Brake lines

[TexasAviator]

I am about to start bending lines for the brakes and fuel. I am going to go with the FFR parts but was wondering if I could just order 4 front sn95 brake lines from the chassis to the caliper. What did you all do. I dont want to put the lines back on the axle and use the lines from ford because it interferes and complicates things with the 3 link.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Hit the "easy button" and call Mark at Breeze:

http://www.breezeautomotive.com/details.php?prod_id=488

Jeff

[NAZ]

I like to minimize the amount of flexible brake hose used but for my latest build it made more sense to use a hose for each wheel as I have so many brackets on my rear axle. Ready made SS braided brake hoses can be purchased in a variety of lengths that should meet your needs. You will want to also purchase -3AN to IF brake tubing adapters and all can be had from Summit Racing. Get a good quality bender and flaring tool. I've tried a lot of flaring tools and Eastwood makes a very good one. When it comes to tools -- you get what you pay for.

[Bobby Doug]

X2 on the Eastwood flaring tool. You cannot mess up a flaring if you follow their directions.

[TexasAviator]

Thank you all, I'm on a budget so I will try and stay with ffr headlines but I really like those breeze lines.

[CraigS]

Go to Advance or where ever you buy parts and get hoses for a 96 (or whatever year matches you calipers) Mustang. Standard rubber hoses are fine. you may get a 5% firmer pedal w/ SS braided hose but stockers work fine.

[TexasAviator]

Go to Advance or where ever you buy parts and get hoses for a 96 (or whatever year matches you calipers) Mustang. Standard rubber hoses are fine. you may get a 5% firmer pedal w/ SS braided hose but stockers work fine.

Now this is the kind of common sense approach to building these cars. Thank you sir. I have the 2300K 13 inch pbr brakes.

[edwardb]

Go to Advance or where ever you buy parts and get hoses for a 96 (or whatever year matches you calipers) Mustang. Standard rubber hoses are fine. you may get a 5% firmer pedal w/ SS braided hose but stockers work fine.


Now this is the kind of common sense approach to building these cars. Thank you sir. I have the 2300K 13 inch pbr brakes.

I don't know about the 5% -- haven't seen that number cited anywhere and don't want to argue about it. Fact is SS lines will give you a firmer pedal, whatever the percentage. In our builds where often we are using manual vs. power brakes, it makes a difference. Most of are used to power brakes in our DD's, and driving our builds with manual brakes already feels like a heavy pedal. Lots of places to maybe save a few bucks with these builds. Brakes for me is the last place I'm going to do that. Just my opinion.

[TexasAviator]

As with any part just remember many of us don't race or plan on using the car outside of a cruise night, daily driving, and the occasional pull at the local drag strip. I am looking for conventional parts and a donor budget. It's rewarding to find good off the shelf parts and not complicate the build if it's not necessary. I have not skimped on anything on my build and have replaced or improved 90 percent of my parts. Donor doest necessarily have to be cheap. In the same manner it doesn't have to be expensive and upgraded.

[edwardb]

SS flex lines are hardly non-conventional or complicated. Don't need the lecture. Like everyone else, just giving my opinion FWIW. But message received. Good luck with your build.

[TexasAviator]

No lecture intended. By conventional, I mean just as easy as getting parts that ford deemed safe for a mustang, I would deem safe and effective for my mk4.

[CraigS]

I just pulled the 5% number out of the air. Way back when I ran rubber front hoses for 2-3 years. Finally decided to go SS. There was a small difference that I thought I could perceive but it was one of those situations where I said to my self, 'It has to be better because everyone says it is and I just spent money on it.'

[j.miller]

I just pulled the 5% number out of the air. Way back when I ran rubber front hoses for 2-3 years. Finally decided to go SS. There was a small difference that I thought I could perceive but it was one of those situations where I said to my self, 'It has to be better because everyone says it is and I just spent money on it.'



It works out between 4.837 to 5.276 /. So 5% is a fair guestimate.....Then there is the "Feels Like" factor to take into account...

[DaveS53]

I'd use nicop tubing from a roll because it's so much easier to bend and flare. Even with the eastwood flaring tool, you may have problems making stainless double flares without cracking. I got better results when I annealed the ends of stainless tube with a propane torch.

Wilwood sells many lengths of stainless steel braided hose and adapters for the 3 AN hose ends.

Two kits for $150 for two kits isn't that expensive.

