work. Usually the 345 alone is cheaper, but if you don't have a cutter or adaptors the full kit would be a good choice.

That Eastwood tool looks real nice, but it's 2-3x the cost of the 345 IIRC. I already had the 345 and really don't do enough flaring to make the Mastercool or Eastwood kit a viable option....though they both are DAMN nice.

I don't have any brake line tools of any kind at the moment. I guess the full kit is where i'll end up.

The Eastwood tool i was talking about was this one: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RCGVDO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Just a handheld bender. Looks kindof cheesy, but i've also never really had an Eastwood anything fail me. Worth a shot for $15 or pass?

 

[Buckgnarly]

I don't have any brake line tools of any kind at the moment. I guess the full kit is where i'll end up.

The Eastwood tool i was talking about was this one: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RCGVDO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Just a handheld bender. Looks kindof cheesy, but i've also never really had an Eastwood anything fail me. Worth a shot for $15 or pass?

Oh, I was thinking of the flare kit. No, that's not a bad bender for close quarters, most people use the bigger one....like this...

 

[MFortie]

I have the Fedhill tool and it works well...

 

[Danglerb]

What I like about the Mastercool, it actually works pretty much 100%. Other tools you make all your bends etc, and maybe it fubars the flare, cut still sort of fits, try again, not perfect but you use it anyway since your running out of tubing from the first cut.

If I was going cheap (great plan btw on brakes, save a bit) I would skip the cheap tool and have a shop with a good tool make the ends.

 

[richfinn]

I have this kit, you can use it on the car and the pliers are great for bending and aligning pipework.

http://www.uktools.com/product_info.php?products_id=11510

 

[tonycastec]

Sykes Pikvant are the U.K. equivalent of Lisle here in USA. They make good specialized hand tools. Their Flaremaster looks like a hand-held version of the Fedhill tool.
BTW Eastwood also sell the Fedhill tool.
Using regular steel pipe is the initial mistake IMHO use cunifer/Kunifer and the job is so much easier. It will never rust ,so you'll never have to re-do !

 

[concealer404]

What I like about the Mastercool, it actually works pretty much 100%. Other tools you make all your bends etc, and maybe it fubars the flare, cut still sort of fits, try again, not perfect but you use it anyway since your running out of tubing from the first cut.

If I was going cheap (great plan btw on brakes, save a bit) I would skip the cheap tool and have a shop with a good tool make the ends.

Do i detect some sarcasm?

The question was whether or not i can get a good setup in the ~$100 range. Much more than that and i'll go ahead and take it to the shop. I'm not going to cheap out on brakes. I already spent a fortune tracking down all brand new OEM calipers, hubs, hydraulics, Porterfield R4 pads for a chassis nobody else really uses, good rotors, and had custom stainless braided lines made to replace the rubber lines.

Just wondering if it makes financial sense to buy more tools. I like to collect, but not at the expense of wasting money down the road.


I appreciate the input as always, though!

 

[concealer404]

Sykes Pikvant are the U.K. equivalent of Lisle here in USA. They make good specialized hand tools. Their Flaremaster looks like a hand-held version of the Fedhill tool.
BTW Eastwood also sell the Fedhill tool.
Using regular steel pipe is the initial mistake IMHO use cunifer/Kunifer and the job is so much easier. It will never rust ,so you'll never have to re-do !

I'm not sure what was on the car from factory, but it lasted 300k miles and 20 years. I'll probably drive it another.... 5000 miles in the rest of my ownership, it's no longer a street car. I definitely have more research to do in the area of tubing.

 

[gmwelder86]

swaglock and done, use them for doing lots of stainless lines for biotech facilties nothing else compares with adjustability and time after time repeating bends. pricey though, but chances are you will never need to buy another.