Decent brake line flare nut wrenches

[ATC]

No issues with my Gearwrench set. They’ve done everything I’ve asked of them. I even have a couple Northern Tool brand wrenches to give me duplicates of popular sizes…they work just fine too.

I have a Sunex set of crows foot flares that I haven’t used yet too.

 

[shoggoth80]

So, like others... And having put hands on them, the Snap On flare wrenches are seriously good. At work we've always had a mixed drawer. Government stuff and all that.

Watching the popular YouTube channels, Milwaukee seems a very nice runner up. Haven't laid hands on them though. American SK is alright. I'll agree on the shorter side, and add a little fat in the head.

My personal set, which I bought probably over a dozen years ago are Astro. I like them quite a bit. They are flex head, which comes in handy. I'm not sure if they're made anymore, and last I saw any, they had about tripled in price. Nice wrenches though.

Proto are also very serviceable and won't kill you on the cost. The ones we have had at work aren't high polish chrome. More of the old industrial satin chrome. They get the job done just fine. They're also a little longer if my memory isn't playing tricks on me.

Sunex. Budget oriented, but they're ok. Can get a good spread of sizes if you need broad coverage for not a lot of money. I like Sunex, but QC on these seem a little hit or miss. So bears looking over.

I know the OP opted for what sounds like a good deal on Canadian Tire. I've always been a little curious. Being in the USA, we don't have them. Lol. Budget oriented tools definitely have a place and fill a need. Got plenty of budget stuff in my box. Hell, I think most do. What are your thoughts on fit, finish, chroming etc?

 

[KnurledNut]

If I was just starting out and needed a set, knowing what I know now, I’d consider flare/open end combos.

 

[Burt Shaver]

So, like others... And having put hands on them, the Snap On flare wrenches are seriously good. At work we've always had a mixed drawer. Government stuff and all that.

Watching the popular YouTube channels, Milwaukee seems a very nice runner up. Haven't laid hands on them though. American SK is alright. I'll agree on the shorter side, and add a little fat in the head.

My personal set, which I bought probably over a dozen years ago are Astro. I like them quite a bit. They are flex head, which comes in handy. I'm not sure if they're made anymore, and last I saw any, they had about tripled in price. Nice wrenches though.

Proto are also very serviceable and won't kill you on the cost. The ones we have had at work aren't high polish chrome. More of the old industrial satin chrome. They get the job done just fine. They're also a little longer if my memory isn't playing tricks on me.

Sunex. Budget oriented, but they're ok. Can get a good spread of sizes if you need broad coverage for not a lot of money. I like Sunex, but QC on these seem a little hit or miss. So bears looking over.

I know the OP opted for what sounds like a good deal on Canadian Tire. I've always been a little curious. Being in the USA, we don't have them. Lol. Budget oriented tools definitely have a place and fill a need. Got plenty of budget stuff in my box. Hell, I think most do. What are your thoughts on fit, finish, chroming etc?

Well I’m no connoisseur when it comes to tools, it would be the same as asking me to give my opinion at a wine tasting, The fit seemed good, I put it on the fitting on the HCU and with one turn it was loose, I didn’t feel any slack in it. I never really looked closely until I took a picture to post here, and after zooming in on the picture I can say the chroming looks a little pitted. Not sure how that compares to SO or other high end brands though.

 

[Burt Shaver]

 

[signcrafter]

Yes! Same here.

All I had for years was mostly Craftsman hand tools and they always did the job. Except for the flare nut wrenches. I don't care what anyone says they ****.



100%. I've taken off rusty lines many times with my SO though. A better option however is to cut the line off and use a socket. I rip the line out of there and replace it with NiCopp. That stuff is great. I hope people aren't using heat just to try and save a few bucks in brake parts.



Project Farm likes the Protos better than Snap On. Maybe I should sell my SO and buy Proto.

I'm not heating the fittings to save a buck. I have nicop tubing kits in 3/16 and 1/4 that have all the fittings and line. And have the hydraulic flaring tool along with a few other snap on flare kits and benders and all the stuff to do brake lines, actually enjoy bending up a brake line.

But have you ever done an ABS pump module on a rusty silverado? Earlier models the lines were junk and rusted out so replacing those anyway. But newer models have ABS pump modules that go bad and have to be replaced while lines are still good. But where it sits on the frame rail and fittings on top and sides with all kinds of bends that get crud and road salt and brine in between the fitting and line. So you're turning a fairly easy brake module into a line replacement or heat the fittings to get them off and reuse them. It's already an expensive module and I don't remember the labor time but think it's a decent amount of hours. So an already expensive job now goes way up, it's not a few bucks. If someone brings their car into a shop for a bad ABS pump module and you are adding line replacement into every estimate because you don't want to use heat to get the fitting out you are going to have a lot of unhappy vehicle owners.

 

[472scout]

with all kinds of bends that get crud and road salt and brine in between the fitting and line.

They need heat to remove and salt and brine at the fitting/line connection. So are they corroded or not?

 

[impactims]

I have Snap on for metric and Mac for SAE.

I have had the cheapo flare nut wrenches before. NEVER AGAIN!!

 

[moemc]

I bought this last fall, haven’t had to use it yet. But last week my winter beater tacoma lost brake pressure when something in the rear blew out, so I am guessing ill get to try it out in the next couple weeks.

the flex head was the reason I wanted to try it out. And it looks pretty beefy and thick on that end.

