Braided brake lines and Making my own brake lines

I am planning to replace all the copper brake lines. I figured it is going to be cheaper to buy the pipe and bits and then flare it myself.

So I was wondering whether anyone has any experience with using the flaring tools you can get off ebay for around 30 quid? Are they half decent or would it be better to invest in something like a Sykes Pickavant?

Also, where is best to buy the pipe and female, male parts from? and do I need a pipe bender?

Lastly, I'd like to use braided brake lines in the places that need them but the ones that are designed for Landys are quite expensive whereas ones for say a ford focus are cheap - from the same manufacture. So has anyone used any alternatives to the ones sold for landrovers?

Cheers
Jasper

For me buy a flaring tool and make them yourself.
The tool will pay for it's self in the time you have it.
As for the type of tool I had a cheapo £10 flaring tool and I just couldn't get a decent flare out of it. I know people have had good results out of them in the past including me when I worked in a garage, But the one I bought was ****.
So I bought a sykes pickavant flaremaster and get good flares now.

I bend the pipe by hand, Just be carful not to kink it.
Pipe and unions should be available from a local motor factors. But mine came of ebay as I have no transport.

To add, Where in the country are you?
I'd make you some up if you're not far.

Llama4x4 will make up any sort of flexi braided brake hose you desire.
Myself and Mr. Noisy have them on our Discoveries. ��

Be careful with using the braided lines on the callipers. We have seen many cars come in with the braids broken and cutting into the rubber hose.

I use them on my performance cars but inspect and change change them frequently. Depending on the manufacturer and quality, I have seen them rust, the stainless steel braid was junk.

Buy a decent flare tool. I have 2 cheaper ones, and still borrow my mates Sykes Pick one every time as it's much better. Personally I would only ever buy ready made braided flexis. You really need to know what you are doing with assembly, we made all our own pipes up for the last rally car fuel injection etc and it was a pain in the ***. Didn't think made up LR stuff was any more expensive, maybe slightly due to the longer pipe lengths.

kes86 said:

Buy a decent flare tool. I have 2 cheaper ones, and still borrow my mates Sykes Pick one every time as it's much better. Personally I would only ever buy ready made braided flexis. You really need to know what you are doing with assembly, we made all our own pipes up for the last rally car fuel injection etc and it was a pain in the ***. Didn't think made up LR stuff was any more expensive, maybe slightly due to the longer pipe lengths.

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I mean buy the ready made braided one and then make up the copper bits. Yeah the ones I've looked for land rover specific are twice the price of most other ones. I knew the length may be different but I was surprised with the different. So if two different ones were the same length, it would make sense to go for the cheaper one..

Barbados said:

Be careful with using the braided lines on the callipers. We have seen many cars come in with the braids broken and cutting into the rubber hose.
I use them on my performance cars but inspect and change change them frequently. Depending on the manufacturer and quality, I have seen them rust, the stainless steel braid was junk.

Click to expand...

I thought the braided ones were specifically designed to go on the calipers?

Mark L said:

Llama4x4 will make up any sort of flexi braided brake hose you desire.
Myself and Mr. Noisy have them on our Discoveries. ��

Click to expand...

I'll have a look at those, cheers.

aaronmorris said:

For me buy a flaring tool and make them yourself.
The tool will pay for it's self in the time you have it.
As for the type of tool I had a cheapo £10 flaring tool and I just couldn't get a decent flare out of it. I know people have had good results out of them in the past including me when I worked in a garage, But the one I bought was ****.
So I bought a sykes pickavant flaremaster and get good flares now.

I bend the pipe by hand, Just be carful not to kink it.
Pipe and unions should be available from a local motor factors. But mine came of ebay as I have no transport.

Click to expand...

Did you buy the one thats about £80 or the one that is about double that?
I live in dorset so its probably miles away. I know someone relatively close who has a skyes so I'd be able to borrow that but having your own tool is always quite nice! .

Cheers

Braided lines were mostly intended to be used on race cars which has a smaller steering lock ratio. When we use them on road cars which has full lock, the lines are being bent into smaller angles hence the breakage of the braids.

You can use them on road cars as I said but you have to check them regularly for breakage. What I find works best on a daily driver with a long commute, is to replace all the straight rubber brake hoses with braided lines an use new rubber ones on the callipers.

On the 89 I have, I find the brakes sharp for an older vehicle, I won't use braided lines on the caliper.

Brake Line Flaring - 1


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Barbados said:

Brake Line Flaring - 1


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cheers, that is going to be ideal for when I come to do it.

Jaspermowatt said:

.

Did you buy the one thats about £80 or the one that is about double that?
I live in dorset so its probably miles away. I know someone relatively close who has a skyes so I'd be able to borrow that but having your own tool is always quite nice! .

Cheers

Click to expand...

I actually bought the flairmaster 2. I paid more to get the pipe cutter debur tool, bending pliers and 6mm die's
Like this. The basic tool can be gotten cheaper
Sykes Pickavant 02729600 Flaremaster 2 Tool Kit for 3/16", 4.75mm & 6mm | eBay

aaronmorris said:

To add, Where in the country are you?
I'd make you some up if you're not far.

Click to expand...

Is this offer open to all

My 30 quid one makes a lovely job, did a pipe on my brothers Mazda today, I found braided flexis to be about the same price as the rubber ones

greyhair said:

Is this offer open to all

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Yep , But you're hardly down the road

I've also found braided brake hoses to be the same price, or maybe a little more expensive than the rubber ones.

Fitted them to my RRC 10 years ago, and not had a problem at all.
( and boy, has it seen some hard work).

Although I did swap the plastic spiral wrap from the old rubber hoses over to the braided ones, to help eliminate any rubbing issues.

greyhair said:

Is this offer open to all

Click to expand...

Bring em up to me and I'll flare them for you

The cheap braided ones britpart! only have mild steel ends and they rust really bad, down side is they cannot be clamped like rubber ones

not been able to clamp them is the reason im not keen on them