brake tools

[1968CHEVYC10]

I'm replacing all the brake lines in my truck so I'm looking into getting all the tools necessary to do that. first off is a double flaring kit, I've found stuff anywhere from $15 to over $100, anybody had good or bad experiences with any particular brand?

also a tubing cutter, do I need to use a brake tubing cutter? or will any tubing cutter work ok? I figure if I've already got some kinda tubing cutter laying around the shop somewhere I'd just use that.

[Alex Hayley]

The flaring kit you use will depend on the tubing material. I used stainless steel line and had very good results with a Blue Point flaring kit I found on ebay. If you are using steel line, which is softer, you might be able to use a cheaper kit. Regardless, I would not use a $15 kit, but I did not spend $100 on mine either.

For a cutter, I used the cutter in the kit but also used a air cutoff tool as well. Both worked well. The cutter tool was still very sharp. I did, however, bevel the tube end so less material was being flared. Clean the inside diameter of the tube and then bevel the outside diameter. This made an enormous difference in the quality of the flare.

[dirtball]

I have tried a few of the cheapie sets, they sucked. I have a Blue Point one now that works flawlessly. I think it was around $40 off the Snap-On truck.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

I got my set from Eastwood and it has worked well for over 10 years.

Jim

[68gmsee]

I've tried the local store for flaring tools and they're basically worthless unless you're doing copper or aluminum. It's the same with the cutting tool you use. Make sure it's the cutter is designed for the material you use.

As mentioned above, I'd stick with the name brand stuff and avoid the made in China brands.

[1968CHEVYC10]

I looked on snap on website and found one for $48, $55 after shipping, but I'll probably check at some parts stores and see what they have. I'm about to go look up the eastwood set.

[71tahoe]

Subscribed 'cause I'm in the market too.

I got one at Sears on sale and it worked good for a while.. It was a cheap one. Precision or something like that and the threads are starting to strip. The clamp doesn't align great and sometimes affects the angle of the flare. Not the 45* but the angle it comes off the end.

Definitely go with better quality. I will next time.

[hounddogs!]

I like an excuse to buy new tools as much as the next guy, but in this case I'm all for letting someone else do it. $185 will get you all the hard lines in stainless, pre-bent (a huge time saver IMO) with fittings. We may even have some vendors that carry this.

My $0.02

http://inlinetube.com/

[Tx Firefighter]

I have the Snap-On flaring tool that I bought off of their website for something like 55 dollars. It's a good one.

I recommend not using a tubing cutter at all. They work harden the tubing as you use it which makes the flare process much more difficult. Use a cut off wheel to make your cuts instead. I learned that little trick after years of using a cutter and it does make life much simpler.

[vegaschevy]

good info! ill be buying a flare tool in the near future

[K2Orion]

A set of flare nut wrenches is worth the money. Very handy even with all new materials, but priceless when working on older stuff. It will save you from rounding off flare nuts or screwing them up with vice grips.
I paid ~$40 for a craftman set a couple months ago.

[Boog]

Something worth mentioning here is I believe brake lines require a double flare. Not all flaring tools can do this. Unless a guy just wants to do it himself that $185 for the whole set prebent, ready to go sounds good. All new from one end to the other.

[Tx Firefighter]

Yes, brake lines require double flares.

[Lugnut64052]

Another vote for the Snappy/Blue Point flaring tool. I've had mine for 15 years and it worked great. Finally broke a wing off one of the nuts (from overtightening) so I tried one from the hardware store. It was beefier than my Blue Point but wouldn't grip the tube.

Get the Blue Point.

[dwcsr]

I got a Ridgid 345DL you can make a bad flare with it. It was about $75

[mr48chev]

This well used unit is the same one that most of us here have in our tool boxes. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SNAP-...item3a54cb6fa7

It looks like the handle is missing but most of us probably use a #2 Phillips screw driver anyhow as the handles always seem to get lost. I've had mine for close to 40 years and although it needs a new pin in the hinge end it still works good.


As the others said, make sure that the tubing is cut square and that it is chamfered a bit and deburred.

Also, practice making flairs before you do the real ones as it does take a bit of practice to get them right.

As far as the flair nut wrenches go I wasn't too happy with the ones I got from Craftsman but the ones that NAPA sells under their NAPA tool brand are nice units for a fair price.

You will still need some tube bending tools to make the bends and although I have a tool box drawer full of them I don't have any recommendations as each seems to work or not work at times.

[1968CHEVYC10]

I've been looking around on ebay and I've found some labeled for thin walled tubing, is there any difference, and will this work for my brake lines?

[1968CHEVYC10]

any help?