HOW TO: Make your own brake lines

Hard lines or hoses, here’s your guide to making up brake pipes for your Ford.

Step-by-step guide to making up hard lines and flexible hoses from the comfort of your own garage or workshop.

The brake lines on most classic Fords consist of steel (plastic-coated in some cases), aluminium or copper pipes with rubber flexi-hoses. When or if these need to be replaced, there are a number of options available and also a number of considerations to take into account. For instance, you may wish to use kunifer brake pipe, which consists of 90 per cent copper and 10 per cent nickel and is more reliable to flare and easier to manipulate than copper pipe.

Or you may want to upgrade to non-metal brake lines, such as braided-steel

PTFE, which is available from Rally Design and Hosetechnik.

Deciding which materials to use is only part way towards making and fitting new brake lines. A more important point is to work out the specification of what needs replacing. Not only does the diameter of the brake pipe need to be correct, but also the type of flare and the type of thread for the fastenings. The diameter of metal brake pipe is measured in fractions of inches and it’s essential to get this right. In most cases it’s 3/16 inch, but then there are the flares and fittings to consider.

There are three types of flared end – a single flare, double flare and bubble type. And the angle of these flares is different if you are using older UNF (Unified Fine Thread) as used on many classic Fords, as opposed to the later metric type used on Fords during the mid ’70s and beyond (although old stock may have been used beyond this period). This is important when mating the end of a new pipe to an old one, although we found many brake pipe flaring kits only offer one angle of flare. The same applies to the type of fastenings, such as the pipe nuts, which connect the pipes. Older Fords have UNF nuts (usually 3/8 inch), whereas later models have metric (usually an M10 thread with a 1 mm pitch).

Finally, having the right tools to make your own brake lines is essential, including some means of cutting brake pipe and making flared ends. Investing in a goodquality flaring tool will help to ensure your flared ends remain leak-free, but it’s also important to learn how to use these tools properly. Don’t take any risks with your car’s brakes, so make sure you know how to do the job properly.

Removing an old brake pipe There are specific MoT test rules concerning whether a brake line needs replacing, such as corrosion that has weakened the wall of the pipework, as shown here. Don’t take any chances. If it’s rotten, replace it. If a pipe nut is difficult to remove because it’s seized or rounded off, it may be easier to cut through the old pipe, move it out of the way, then fit a socket over the remains to get a better grip of it. Spray penetrating fluid over the pipe nuts at either end of the section of brake pipe you want to replace to help preserve any existing fastenings. Clean the area with a wire brush to remove any dirt. Detach the old brake pipe from any clips or mounts.These may be brittle, so they can easily break, but must be used to securely locate the new brake pipe. Once the penetrating fluid has soaked in, try undoing the brake pipe nuts or fastenings for the pipework that needs replacing. Make sure the pipe you want to keep doesn’t twist when undoing a fastening. Try to extract the old brake pipe without distorting it, as it will help to make the replacement pipe to the same shape and make it easier to fit.This may not be so easy, so you may have to cut the old pipe to help keep its shape.

Don’t cut the brake pipe with a pair of side cutters as this will squeeze the pipe and restrict the flow of fluid inside. Instead, use a tube cutter (also called a brake pipe cutter), which progressively cuts around the wall of the pipe.

Check the measurement taken in the last step using a tape measure or steel rule and measure it again to be certain - measure twice, cut once is our advice. Add a little extra for the pipe fittings.

With the old brake pipe removed, measure its length to see how much new pipe is needed. Use a length of string or wire to measure the length, instead of trying to bend and twist a tape measure or ruler.