Replacing Brake hardlines

[89fester]

Doing the front half of my Aspire swap. As soon as I turned the LF hardline nut the line cracked. It was really corroded and rusty. Is the proper size hardline with the correct ends available at a local parts store? I am also wondering if I am even going to able to bend up a new line and be able to snake it back into place.

89 L

[Festy46]

I know NAPA has brake lines that will fit. Just be sure you get the metric size fittings on the ends. The brake lines are all 3/16", they just put either metric or American fittings on them depending on the vehicle. The only problem you will probably have is that the lines come already made up in only certain lengths. You may have to be a little creative in your routing of the new line to "eat up" some extra length or cut across a corner if it is a little short.

There is a special tool you can buy to bend tubing. It looks like a weird pair of pliers with a small "pulley" on one jaw and the other jaw is much longer and wraps part way around the jaw with the "pulley" when it is in the closed position. This tool is designed to make 90 degree bends without crimping the line.

[89fester]

I've bent up plenty of lines on my old 66-77 Broncos over the years, and have all of the tools. I just wasn't sure about being able to get the correct flare with the metric ends.

As it turns out I was lucky that I hadn't thrown out the festy rear I pulled last month. Believe it or not I pulled the RR hardline off the beam axle and was able to re-plumb the LF of the festy. Instead of going under the clutch cable housing located under the brake booster, I cut the corner and was able to make the connection. I was even able to snap the hardling back into the bracket on the firewall.

BTW, you need to pull the booster and M/C to replace the LF hardline. That took up an hour or 2 F'ing around with that thing.

Got my struts put together and my rack boots replaced. Tomorrow I need to bolt the entire susp. back together and start bleeding the brakes.

89 L