SS brake lines, are they still beneficial?

[Mark300zx]

Just wondered if they still offer benefits or have manufacturers now upgraded their stock brake lines?

[Chris32345]

For what?
A road car or track car.


Road cars not really

[GreenV8S]

If you're referring to hard lines, stainless steel isn't great because it's quite brittle as well as being very hard to work. Cunifer is usually preferred. It's still hard to work but much less brittle.

[trickywoo]

I assume you mean braided flexi lines.

If so have a look at this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LJiPDAr9f8

In summary you are probably best off with new or at least in good condition 'rubber' lines.

Lots of people swear by braided lines but a lot of it is placebo.

[TwinKam]

Good for rally cars where there may be rocks flying around, but a pain when working on the brakes as they can't be clamped off (although there are ways around this).

[steveo3002]

i prefer rubber ones , at least you can see when theyre getting perished /cracked etc

after having a stainless one pop i wont ever buy another set

[C5_Steve]

I've run S/S lines on several cars, as long as they're proper ones specifically made for the car that fit as they should then they'll firm up brake pedal feel a bit, but you'll only really notice when breaking hard not day-to-day.

Other than that there's not much wrong with the stock rubber ones. They do look nice if you're going for a presentation.

[TEKNOPUG]

SS shouldn't degrade over time, whereas rubber will. So they are fit and forget if you plan on keeping the car for years.

If you renew the rubber hoses every time you replace the brakes, you are unlikely to notice any performance difference.

[TwinKam]

TEKNOPUG said:

SS shouldn't degrade over time, whereas rubber will. So they are fit and forget if you plan on keeping the car for years.

If you renew the rubber hoses every time you replace the brakes, you are unlikely to notice any performance difference.

I have to disagree, NOTHING that is safety critical is 'fit and forget'!
They should be regularly (ie at least annually) inspected for fretting and fracture of the braid, especially near the unions. Part of the issue is that folk often don't fit and bracket them with sufficient consideration of the differences to the rubber hoses they've removed, not least their smaller diameter and their relative inflexibility.

[C5_Steve]

TwinKam said:

TEKNOPUG said:

SS shouldn't degrade over time, whereas rubber will. So they are fit and forget if you plan on keeping the car for years.

If you renew the rubber hoses every time you replace the brakes, you are unlikely to notice any performance difference.

I have to disagree, NOTHING that is safety critical is 'fit and forget'!
They should be regularly (ie at least annually) inspected for fretting and fracture of the braid, especially near the unions. Part of the issue is that folk often don't fit and bracket them with sufficient consideration of the differences to the rubber hoses they've removed, not least their smaller diameter and their relative inflexibility.

Yeah this was my point, I did once buy a car which was sold with SS lines and upon removing the front wheel and inspecting, not only had they not fitted the correct retaining bracket, because they were the wrong size so they were pinching and stretching with turning the wheel. Really dodgy, had them off and fitted the correct ones.

[TwinKam]

In fact I remember reading that (physical properties aside) they were more suited for competition cars due the the frequency with which those were stripped and inspected... ie every meeting.

[TEKNOPUG]

TwinKam said:

I have to disagree, NOTHING that is safety critical is 'fit and forget'!
They should be regularly (ie at least annually) inspected for fretting and fracture of the braid, especially near the unions. Part of the issue is that folk often don't fit and bracket them with sufficient consideration of the differences to the rubber hoses they've removed, not least their smaller diameter and their relative inflexibility.

Every part should be regularly inspected.....the point being that the stiffness of rubber hoses will degrade over time and should be considered a consumable part.

Whereas SS hoses won't degrade at anything like the rate and their performance will remain the same for years. Certainly longer than most people typically keep a car.

YMMV

[steveo3002]

isnt the braid more of a costmetic /anti chafe thing? its a nylon tube inside that handles the fluid and you cant see it

[Chris32345]

TEKNOPUG said:

SS shouldn't degrade over time, whereas rubber will. So they are fit and forget if you plan on keeping the car for years.

If you renew the rubber hoses every time you replace the brakes, you are unlikely to notice any performance difference.

You do know they are rubber lines with a ss braiding over them them just like household Flexi pipe

[TEKNOPUG]

Chris32345 said:

TEKNOPUG said:

SS shouldn't degrade over time, whereas rubber will. So they are fit and forget if you plan on keeping the car for years.

If you renew the rubber hoses every time you replace the brakes, you are unlikely to notice any performance difference.

You do know they are rubber lines with a ss braiding over them them just like household Flexi pipe

Yes. The ss braiding reduces the bulging of the rubber as it degrades.

[E-bmw]

Chris32345 said:

TEKNOPUG said:

SS shouldn't degrade over time, whereas rubber will. So they are fit and forget if you plan on keeping the car for years.

If you renew the rubber hoses every time you replace the brakes, you are unlikely to notice any performance difference.

You do know they are rubber lines with a ss braiding over them them just like household Flexi pipe

No, they are generally nylon lines.

[TwinKam]

TEKNOPUG said:

Chris32345 said:

TEKNOPUG said:

SS shouldn't degrade over time, whereas rubber will. So they are fit and forget if you plan on keeping the car for years.

If you renew the rubber hoses every time you replace the brakes, you are unlikely to notice any performance difference.

You do know they are rubber lines with a ss braiding over them them just like household Flexi pipe

Yes. The ss braiding reduces the bulging of the rubber as it degrades.

No gents, they are PTFE.

[Chris32345]

E-bmw said:

No, they are generally nylon lines.

Same difference both a flexible tube makes little difference to the fact the metals does not hold the fluid

[E-bmw]

Chris32345 said:

E-bmw said:

No, they are generally nylon lines.

Same difference both a flexible tube makes little difference to the fact the metals does not hold the fluid

But you mentioned that they have the same issue as the rubber still degrades, but as they are nylon, what you said is wrong, hence me posting.

[gazza285]

Having seen a braided line fail I’ll stick with rubber. The braid had become damaged, possibly by a bit of detritus on the road, non broke, but displaced. The inner PTFE tube blew out through the braiding.