Making your own brake lines from raw tubing is a smart way to save some money, versus buying the pre-bent lines. And if you’ve got a rare, customized, or otherwise unique vehicle, fabricating one-off brake lines may be your only option.
The team at Classic Tube made this handy video to show you how to duplicate one of your old brake lines by using the original as a template.
Building custom brake lines is another example of a job where having and using the right tools is essential. Today’s video features Classic Tube’s tube bending tools.
Starting with a raw piece of tubing means you’ll need to install threaded fittings on both ends.
It’s another easy job, but it requires a specialty flaring tool and hard line flare nut fittings. (Want to know how to flare brake lines? Check this out.)
Its better if you mark the original tube with a marker on zero degrees, then place the straight un-bent tube up next to that, then mark the new tube in the same place. Hold it up next to it to get the same degree, go a little past that for spring back. Then continue the same for the rest of the bends. This will give you a more exact distance between bends. I made many aircraft hydraulic lines this way for many years. Better then just eyeballing it like in the video.