pre-bent stainless steel or pre-bent non-ss brake lines?

If you get any contaminants in your brake fluid (like water) stainless will not rust. Other than that, dunno.

Well, if you want to do it again in another couple years, get the non-stainless ones. If you'd rather have less chance of rust problems, spend the extra $25 and get the stainless ones. For such a small difference in price, I wouldn't even think about NOT getting stainless....

Brake lines eventually rust out. SS brake lines will not rust. I would be interested who you are dealing with because I will eventually want to replace my brake lines with SS.

Thanks.

Well I wasn't talking about "Nazi" brake lines and I was waiting for a good place to purchase which you omitted. I feel "ripped off" with your response. :)

Get the stainless lines.

BTW Sta> are ss brake lines worth the $$? i've found a place that sells both

I bought the stainless lines from these people for a non-Jeep truck project, and after 4 years there is not a hint of any type of corrosion. I also used the stainless fuel lines as well. They still look like the day I installed them. I believe at the time the brake lines were about $40 more for the stainless. To me this is a no brainer.

Chris

via e-mail

Also, unless you have a bender, get the pre-bent type. If you kink one while bending it yourself, it is toast.

heh-i've pretty much decided on stainless...but i just thought to run this by you guys...

What I'd like to know is, why does everyone offer pre-bent lines for CJ's but not YJ's? I have a '93 YJ and would like to replace the lines with pre-bent if possible.

Also, in case I have to actually bend my own, does anyone know offhand what size tube I need? The lines I have now are pretty rusty, so I don't really trust my measurements. I'm thinking they are 3/16, but I could be wrong.

Thanks

Tony

e-mail

They are 3/16" in my TJ, likely in your YJ too.

Jerry

It isn't a CJ/YJ issue, it is a pain-in-the-ass issue. If you are replacing a single brake pipe, then it is much easier to simply get a pre bent one and stick it in. but, if you are replacing several brake pipes, then you might be better off buying a flare tool and some tube benders, and forming your own brake pipes. The problem with making your own brake pipes is that it is easier to screw them up than it is to buy the pre bent ones in the first place. The pre bent pipes tend to be rather pricey though, and if you are making several to rebuild a system, then you can afford to buy the flare tool and tube benders, and toast a couple, and still come in cheaper than buying pre bent pipes.

If you decide to bend them yourself, and kink one, then you have to pitch it and start over. You can not remove a kink from a brake pipe without compromising the integrity of the pipe. And, if you decide to make them yourself, don't forget to put the fitting on before you flare the end. (Most of the bulk pipes that I have seen around here come with one end already attached, so you buy them longer than the length you think you need, then cut it to fit.)

Another issue with pre-bent brake lines is that they are designed to be installed on the chassis BEFORE The body is on, which means in the case of the front to rear line, it can be really tough to get them threaded without damage.

This is true, but even if you and I are replacing the brake pipes for some reason, we are doing it with the body on in most cases. (I think the original poster on this thread is actually doing a frame-up rebuild, so his body is removed.) So, it doesn't matter much if we bend the pipes ourselves and struggle to get them in place, or buy them pre bent and struggle to get them into place. The primary difference is that when we make them ourselves, we can damage them while bending and while installing, withe the pre bent pipes, we can only damage them while installing. If there is only one or two pipes involved, the pre bent are probably the better value only because we don't have to own the bending tools and flare tool, and the necessary experience to use them right the first time out.

Remember, my only point in bending brake pipes is that you get one chance to get it right, and if you only need to bend one, it is probably cheaper to just get one that is already bent, if you need several, then bending them yourself can save money.

Thanks Jerry!

Indeed. After I installed an MPB master & dual diaphragm kit on my YJ I had to re-form all of the lines to get them to match up to the new prop valve. Even using a tubing bender to keep them from kinking left them looking, well, suspicious. I replaced the front to rear line, which was the worst looking, but to get it in place properly I ended up having to thread it in through the LR wheelhouse with the wheel & tire removed. Making one probably wouldn't have been any easier.

Well, actually it is a CJ/YJ issue. I have never run across a brake line that was pre-bent for a YJ. Only CJ's have I run across.

I can bend them, I have a bender and a double-flare kit. It's really that I'm a lazy prick and I don't really want to spend alot of time trying to get the bends right. I'd rather just crawl under and unbolt/replace than crawl out, bend, crawl under, test, crawl out bend more, crawl under, test, etc.

And, think of it this way. Pre-bend lines= me bending lines when it's all done so in essence, it makes no difference as far as installation goes. So as far as ease of installation is concerned, I think it's going to be a pain in the ass when the body is on regardless.

THanks

Tony

Well, yes, with the body on it is a definite PITA! The pre-bent line I used was from the factory.