braided brake lines

[dazzlesa]

how long are they good for before you replace them. i am thinking that mine are 13 years old. thoughts?
thanks rick

[jimbbski]

In theory if your lines are SS & Teflon these materials don't really deteriorate. I would however not trust a 13 year mechanical crimp and it's ability to hold pressure of 1000+ psi that you would generate when using your brakes. The cost of these lines; depending on how many you need; can cost less then $100 and certainly less then $200. Any "crash" that may occur if you have a line failure while on track almost always cost you more then the cost of replacement of the lines.

I would feel comfortable using my lines for up to 10 years depending on use. I think that the amount of use the car gets is more important then years. If you race the car 10 times a year this is much more "wear & tear" then someone who only races 2-3 times a year.

[EV]

Ten years huh? I had someone recently tell me "yearly". I thought that was excessive, but some say that.

[Matt93SE]

Ya.. I've had people tell me to replace them yearly. then I ask how many miles they put on their street car, how much dirt is packed in the wheel wells, and the last time they replaced their brake lines on their tow rig..
"Uhhhhhhhhhhh"

[dickita15]

I have had one fail sitting on the grid for a hardship session and missed the race 6 hours from home so it can happen. I am told the reason they can fail is that unlike the stock rubber coated ones grit can get in under the metal and work into the rubber or whatever that is that holds the juice in.
Having had it happen is not enough to make me change them before they fail but it has made it so I carry spares with me so I don’t lose a whole weekend.

[preparedcivic]

I had one pop at the entrance to Rollercoaster at VIR. Fortunately for me I was just about ready to let off the brake following turn-in, so when the pedal went to the floor I only had maybe an excess 5mph or so to loose. If it had let go at the end of the back straight, or the next hard braking zone into T1, the results might have been slightly more carnage-tastic than me just coasting around the rest of the lap and pulling in to stop via e-brake. The failure was right at the braided hose-fitting connection. They were on the car when I bought it; and probably 6 or 7 seasons old, but the previous owner only did 3-4 events a year tops.

There are rubber lines on the car now for the simple reason they are easier to inspect for distress points. And I carry spare lines now too.

[Chip42]

I have had one fail sitting on the grid for a hardship session and missed the race 6 hours from home so it can happen. I am told the reason they can fail is that unlike the stock rubber coated ones grit can get in under the metal and work into the rubber or whatever that is that holds the juice in.
Having had it happen is not enough to make me change them before they fail but it has made it so I carry spares with me so I don’t lose a whole weekend.

heat shrink around the connections can help with this problem, but it's not a cure all. rubber coated braided lines are becoming more popular for "tuner" cars as they tint the rubber, but would likely be a very good overall solution for racers.

[Matt93SE]

I am told the reason they can fail is that unlike the stock rubber coated ones grit can get in under the metal and work into the rubber or whatever that is that holds the juice in.

Not to disagree, but refer to my statement above. 10+ years on lines installed on a street car. How much dirt and how many emergency stops do you think that car has encountered in the life of those lines that are ~50k miles old.

the only lines I've ever had fail was one that I melted trying to weld something inside the wheel well and the ground clamp contacted the line. I've had a few die of mechanical abrasion because they rubbed inside of a wheel. All of that is 100% my fault.

I'm not saying one should never replace lines, but the failure mode most of the people freak out about is a misnomer in my experience.

In regards to stock lines, I've had several fail over the years due to heat inside the wheel well and/or other internal failures. more of those have had problems than my stainless lines.