brakeline ?? about flare fittings

[sourkraut]

are double flare fitted ends necesary? i had purchased a roll of tubing and have only gotten 1 good double flare out of about 15 practice on steel 3/16" tubing. have kept everything square and deburred? i was trying to use a jegs $40 kit till i got the money to replace with an in line tube ss kit. what would be the outcome of using a sinlge flare end: failure, blowout, leaking? mine keep coming out half double and half single cause it keeps walking of to the side.

[QKENUF4U]

nothing but cracks/leaks from what ive seen with single flairs...

[dwcsr]

One trick I use on flares is to make sure its flat the take a file and run it around the outer edge to give it a slight chamfer. I also make a slight chamfer on the inside with a bur. Put a drop of oil on the end of the tube then flare it with the tool.

[tcb-1]

you HAVE to double flare your brake tubing because of the pressures that are exerted on the fluid. are you trying to flare stainless or regular steel? stainless is a bugger without a hydraulic flare tool. if your flaring steel, you need to make sure you square the tubing and chamfer the end.

a good flare tool is expensive, but well worth the money!

[GruntMoanCough]

Originally Posted by sourkraut

are double flare fitted ends necesary?..... mine keep coming out half double and half single cause it keeps walking of to the side.

Absolutely...... Maybe you've got too much tubing showing when you're doing the first part of your flare.
I've been doing double flares for years with a piece of crap flaring tool, it can be done. Here's a demo, in case it helps some....

http://www.stu-offroad.com/suspensio...etool/ft-1.htm

[cdowns]

what type of flairing tool are you using?? the higher the quality of the tool the more consistant the result is what i've found over the years

[mrein3]

The kit I own has a little button on one side of the tool to mash down the first press. Before you do that you flip the button updside down as the other side is a gauge for how far your line should be sticking out before you do the first mash down.

Like others have said you do need to chamfer the tube once you have it flat. I usually use a metal file to flatten the edge then run it around to make the chamfer.

I would never consider doing hard brake lines without a double flare.

[sourkraut]

Thanks guys, I would never do anything unsafe such as single flare! I was getting frustrated and had to "why ask why moment after thinking". I was not sure if it was preussre or leakage? Also why I asked was to way the cost of buying a good tool or completed brakeline kit. I am waying towards a good tool so I have it for ever and future projects.
What I have been doing is using the back side of my tool to measure the end. then making sure it was square and chmfered on the outside. I think what I might be doing wrong is the file on the inside and some lubricant. I was using a deburring tool to clean the inside lip. Also was reading some were last night not to use a tubing cutter cause if it is dull it can harden the line, that might be another issue of mine? Oh forgot to mention it is just steel I am working with. Thanks for all of your responses.

[dwcsr]

I forgot about not using a cutter, Yes use a cut off wheel or a hacksaw with a fine tooth count. The other thing I do is to put the tube in the holder backwards so you can use the holder to file it flat. Then flip it around to the side with the chamfer for flaring.

[sourkraut]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

I forgot about not using a cutter, Yes use a cut off wheel or a hacksaw with a fine tooth count. The other thing I do is to put the tube in the holder backwards so you can use the holder to file it flat. Then flip it around to the side with the chamfer for flaring.

dude you are smucking fart! that is a very good idea with the filing to make sure you have it square. thanks again

[tcb-1]

a tubing cutter also tempers the metal a bit..... and in turn makes it harder to flare!

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by sourkraut

dude you are smucking fart! that is a very good idea with the filing to make sure you have it square. thanks again

pull my finger...... The flare kit I have is a Ridgid 345-DL it has a hardened die so filing the tube won't cut up the tool. $70-$80 online

[ERASER5]

Tubing cutters are SOP. The cut will be flat. You just have to ream the inside, which is also SOP for any flaring operation. I have tool that reams both the inside and outside, which give me the proper chamfer.

Save your self a lot of trouble and get the nickle/copper alloy tubing from AutoZone. It about $50 for 25 feet or you could get it prefabbed up to 60". This stuff is so easy to use it is ridicules. Also, due to the alloy, it will not rust. I recently re-tubed my Durango from the rear ABS all the way to the wheel cylinders. This Ni/Cu tubing is the schintz!

