flaring stainless steel lines

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pearlblue

pearlblue

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I had to shorten a stainless brake line and can't get get the end reflared. Problem is the line does'nt stay clamped in the tool no matter how hard I try to clamp it, it slides thru. The (double) flaring tool is brand new. If I heat the brakeline prior to flaring, will this mess with the stainless hardness? Any tips ?
 
I put the line in the tool, clamp it down, then put the tool in the vice real close to the line and that clamps it down even tighter. Stainless steel is a lot harder then regular steel lines and a lot harder to work with. I always just get the regular steel lines much easier to work with.
 
Though a little expensive, I always use the Copper-Nickel lines. They bend like butter, don't kink, don't rust, and flare perfectly. Just a thought for future projects.
 
Heating the brakeline will probably discolor the area, but I don't see it hurting the structural integrity of the line. It should also help significantly in clamping it down.
 
Are you using a “Made in USA” flare tool, or cheap import made of inferior steel?

If import, use it for a paper weight, and go get a real tool, your flaring life will become so much better once you do.
 
There are different grades of stainless tubing and some are just harder than hell to bend and flare for instance the crap that summit sells. I called inlinetube and told them how hard of a time I was having, bought some stainless tubing line from them and it was sooo much easier to bend and flare.
 
Some metals -and stainless is one of the worst-- "work harden" easily. You bend, twist, and flare it, it gets hard. You can work harden soft copper until it seems like a solid hunk of steel.
 
I flared the line 2 times, each time cracking. I put a little heat to the end just before tightening the flare tool and got a factory looking flare. Yes I should have used the correct fitting for stainless. Next time it'll be regular brake line. Thanks for the help!
 
I second the tool question.

I bought a brand new "cal-van" and was junk. Kept pushing the tube out.

Picked up a "National Brass" unit for $5 at a flea market, and it worked perfect the first time.

I do use channel locks or linemans pliers to put about an extra 1/2 turn past as tight as I can get it by hand on the clamp.
 
The flare tool worked fine after I tightened the wingnuts with a visegrip and snapped 2 visegrips, 1 on each side of the line being flared. The tool was bought at Auto Value. OTC made in the U.S.A.
 
Originally Posted by rjsjea
Use a 37* SINGLE FLARE for stainless



68dodge said:
You have to do it like rjsjea said. if you do not have the right flare tool or have the tubing out to far on the flaring tool it will split.
Click to expand...

yup.

stainless lines should be single flare only, double will split the tubing.
 
Where is this bad info about double flaring stainless coming from? If your cracking the tube then you are doing it wrong and/or using the wrong kind of stainless. Call Inlinetube or Classictube and talk them about stainless flaring. They both sell their lines in steel and stainless. Quit listening to Stacy David on Gearz about stainless tubing, lol.
 
5.7 hemi said:
Where is this bad info about double flaring stainless coming from? If your cracking the tube then you are doing it wrong and/or using the wrong kind of stainless. Call Inlinetube or Classictube and talk them about stainless flaring. They both sell their lines in steel and stainless. Quit listening to Stacy David on Gearz about stainless tubing, lol.
Click to expand...

Please explain? Are you saying a single 37* flare is not the best option for SS tubing?
 
Not what I'm saying at all. The 37 degree flare is if your gonna run AN style fittings, personally I like that better than the 45 double flare for brakes. The biggest difference is cost, add up all the tube nuts, flare support to help strengthen the flare and then the adapters, it will add up real quick.

Now get the stainless tubing from Inlinetube or Classictube and your set. Either one of those company's has the right stainless, it makes all the difference in the world when double flaring.

I used the stainless from both company's after I bought some from Summit Racing, that **** broke my flaring thingy that goes inside the tube for the first step. It was also really hard to cut with a 32 tooth saw blade. The point is, either way works fine, just use the proper kind of stainless. Hope this helps some.
 
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