Steel Braided Brake Lines

[Mark R]

John,

I think you hit on it.  SS lines need replacement more often (for good
safety's sake) and there's liability issues because of this.  No
manufacturer wants MORE maintenance.  And for the average user, a short,
high-quality reinforced OEM style line is the right choice.

Statistically, I don't think either of our experiences mean anything, either
way.  The SS doesn't provide any meaningful structure, it's there to provide
armor to the underlying hose.  A small cut or tear in the hose provides a
stress riser.  Even if it doesn't fail immediately, over time, flexing at
the stress riser will eventually develop into a failure mode.

On a well-maintained car, such as a race car, the hydraulic system is
arguably in very fine shape (newer fluid, master cylinder, etc.).  Also,
when aggressively driven, the hydraulic system experiences very high (and
repeated) initial surge pressures.  This is unique to a track or race
environment.  Because of this, the armor SS provides is a good thing.

I don't disagree with you.  For the average user, a high quality reinforced
synthetic rubber line (OE style) is the appropriate choice.  The line
quality has come a long way in the past 10-15 years and going to a harder
plastic line doesn't offer the same expansion benefits that it once did.

Mark Rosenkrantz