dvaldi

Had to replace most of my rusted brakes lines from the ABS actuator back to a recently installed replacement LSPV. This method works great for multiple radii and also making adjustments before connecting each line. The green weed wacker trimmer line can be purchased at any home store.

RustBucket

iTrader: (1)

Excellent idea, thanks for sharing!

There are also tube bending tools if you have to make very precise radii. I've used them on soft copper tube and they work very well.

dvaldi

Thank you! Yes, I am aware of the tube benders, didnt have one, didnt want to rent one, so out of necessity, rather laziness I decided to try this. I have a lot of experience working with bending large diameter steel tube/rod and a tube within a tube had always kept the outer tube from collapsing, with our without a tube bender.

scope103

Terrific idea (and excellent writeup). I've had a fair amount of success with tube bending tools, but I usually end up wasting a piece of line (usually junk line) practicing one or two bends each time.

3/16 O.D. brake line (which, wadda ya know, would be 4.72mm O.D.) has an I.D. of 0.118(inches). So your bends are going to "collapse" down to 0.080. That's not too much, but would you be better off using 0.095 trimmer line? Put another way, just how hard did you have to pull with pliers to get the 0.080 out of your pictured piece?

dvaldi

Thanks scope103! I had a roll of .080 for my weed wacker and used it to bend simple caliper hard lines. I havent had any issues with thoser lines so I stuck to what seemed to work well. Might be able to use larger trimmer line but the bent ABS line took a bit of pulling with pliers (just to get it started) only because I was used to pulling simple bends with my hands. I did have an "oh shoot" moment though! I would try a few pieces first.

warpigg

for the down and dirty method i use a beer bottle works ecspecially good for the coils for the front that are semi hard to make.

daved5150

iTrader: (1)

Damn dude, awesome idea!!! I have a brake line bender now after ruining line trying to bend it. I would have never thought of weed wacker line....AWESOME! Great write up by the way.

dvaldi

Thanks guys! Giving some love back to the brotherhood. This site and its members saved me thousands of dollars by keeping my rig out of repair shops and explaining how to diagnose/repair things yourself.

fletcher0780

This is an awesome idea, I love it!

shaeff

Way to think...errr... inside the tube? I've had good amounts of success with various different types of benders as well, but sometimes using them can be more of a hassle than it's worth. I'm adding this to my mental repertoire of ideas for brake lines in tight areas.

:thumbsup: