AutThe brakes on your car may not have to do much with acceleration but they help quite a lot with handling and determining the direction of your car while moving especially at high speeds. One crucial factor of your brakes is the passages brake fluid travels through. These are known either as lines or hoses.
Hoses make up the more flexible pathways while lines make for the more rigid ones. Brake lines are made of two components while hoses are only made of one type of material. The rigidity of lines couldn't work on the wheel itself though since they could break as you turn, this is why they're used in a more fixed environment.
Benefits of Braided Brake Lines
Performance
Brake lines are as important as brake hoses therefore it's important to have a conduit that will perform at its best at all times. This is exactly what a braided brake line is. Also known as an extended brake line, it can help reduce swelling which is quite common with softer conduits. No amount of pressure will make braided lines swell. So, no matter how hard you hit the brakes, they will do their bit and either slow you down or stop you safely.
Consistency
Every time you put your foot down on your brake pedal you'll get the same result every time if you use braided brake lines. There won't be any soft spots or too much of a bite when braking at certain turns. Extended brake lines provide a consistent feel and result which makes them extremely reliable.
Safety
The fact that changing your brake lines will make your braking system more reliable it means that it will make your car safer too. Safety is paramount, especially when driving on the track since the brakes are the only safety switch in that setting. While the handbrake can also be used, it's not as controlled.
Longevity
As mentioned above, braided brake lines are made of two components. These are the inner Teflon hose and stainless steel braiding. The combination of these two materials makes extended lines quite protective and also highly durable. You can put them through a lot of stress and they won't degrade quicker than usual or make you lose on braking power.
How to Add Braided Brake Lines
What You Need
In order to replace your old brake lines with braided ones you'll need a set of tools such as a socket set, a set of flat-head screwdrivers and box-end wrenches, a set of wheel chocks, and a jack and jack stands. You'll also need a can of brake fluid, a can of brake cleaner and plastic gloves.
Removal
1. As you'd expect the whole process starts with the removal of the old lines. To do this, jack up your vehicle and place the jack stands on all four corners of your car. Make sure to wear goggles when going under your vehicle as debris and corrosion can get in your eyes.
2. You'll reach the lines by removing the tyre that's the closest to your brake lines. With the tyre off, start loosening the extended brake line from the fitting found at the brake calliper. If it doesn't move at all, spray some penetrating oil on the fitting and let it do its thing.
3. If your vehicle has a clip pull that clip out using pliers. The same should be done at the fitting found at the master cylinder. Any other clips you find holding the line in place, remove them and then remove the brake line.
Installation
1. To install the new extended brake lines you need to also prepare them if they don't already come cut to the exact length you need. This is done with a brake line cutter and a flaring tool. Also, make sure to use a tool bender to bend the new extended brake lines the same as the old ones were.
2. When using the flaring tool make sure to read the instructions that came with it so that you clamp the line properly. This needs to be done with the yoke tools attached and by working the adapter into the line. This will help form a tight seal.
3. When making the bends of the line, make sure they match the ones on the previous line as precisely as possible. Doing so otherwise is going to make it tough for you to correct any mistakes that compromise the integrity of the steel.
2. Once all of that is done, start by attaching the right end of the extended brake line to the fitting of the brake calliper. Hand-tighten it carefully and thread it. Make sure to also reinstall the supporting bracket clips that hold up the line and then attach the other end of the brake cylinder to it. Again, hand-tighten everything at first. Once that's done, go back and tighten everything fully.
