Metal brake line flare fittings

[Russ Maki]

Hi Craig --

I feel your pain. I just replaced the rear lines on my 4000q a month ago.
But I did buy replacement lines from an audi dealer -- Park Place Motors, of
Rochester, MN. They weren't bent to shape but they were of appropriate
length and I'm sure they'll corrode just as effectively as the originals.
:-P

I've touted this tool before here and elsewhere, but you REALLY need it if
you're gonna try to save fluid fittings that have seen a decade of northern
winters. It's a Vise-Grip product they call their Locking Wrench. Visualize
a standard Vise Grip, and then imagine someone has milled a V-shaped notch
into the fixed jaw. The tool grips the flare fitting on three sides and then
clamps down on it when you lock it in. NO SLIPPAGE. The tool you want is the
smallest version of the Locking Wrench -- it's maybe 5 inches long and it
has two big brothers. I bought mine at the local Ace Hardware. And it may
yet save that rounded-off flare nut.

I've used mine to replace brake hoses on my 4000, on an '83 BMW 633Csi and
an '82 Mercedes 300cd, all with what looked like original hoses. Of twelve
fittings, only one ended up leaking (on the Audi, of course) and the
non-leaking rear line on the quattro looked so eaten up I decided it would
be wise to replace it too.

Good luck
Russ Maki
Ixonia, Wis.



> From: "Craig D. Niederst" <niederst at PghMail.com>
> To: quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Metal brake line flare fittings
> Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 13:48:12 -0400
>
> While doing the RR caliper on my '92 100S last week, I noticed that the
new=
>  caliper was ~180 degrees off when attached to the rubber brake line
versus=
>  the old caliper. This meant I had to twist the rubber brake line somewhat
=
> in order to bolt the caliper into place. I attempted to remove the end of
t=
> he rubber line attached to the metal brake line at the body to untwist the
=
> rubber line, but the connection is very rusty and would not budge (and is
n=
> ow badly stripped, even when using my flare wrench). I am going to replace
=
> the rubber caliper brake line and the short metal body brake line to
correc=
> t the twisted rubber line problem. As you know, Audi does not sell
individu=
> al metal brake lines, just lengths of line and the fittings. This means I
n=
> eed to make the correct flares on the end of the lines. Are these flares
of=
>  the bubble variety or just a double flare? What is the best tool to make
t=
> hese flares? I see Sears sells a flaring tool, and was wondering if it
woul=
> d work. Any BTDTs appreciated. TIA.
>
> Craig
> '92 100S (99k)
> '86 CGT (213k)
>