KD Tool makes a good double flare set if you go with the medium to top of the line. The lowest priced KD kit is not very good. The KD 41860 is good at $50 or so. The KD 41880 is the double/bubble kit at $100 to $200 depending, this will do it all. I found mine for $90.

I also have the Ridgid flare tools in 45 and 37, but I find it cumbersome to do double flares with them. The orbiting flare point tends to push the belling anvil sideways.

[dwcsr]

The nickle/copper tubing it real easy to work with. Nice stuff

My Ridgid 45* flare tool doesn't orbit, its just staight down. My 37* orbits to roll the single flare out easier on stainless.

[RCbowtie69]

I install power disc brakes on my 69 drum brake truck, had to run all my brake lines from the master cylinder to the rear brakes, had to double flare the ends,cut them with tubing cutters,deburr the inside, ad a little oil before i double flare the end. no leaks

[sourkraut]

thanks guys, i appriciate all the help! i had did one tonight with chamfering the inside and added some anti sieze and BAM! perfect! i was using a pipe cutter that had a reamer on the side and think that might have been part of the problem, not consistant. also was not using any lube. thanks again

[tcb-1]

You must always use lube

[sourkraut]

would it be safe to say I found out the hard way?

[sourkraut]

i fiddled around again last night with the tubing i have. the powder coated tube from jegs, it is junk! STAY AWAY! did some research on the nicop and found it at my local napa today(cnc325). all i can say is awesome! this stuff flares like butter. so to make a long thread short it was nothing i was doing wrong other than useing a poor quality tube!

[ERASER5]

That's what Willis was talk'n about! I bent a lot of tubing, made a lot of flares. The Ni/Cu tube is wonderful for brake lines. Did I mention I bought a pair of Eastwood tube bending pliers? Just grab and bend. Too cool.

[myoldchevytruck]

I plan to pre-bend all of my brake lines and let the local hose shop in town double flare all of my ends. They said they would do it for a nominal fee. I replaced the fuel hard line on the frame and had the shop double flare the ends (i supplied the fittings). They charged me $5.00 total. Although, I would really like to try to like to learn how to double flare; a good kit and allot of messed up lines - some things are just best left to the pros. I figure brakes and fuel lines were just 2 things I didn't want to risk messing up.

[sourkraut]

Originally Posted by myoldchevytruck

I plan to pre-bend all of my brake lines and let the local hose shop in town double flare all of my ends. They said they would do it for a nominal fee. I replaced the fuel hard line on the frame and had the shop double flare the ends (i supplied the fittings). They charged me $5.00 total. Although, I would really like to try to like to learn how to double flare; a good kit and allot of messed up lines - some things are just best left to the pros. I figure brakes and fuel lines were just 2 things I didn't want to risk messing up.

ah come on live a little! just kidding, i would to if i was not so stubborn!

[myoldchevytruck]

Ahhh......Not Stubborn, just messed a few up in my days, lol. Just figured by the time I bought a decent double flare kit, I couldn't beat the local guys prices. Daddy taught me long ago.....work smart, not hard.

[gkesseru]

I've read this thread and several other and have found several praises for an Imperial Eastman flaring tool. I found one at Sears online for only $40. UPS delivered it yesterday and I tried it out today on an old brake-line for practice. Perfect double flare.
I did cut with tubing cutter, ground off the rolled-in section, lightly reamed the inside, lightly chamfered the outside, and lubed.
So far I'm 1 for 1!

[sourkraut]

Originally Posted by gkesseru

I've read this thread and several other and have found several praises for an Imperial Eastman flaring tool. I found one at Sears online for only $40. UPS delivered it yesterday and I tried it out today on an old brake-line for practice. Perfect double flare.
I did cut with tubing cutter, ground off the rolled-in section, lightly reamed the inside, lightly chamfered the outside, and lubed.
So far I'm 1 for 1!

cool keep it going!