Rear brake lines, underfloor…need a new one!

[RustyMojo]

So today I was planning on refitting my brake lines and exhaust to the car before bleeding the brakes and getting the car ready to tax from May….however! I have noticed that one of my rear brake lines is corroded and now leaking…oh c**k! So I need to replace it, it’s the OsR hard line that runs all the way from the front of the car, it needs replacing. I have never made brake lines up before and suspect there is an art to it and being Renault will usually involve some form of nightmare…

Question is what’s the best way to replace? It seems like an awfully long section to replace with braided hose. So guessing a new hardline, any tips and tricks and detail around what I need to order please?

i hate this car sometimes!

 

[Mr Underhill]

I used to do this when I left school working for Fleet Factors. It’s surprisingly easy to do as long as you have a vice, pipe, fittings and swaging kit. There’s a video on car building solutions which explains the process. You’ll also need to shape the pipe and there’s a tool for that as well.

 

[Mr Underhill]

I took the easy route though and just bought the rear stainless steel braiding kit from proline

 

[dann2707]

It's actually surprisingly easy to make your own lines as mentioned by Jon.

I made all my own lines on the boosted clio, it's a really rewarding and satisfying job to do.

The main cost is the pipe and tool but even at that it's about £50 all in.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

So today I was planning on refitting my brake lines and exhaust to the car before bleeding the brakes and getting the car ready to tax from May….however! I have noticed that one of my rear brake lines is corroded and now leaking…oh c**k! So I need to replace it, it’s the OsR hard line that runs all the way from the front of the car, it needs replacing. I have never made brake lines up before and suspect there is an art to it and being Renault will usually involve some form of nightmare…

Question is what’s the best way to replace? It seems like an awfully long section to replace with braided hose. So guessing a new hardline, any tips and tricks and detail around what I need to order please?

i hate this car sometimes!

Just get the full rear braided line kit mate, I was very happy with the kit I fitted to mine while doing the rear end tidy up.

 

[RustyMojo]

Thanks Chaps, I flounced off back into the garage and noted that luckily there is a join just behind the front wheel so it looks super easy to replace the line as it’s basically straight up until this point. I just didn’t want to mess around the ABS unit as it’s super tight and the chances of me then having to bleed the ABS system go through the roof! Don’t suppose you know the pipe diameters and Ferrell thread pitch and sizing do you off hand?

 

[RustyMojo]

Just get the full rear braided line kit mate, I was very happy with the kit I fitted to mine while doing the rear end tidy up.

It’s not the rear beam lines that’s the problem buddy, it’s the hard lines under the car.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Ohhhh

In which case pipe flaring kit, get a fairly decent one because the cheapos are shite.

As above it's very satisfying!

Best tip I can give is to uncoil the tube, cut a length 6 or so inches more than you need, crush and hold one end in a vice and pull the other end using mole grips, with not a lot of force you end up with arrow straight tube which looks a load better than all the slightly wobbly stuff people do.

I painted all the tubes after with acid etch then the same green (or close to) oem's seem to all use and they looked 👍

Would have loved to powder coat them but lifes too short.

 

[Beauvais Motorsport]

Not really a problem with thinner softer line (copper or aluminium) but coated steel line and larger diameter steel line will not bend so easily using the cheap tools off eBay as they can slip and the line will kink.
Had that happen for this job which was already a nightmare.

Also that type of handheld flare tool posted above I have found is the best for single din flares, as it contains the flare better than vice flare tool dies, which seem to not have as much of a lip in the die. So before anyone thinks they might as well buy a full turret set or the likes and be disappointed.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Not really a problem with thinner softer line (copper or aluminium) but coated steel line and larger diameter steel line will not bend so easily using the cheap tools off eBay as they can slip and the line will kink.
Had that happen for this job which was already a nightmare.

View attachment 1590027

Also that type of handheld flare tool posted above I have found is the best for single din flares, as it contains the flare better than vice flare tool dies, which seem to not have as much of a lip in the die. So before anyone thinks they might as well buy a full turret set or the likes and be disappointed.

Lovely job that, kept meaning to ask if you made those lines as they look brilliant.

 

[Beauvais Motorsport]

Lovely job that, kept meaning to ask if you made those lines as they look brilliant.

Thanks mate. Yes after a couple problems bending the line It was all figured out! I dont have a picture of them before but were quite similar to this.