The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1954 Chevy 3100 - brake lines?

Anyone have a recommendation on where to buy brake lines for my 1954 chevy truck 1/2 ton 3100. Ive seen a few stores on ebay, but figured I would ask here.

Welcome to the Stovebolt.

Do you want prebent lines? Can you bend and install them yourself?

If it's all stock you can get pre made ones.

If you have any changes then with a small investment in GOOD brake flare and bending tools it's not that hard to make them yourself. If you buy the cheapest tools you can find it might not be as fun, may still worth though..

Grigg

I buy bulk brake line and fuel line at O'Reillys in 25' coils for about $1.00 per foot or less. They carry most common sizes. Double flaring tools are inexpensive and relatively easy to use. O'Reillys carries the flare nuts as well, but sometimes the selection is limited.

kks,

If you have a manual transmission, many vendors sell ready-made brake line, if prefer to buy them made-up. If you have a Hydra-Matic transmission, check with Inline Tube.

Jim Carter Truck Parts
Classic Parts of America
Ecklers
Inline Tube
Classic Tube
probably Chevs of the 40s
probably American Classic Truck Parts

They are available ready-made in original metal tubing and in stainless steel.

What's everyone's thoughts on SS vrs metal or coated lines...? I'm also looking into building my own...

-Jerry

Depends on what you are willing to spend, and how much you like your knuckles. I spent around $50 on brake line and flare nuts, and borrowed my neighbors flare tool. Cut a couple 6 inch pieces to practice double flaring then went at it.

Took me a weekend to tear out and replace all the brake lines. It was my first time doing brakes and so far I have not found any leaks, or had any problems stopping (knock on wood).

I like the hand bendable alloy ones myself.

At one time I thought stainless steel was good, but that was before finding the "easy bend" Copper Nickel alloy brake line. The CuNi line is about as corrosion resistant if not more so than stainless steel, and it is a dream to flare and bend.

Stainless on the other hand is very difficult to flare and bend, you need very good tools to flare it well or you can fight with the cheaper ones and get by (I've done both). To bend stainless you need to get it just right, it is very rigid, the bends need to be in the right place and just the right angle to get the line to fit. Softer line has a little give and can be tweaked by hand for a perfect fit, not so easy to do with stainless.

If you're buying ready made lines and they actually fit then stainless would be just fine. If you're making your own the CuNi is the only way to go, same for fuel lines.

CuNi can be bought at most autoparts stores these days (couldn't a year or two ago). Try part number CNC325 for a 25' coil of 3/16" copper nickel alloy line. They have other sizes and lengths too.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/_/N-5yc1s?itemIdentifier=73293

more info from one of the manufacturers
http://www.agscompany.com/automotive/11
list of sizes
http://www.agscompany.com/automotive/brake-fuel-transmission-lines/nicopp



Grigg

I also used the 25ft coil.

it was nice to have extra material... especially when your admiring a very nice double flare you just finished

then look down and see the the flare nut still in the bag.

Thanks Grigg! That solved much of my problem!

Grigg,

Based on the advice you have given in the past year regarding the CU-NI flexible tubing, I bought a roll for the plumbing of dual action fuel pumps. I'll post my experiences with it next summer.

Thanks,

Please do, I have no doubts you'll like it though.

Grigg

Or if you do as I have in the past.

Look down to see the flare nut on the wrong side of the 90* bend you just finished putting in the new line.

Hello
I have a question on the brake line size of my 1954 3100.
I am redoing the lines and the old lines at the back are 3/16" however I have read that they should be 1/4"?
The fitting coming from the wheel cylinders are 3/16.
tried to get a fitting that was 1/4" coming out of the wheel cylinder but could not find locally. I can adapt up, but that would be like staying with the 3/16. My big question is can I just keep it at 3/16?
what purpose would it have been to use the 1/4" on the back brakes. There was also one other place they used the 1/4" coming of the master cylinder?
What should I do? stay with the 3/16 or try and change all fittings to 1/4"
thanks any help will be appreciated
Bill

I just replaced my brakes and about half the brake lines on my 54 3100. The sizes where mixed. All the individual lines going to each wheel were 3/16. They appear to be original. The replacement wheel cylinders where for 3/16. The only 1/4 inch line I had was coming off one of the two master cylinder outlets. It ran to a splitter feeding the back wheels and one of the front wheels. Leaving that splitter was 3/16 lines to the individual wheels. The other outlet from the master cylinder was a direct line to my front driver side wheel. It was 3/16. I bought standard coated steel lines from AutoZone. they are straight and come in various lengths with the ends already made up. No need to flare yourself. I was able to get lines that were close enough in length to the originals and bend them myself with no issue. You can get a tubing bender at Harbor Freight for less than $10. If you are careful you could probably bend them without a bender by hand. They were about $5-$6 per section.