Re: stainless brake lines????????
Even offroad, rubber lines have a lot of advantages.
If you catch a stainless covered line on something, maybe it will pull out of the fitting, maybe it will pull your caliper around, maybe it will snap...who knows. Depends on how well the stainless braid is attached to the ends. The actual line isn't stretchy like the rubber lines.
On a front end, where everything flexes much more, rubber won't trap gunk inside itself and slowly eat away at the carrier line. If your suspension flexes more than you thought it would, rubber will stretch. Rubber can also twist, whereas the stainless line two piece ends must overcome friction to move around, and it's a lot once they're in place, tight, and have a set curve...I gently use a pair of grips on the swaged section and hold the fitting with a wrench to change the position of the curve in the line, don't expect steering or suspension cycling to move the lines. I looked at putting stainless lines on the front years ago and didn't like the way the suspension cycle twisted the line, so I passed. FWIW the lines are the style mentioned in the article, with a hydraulic hose covered in stainless braid, rotating fitting swaged to end, and I believe A/N thread so the appropriate adapter (metric, SAE, BPT, two different angles of nipple, etc.) can be attached. The section with threads and flats can move completely independent of the hose, even when it's installed...but be aware it's not easy to move.
I have replaced the rear rubber line with a stainless covered teflon (I assume) line, because I needed the extra length and it was far easier to buy an already-made stainless covered line vs have a rubber line made. It hardly moves when the rear suspension cycles.
The rear calipers also have a stainless covered line from the hardline on the axle, so I can hang the caliper out of the way to service the hubs (I have rear discs and a full float rear axle). There was no reason to use rubber there, the line is well protected from road debris and hungry rocks, and during normal use doesn't move at all.
The front is still rubber and will remain that way until I need longer lines. The front lines are always moving, and I don't want gunk slowly grinding away at the hydraulic line behind the braid where I can't see it. I'm ambivalent about using stainless covered lines up there.
Hopefully that helps. Stainless lines have their place but they're not really necessary on vehicles like ours...they're just easier to find than custom length aftermarket rubber lines.
-Sean
Last edited by DevinSixtySeven; 10-17-2007 at 01:59 PM.
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