Steel Braided Brake Lines

[john at westcoastgarage.net]

You said, in part:

"Any reputable source is fine.  Personally I've installed hundred of SS
braided lines and have only seen one failure- due to an improper crimp
(somthing I've seen on non SS braid covered lines as well).  If your
braiding fails on a covered line, the line must be replaced."

In defense of my well known feelings about SS braided covered Teflon brake hoses, about .1% of my client base (nearly 35 years in the German car repair business, some of it specializing in track car prep on some VERY serious machinery)use them, the other 99.9% run OE or OE style conventional hoses.  I have personally seen more than a couple of catastrophic failures of the SS braided lines.  Thinking back on it, maybe 5 or 6.  Let's say 5.  With perhaps 5000 individual clients over the 35 year period, that's a 10% failure rate among cars so-equipped, as opposed to TWO catastrophic failures in the other 99.9%, and one of those failed at the crimp, fairly early on.  I occasionally see 356s with original hoses, not that I encourage such behavior.  Most experts familiar with SS braided brake hoses recommend inspection often, and replacement between 2 and maybe 5 years.  Problem is, you can't see the kind of damage that portends catastrophic failure! I cannot in good conscience recommend or install a product in a customer's car when I cannot be 100% assured that proper AND EFFECTIVE inspection and maintenance of the product will be undertaken.  That's the bottom line.  You, as an installer, can't guarantee that the owner/operator will see to it that all the bases are covered. Cars with overaged and internally failing rubber hoses, I can fix.  Cars with failed SS braided lines generally need things like body shops and attorneys.

In closing, I believe that, if SS braided Teflon brakes were the answer to whatever ills our customers feel they have, companies like Porsche, BMW, Mercedes Benz, and the manufacturers of other, similar, sporting STREET automobiles would install them at the factory.

John