Everyone I ever talked to told me not to even try stainless because of the hardness & cracking...etc. Greg you must be a double flare guru!
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| Flaring stainless steel brake line https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=68728 |
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| Author: | volaredon [ Sun Aug 16, 2026 7:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | Flaring stainless steel brake line |
Can it be done "in the field"? I got what I thought was a screaming deal via marketplace on a "lines to go" stainless brake line kit for an 80s Dodge truck.. Most of this is on my project. Problem being that I later found out that they only make their kits for a short bed. Soni have about a 16"ish gap between the front section of the line that goes down the frame to the rear end and the back section. I don't want to hodge podge a section of regular line in between to join them. My son came up with a straight piece of stainless line that came from a kit he bought that came "either way " for a truck that he replaced the lines on,Ade for a newer truck with more wheel base options than these trucks had. But this is a little"too" long for my needs. I do have a hydraulic flaring tool. I do alot of making new lines for vehicles at work but I have only ever used the traditional steel line or the newer "ni-copp" line. I've never tried to flare stainless line before. I have "heard" that for some reason it could be but only to 37* not to the regular 45* of a conventional double flared brake line as it will crack if taken any wider than 37*. Is that true? |
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| Author: | Rick Covalt [ Sun Aug 16, 2026 2:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
Quote: as it will crack if taken any wider than 37*. Is that true?
Don't know but I heard the same thing.
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| Author: | Charrlie_S [ Sun Aug 16, 2026 4:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
I don't know about the 37 vs 45 angle problem, But I will tell you that double flairing stainless at home is almost impossible. The flair will crack, even if you can get enough pressure to make the bend. |
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| Author: | volaredon [ Sun Aug 16, 2026 7:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
I do have a hand held hydraulic flaring tool.... Don't know if that would help. |
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| Author: | Dart270 [ Mon Aug 17, 2026 2:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
Just get some adapters/unions for brake line and some extra pieces of pre-flared brake line tubing and don't fool with flaring stainless. Lou |
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| Author: | volaredon [ Mon Aug 17, 2026 3:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
I don't want to mix stainless and regular.... I don't think I can just go to the parts store and get a length of pre flared stainless line the length I need.... I wish I could |
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| Author: | Greg Ondayko [ Mon Aug 17, 2026 3:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
I have done stainless line on some cars. It is work with a typical on car double flare tool. But it can be done. It is easier with a tool like this: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900318d As the stainless is hard it tends to be less forgiving if you munch it up with the tool. Practice on some scraps first. If it is a driver and no one will ever see your unions or 2 different matetials and you can live with it, then join it with nicopp line, stainless fittings if you like and brass unions. Nicopp is super easy to work with and flare! The fluid does not care what material it is being pushed through. The angle is important. Do not mix standard sae 45⁰ with a 37⁰ Most passenger cars and light trucks like yours will have SAE 45⁰ Best of luck! Greg |
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| Author: | Rick Covalt [ Mon Aug 17, 2026 4:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
Everyone I ever talked to told me not to even try stainless because of the hardness & cracking...etc. Greg you must be a double flare guru!
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| Author: | volaredon [ Mon Aug 17, 2026 6:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
I've used ni-copp line before. As well as regular steel. (I thought I'd said that earlier) Many times Enough times that it was well worth buying the hydraulic hand held flaring tool (I have the Mastercool brand) And have plenty of both on hand. . But simply, being as how I have this truck down to a bare frame, and the fact that I bought a stainless steel line kit it just seems half assed to patch it in with something else. Not saying there would be something "wrong" with doing so. I actually thought of that. If I wind up doing that I'll just make the whole run out of either plain (coated) steel or ni-copp. |
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| Author: | Greg Ondayko [ Mon Aug 17, 2026 6:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
Quote:
Everyone I ever talked to told me not to even try stainless because of the hardness & cracking...etc. Greg you must be a double flare guru!
Never cracked on me. Works fine on the road racing dart. |
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| Author: | mcnoople [ Thu Aug 20, 2026 9:51 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
Personally if I was going for a very very nice set of brake lines I would use the nickel copper stuff and buy a roll of 1/4" 3:1 glue lined heatshrink. Slip the heat shrink onto the line before bending and before the fittings. You end up with an inch or so of visible copper and the rest is covered in a nice black rubber coating. If you use the glue/adhesive lined stuff it will bond to the tube, make sure to keep oil off of the tubing before slipping the heatshrink on. The drawbacks of stainless compared to the ease and cost of nickel copper always pushes the win to copper. |
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| Author: | volaredon [ Thu Aug 20, 2026 1:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Flaring stainless steel brake line |
That might be what I end up doing... I haven't had a chance to mess with this since before I posted post #1. |
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