The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline What size brake lines are on your TF truck?

I'm still having an ongoing debate with inlinetube over the correct size of brake lines. The hard lines on my '58 3200 are 1/4". They insist the brake lines should be 3/16". It's funny, that the 3/16" lines don't fit the original brake hoses or replacement hoses. So that can't be right.

My question for you 55-59 owners is this. What size lines are on your truck? Could these differences be a long vs. short bed thing? The reason I ask is that I notice that front brake hoses for a long bed have a different part number than the short bed hoses. I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this so that I can get my darn lines. Any help would be appreciated.

Mine are 1/4" to both fronts and to the rear hose. 3/16" on the rear axle. Front hoses on both long and short are the same as far as fittings go, I have short bed front hoses on mine. The main difference is the length, the short bed uses longer front hoses.

Thanks for your quick response Bill. I'm curious, why does the shortbed have longer hoses in the front?

My '58 1 ton has 1/4" all the way. For the 4 wheel drive, I had to get the hoses made, they were longer. A guy in Georgia had them to me in 2 days with the correct fittings. I can find his # if you need it.

Stan S.

The steel lines came out at further back location than the long bed trucks. There also is a difference in the wheel cylinders. The long bed trucks(both 1/2 and 3/4 ton) use the same wheel cylinders in the front. The location of the fitting is actually angled back, rather than straight like the short trucks. here is also an 1 1/2" adapter that goes on the wheel cylinders, which makes them require a shorter hose. As I stated, I'm using the shortbed hoses (only thing the flaps could get) with no problems. I actually kind of like the longer hoses, less chance of a hose getting streatched due to the extra length, which is only about 2".

Thank you gentlemen! I just need to have some ammo when I talk to inlinetube again tomorrow.

Thanks Stan, I'm specifically interested in hearing from folks with 1/2 ton trucks because that's what mine is. If I hadn't already paid for the lines I might be interested in talking to your guy or I could make them up myself. I was just trying to save some time by purchasing them already made. I'm moving in a couple of weeks and I'd like to drive this truck out of here. Now that I'm this far I would just like to have the correct lines.

Bill, You're right! I looked at my rearend again and those lines are indeed 3/16" and everything else seems to be 1/4" just as you stated.

I'd like to hear from any other TF owners too. Did the 3100 trucks also use 1/4" in front? I just need to be armed when I speak to this guy again. Their specs show that TF trucks use 3/16" throughout and I'm trying figure out why, when that is definitely not the case with mine (or Bill's) truck. Thanks!

my 58 3200 is 1/4, and while it's no longer with me, I'm sure the 57 3100 was the same, I used the same stash of spare parts for both trucks and all the fittings interchange

Bill

Hi Bill (red58) I was hoping to hear from you as you seem to be a font of knowledge when it comes to TF trucks. Thank you.

My 56 3100 has all 3/16 lines. I replaced lines on a 56 3200 for a customer and they were as you described 1/4 except the rear axle housing. A 3600 has 1/4 lines throughout. I think it is a long bed short bed thing.
Fred

Ah Fred! Another font of knowledge! Thanks for responding. I've been puzzled as to why they would have specs showing that all the lines were 3/16 and wondered whether the shortbeds may have had all 3/16" lines.

All of 3 my 59 GMCs had the 1/4 inch lines, although I only have 1 now. I believe the GMC 1/2 tons routed the lines differently than the chevy of the same year. I stayed with the 1/4 inch lines when I did my disc brake upgrade. Most people would change to 3/16.

My 58 shortbed has 3/16" throughout.

My '57 3100 shortbed has 3/16" going to all the wheels & going to the "T" at the rear axle. Probably same lines at the master too, but I didn't crawl under the truck. Of course I can't swear that's how it left the factory or that it wasn't changed by the PO. 3 years ago I bought F&R wheel cylinders from flaps and they fit fine. I guess I am wondering why you are worried about line diameter as long as you get the right thread into your wheel cylinders & hoses. You could also call some of the usual venders and see what diameter theirs are. I'd think 1/4" to be pretty darn big for a 1/2 or even 3/4 ton.

According to the '55 shop manual, only the base 1/2 ton (short) uses 3/16" on all lines, all otheres use 1/4". 1/4' brake lines aren't that unusual on full size trucks, especially GMs. Replaced enough of them to know, particularly the one that runs from the prop valve to the rear hose.

Thanks for all your responses. It looks like we can conclude that the TF 3200 used 1/4" lines all the way back to the rear hose and 3/16 on the rear axle. The 3100 uses 3/16 throughout. I called inlinetube today and told them that the members at Stovebolt.com determined this to be the case. They were very accomodating and are going to make up the correct lines for me and send them to me at no charge. They even told me I could keep the lines they sent me originally (all 3/16"). I can live with that! Inlinetube even learned something thanks to Stovebolt members. Thanks again for all you help guys. Things would sure be a lot more difficult without this great resource.

Nice post (and replies). Hopefully I'll learn from your experiences with this when I go to get brakelines for my 59 3200.

What does the master parts catalog/factory assembly manual call for? Seems to me that should decide what was original.
IMHO unless you have a show truck we should be upgrading the brake system to include a dual master cylinder plumbed the modern way (one reservoir for the rear and one for the front) for safety purposes.