I have used summit PTFE hose with stainless braid and summit fittings for fuel lines and transmission coolant lines.

[David Hodgkins]

Don't know how this went from a softline to hardline discussion but since it has let me add that the MKIV build I did involved NO cutting and flaring. The 60" lines worked for me out of the box:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?13397-15th-Anniversary-MKIV-build-thread-2nd-place-best-in-show-HB2016!&p=148517#post148517

Granted, I used the ffmetal trunk-mount battery cross member, but a simple vibration loop like the one on the front passenger side takes out the slack. The rear 60" line I got from O'Reillys. ~$10 or whatever. A lot cheaper than new lines and flaring tools!

:)

[flynntuna]

Here's a white paper from Stoptech on rubber vs stainless lines.

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/stainless-steel-brake-lines-q-a


As far as plumbing the brakes, like David I used the supplied lines. I have a couple 60" lines left, and I had to buy some shorter lengths to make it work.

[Avalanche325]

You can use the FF lines and get more steel line as needed in different lengths at your local parts store. With steel lines, you don't need an expensive bender or flare tool. But get a real bender, not one of those wrap-around ones. Lines never look good unless you have nice consistent bends. For stainless lines, you do need the expensive tools.

"The occasional pull at the local drag strip. " Unlike autocross, and even a high percentage of mileage on a road course, drag strips have 1/4 mile of solid concrete wall down each side. I would be doing the SS flex hoses.......hooked up to Wilwoods, if it were me.

[Paul2STL]

I'd use nicop tubing from a roll because it's so much easier to bend and flare. Even with the eastwood flaring tool, you may have problems making stainless double flares without cracking. I got better results when I annealed the ends of stainless tube with a propane torch.

Wilwood sells many lengths of stainless steel braided hose and adapters for the 3 AN hose ends.

Two kits for $150 for two kits isn't that expensive.

I have used summit PTFE hose with stainless braid and summit fittings for fuel lines and transmission coolant lines.

I did all my stainless lines with the Eastwood flaring kit and never had that problem of making double flares and cracking. I used brake fluid on the ends for lubrication and they came out perfect. I know others have had the same experience on the forum. The Eastwood tool is very nice and would recommend it to anyone flaring lines. Also I rented it from another local member who did stainless and he had the same experience with the tool.

[bobl]

I just bought a 5 line braided kit for the correct year Mustang and everything fit perfect. I don't remember where I got it, but it was not very expensive and since I had to buy flex lines anyway, just a few $ more.

Bob

[TexasAviator]

Thanks for all the advice. Again. Like the oil pan discussion this is getting me thinking about cost to benefit.

[Avalanche325]

I haven't seen a car that can stop too fast. Brakes are the first place to do upgrades. Most people throw all their money at the engine though.

[Norm B]

I bought a Russell set for a 1996 mustang from Summit Racing. It has individual frame mounted lines for each wheel. The right rear line has a built in Y fitting for a line to the left side thus eliminating the need for a T. https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/rus-693400/overview/year/1996/make/ford/model/mustang

HTH

Norm

[DaveS53]

Not all stainless steel tubing is the same. I think that the stainless steel tube that gave me the cracking problem came from inline tube. Speedways sells some precut lengths with inverted flare fittings installed. They warn specifically NOT to attempt to shorten a tube and reflare the end. Annealing the ends of those tubes also worked for me. I used a drop of gear lube when flaring mine with the Eastwood tool, so lack of lube was not an issue. I also cut and reflared a few tubes that came as part of a "complete" SS brake line kit and had no trouble at all flaring that tubing that was obviously much softer and easier to bend.

The nicop tubing is so much easier to bend that I'll buy a 25' roll for any future car I build.

[Benchwarmer]

I just bought a 5 line braided kit for the correct year Mustang and everything fit perfect. I don't remember where I got it, but it was not very expensive and since I had to buy flex lines anyway, just a few $ more.

Bob


Did you remember what year Mustang you ordered for?

[bobl]

Did you remember what year Mustang you ordered for?
You are really digging around this forum to find this old thread! The lines you order will depend on what calipers you are using. In my case the brakes were all from a '95 Mustang, so that's what I ordered.

[Norm B]

The type I used are no longer available at Summit Racing but LMR has something similar https://lmr.com/item/JM-22551/mustang-stainless-steel-brake-hose-kit-j-m-22551-96-98