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other than that, my 1990s set of craftsman PRO (non-raised panel, fully polished) have never been an issue. Not sure if they are any better than the normal non-pro versions, probably not though.

 

[signcrafter]

They need heat to remove and salt and brine at the fitting/line connection. So are they corroded or not?

Just because they are froze together for whatever reason doesn't always mean the part is compromised. Obviously if the line is all pitted I'm not putting it back. The ones I've had to heat haven't shown signs of damaged lines when I get them apart. Run into parts frozen together all the time and use heat to free them without issue. Often use heat to get O2 sensors out, doesn't mean I'm buying a new O2 sensor and new catylitic convertor every time I need to remove a sensor to get exhaust out of the way to replace a part. I did a camshaft and lifters in a 19 silverado a few months ago and had to pull the O2 sensor and exhaust out of the way. Needed heat to get the sensor out of the pipe. Nothing wrong with the sensor or the exhaust pipe. Should I have charged for new exhaust pipe and sensors because they were stuck together and i had to use induction heater to get them apart? The use of heat is more so because it helps freeing parts up so you don't have to use as much force with the wrench. Parts can be froze together without being compromised. Heat, wrench, clean it up and it's good to go.

 

[472scout]

Just because they are froze together for whatever reason doesn't always mean the part is compromised. Obviously if the line is all pitted I'm not putting it back. The ones I've had to heat haven't shown signs of damaged lines when I get them apart. Run into parts frozen together all the time and use heat to free them without issue. Often use heat to get O2 sensors out, doesn't mean I'm buying a new O2 sensor and new catylitic convertor every time I need to remove a sensor to get exhaust out of the way to replace a part. I did a camshaft and lifters in a 19 silverado a few months ago and had to pull the O2 sensor and exhaust out of the way. Needed heat to get the sensor out of the pipe. Nothing wrong with the sensor or the exhaust pipe. Should I have charged for new exhaust pipe and sensors because they were stuck together and i had to use induction heater to get them apart? The use of heat is more so because it helps freeing parts up so you don't have to use as much force with the wrench. Parts can be froze together without being compromised. Heat, wrench, clean it up and it's good to go.

Speaking for myself. The issue I have is that even though the tube itself may be more or less structurally sound the coating is not. That salt/brine destroyed however much of the coating and then the torch removed even more. That's a fact.

With the coating compromised those lines are really going to corrode fast. Even more so if one is parking in a heated garage. Decades ago I would try to clean up lines so that they would take paint and thinking back now that was foolish. I do get you're wanting to keep customers happy.

 

[cherrybomb]

Anyone have the flares from CAT?

 

[Aileron]

American SK is alright. I'll agree on the shorter side, and add a little fat in the head.

IMO, I'd rather have a little fatter wrench when pulling on a tight bolt so it doesn't feel like I'm pulling on the edges of a knife, but then again I have man hands. For a loose bolt and tighter space,paper thin would be fine.

 

[tradesman]

I have Snap-on, Proto and old Craftsman. They all work, but when the going gets tough I prefer Snap-on, a lot of times you need the offset broaching found on Snap-0n and some others. Whatever you buy, make sure the broaching is offset so when you flip the wrench it comes in at a different angle. Usually when dealing with brake lines they are already compromised, so you want the best wrench.

 

[liliysdad]

Speaking for myself. The issue I have is that even though the tube itself may be more or less structurally sound the coating is not. That salt/brine destroyed however much of the coating and then the torch removed even more. That's a fact.

With the coating compromised those lines are really going to corrode fast. Even more so if one is parking in a heated garage. Decades ago I would try to clean up lines so that they would take paint and thinking back now that was foolish. I do get you're wanting to keep customers happy.

Another thing to add to the list of “Reasons to be glad we don’t have snow and ice and salt.”

Both my Jeeps are 50yr old. Both have the original uncoated steel brake lines front to back. I’ve cracked lines in both of them without heat or much drama other than rounding one nut with a ****** Craftsman line wrench.

I don’t know how you guys do it.

 

[atikovi]

I have standard and metric Craftsman,



Would crowsfoots be an option for you?

 

[shoggoth80]

IMO, I'd rather have a little fatter wrench when pulling on a tight bolt so it doesn't feel like I'm pulling on the edges of a knife, but then again I have man hands. For a loose bolt and tighter space,paper thin would be fine.

Fat in the head. Not in the hand. Lol. At work, I've seen some of them ground down, even inherited one in my issued box (before I switched positions). It is particularly common on the 16 and 18mm. LLVs are S10s under the hood. Without modding the wrench, you'd never get the power steering lines off without pulling the pump out (though we've also got line sockets and crowsfeet).

 

[Drunkonunleaded]

RE: Carlyle. They were good. At some point within the past 2-3 years, they started sourcing their wrenches from China vs. Taiwan. The newer wrenches are thicker and (presumably) made with softer metal. I've previously posted a comparison in the big Carlyle thread if any of you want to take a look.

There's quite a bit of old Carlyle tools on eBay right now since they're going through a rebrand. If you can manage to find some of the Taiwanese wrenches, they're a killer value.

 

[mreisner]

Snap on are 15% off right now