Maybe I am just being cheap....Thoughts?

[Coyote_Red]

I am looking to start doing the brake lines on my crew cab soon, and well, I am tired of laying under trucks working on brake lines. So I am looking into stainless lines. I have found the 304 stainless brake tubing on several sites. Then I got the idea to see what McMaster-Carr has for stainless tubing. I found this,

Also known as "as welded" tubing, this tubing has a weld bead on the ID—choose it as an economical alternative in applications that don't require the smooth interior of seamless or welded and drawn tubing. This tubing has a Rockwell hardness of B90. Use with water, deionized water, air, natural gas, oil, and hydraulic oil. Meets ASTM A269. Tubing can be sterilized with chemicals. Wall thickness can give pressure ratings of 2500 or 3500 psi @ 72*F

50' roll of 304 stainless in 1/4"od is $60.66 with a 3500 PSI max at 72*F.

Am I just being a cheap a$$??

Well plan failed. I need 3/16" line not 1/4"

 

[smokinpipes]

I don't know if you are being cheap, especially living in the salt belt, it might add a sense of security knowing your brake lines aren't going to rot off the truck.

But I'm not sure what the pressure rating of standard brake line burst pressure is; but not just being cheap, that may not be a bad idea in general.
My $0.02

 

[OLDBULL8]

Hit the brakes hard, WHOOOOAAAA, DIDN'T KNOW IT WOULD HIT 5000 PSI, maybe that's why that welded line split. Not a good idea. Is your insurance up to date ?

 

[Coyote_Red]

That's why I was asking before I went and bought anything. From what I have found after this post the brake line I looked at had a bursting PSI of 17000 or some thing like that. A little more than the PSI this is rated for.

 

[Knuckledragger]

It is probably meant to be carrier or transfer tubing, sending oil, gas or air from one place to another. I would avoid using it for brakeline. You have the added attraction of trying to get a good double flange on a raised weld. Pass. But you had a good idea to try finding way to reduce costs while improving useful life.

Stainless is tough to work with and expensive to boot, why not just paint your mild steel lines after all of the installation bends have been made? Especially if you have some POR-15.

 

[Socal88]

X2 with Knuckledragger, trying to double flair seamed tubing will drive you crazy, if not work at all !

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

FYI: nobody uses anything but seamless tubing for anything hydraulic. Stainless is a great idea, but you're only going to bend/flare them once, so don't cheap out on the tubing.

If you want to save money, do as a couple of others suggested and do it in steel and paint/POR/galvanized/etc.

Whatever material you use, get seamless tubing.

 

[dancrowley]

I replaced all my brake and fuel lines with stainless steel. I called Classic Tube in New York and they told me they did not have the patten for my 1984 Diesel Ford truck, but if I could send my old lines to them and they would copy them. They have many pattens now and could probably do yours. I paid $450.00 for all my brake lines and both fuel and return lines and they fit like a glove. I have had them on the truck now for 3 or 4 years and they look like the day I put them on. You get what you pay for and you only have to do it once. Dan