brake and fuel lines- new or used?

[mossy]

I was going to get the brake and fuel lines zinc plated but was thinking maybe just get new lines made up, anyone had this done before or made new lines themselves, I'm leaning towards new but I'm unsure of the cost.

[Zeddophile]

Depends on whether you want the car original or not, I guess.... Either option is good, although new lines will likely be the more expensive option (unless you get ripped by the plater), simply due to the amount of metres you need.  Plus you need fittings for the ends, do you destroy your old brake lines, or find something else?  Are you or someone you know any good at doing double flares?  If not, add on the cost of having the ends flared.  The flipside is, fresh lines are generally much easier to bend and run, and can be done very neatly, whereas original lines tend to be rock hard, and have funny wiggles all over the place (partly from being removed and refitted).  Hard to put them back even as neatly as they came out, let alone any better.

 

Ring up a Better Brakes (the one in Bayswater definitely has the hard line for brakes) and ask them how much it costs per metre - I really can't remember how much it costs!  That should help you work it out...

[mossy]

Getting old lines zinc plated is about $80 but most of the tube nuts on mine are knackered and where they are still connected to the brake line connectors front and rear (whatever they are callled) the nuts are all seized on, that was the main reason for the upgarde to new parts.

 

I found a trailer place that sells steel bundy tube for just under $4 a metre but I would also need a quality flaring tool and tube bender.

[MaygZ]

You can bend brake lines with a spring bender.  You know the one that looks like a 10" spring, with a skinny end and a flared end.  These are cheap and can do a very good job if you don't hurry (Like everything I guess).  An inexpensive flaring tool will do a good job, again don't hurry.

 

So about $30 of tools should get you through.

 

Mossy's right though, old lines tend to split when they are bent.  New lines dont have holes or weak points.  It's only brakes after all 

 

MaygZ

[Huw]

I would get new ones.....stupidly I did both....got them zinced and any that were not in the best nick were replaced....

putting the old ones back was a pain and the new clean ones look a lot better than replated ones.

 

They are also far less hassle etc etc etc.....