81-87 reproduction brake lines
 

who has good luck with a company and do you have a picture of it installed?

I gave one company a try, been mentioned on here a few times, and I think its a dud...
2 flares had shards from the flaring process on the inverted seat
Driver side frame to valve (short line) was about 1/2 inch too short to reach the prop valve absolutely no way to make it fit as it would be easier to just re do the line
Passenger side frame to valve the bend at the valve was too long and cant even get a razor blade between the line and the line - fix would be to cut the flare off, minimal waste as possible and reflare... one shot kind of deal
Both master to valve lines junk, fit nice at the valve to frame clamp, one is too short to make it look anywhere near factory, and the other curly tiwst was in the wrong spot and doesn't fit well at all if it were to be installed into the master.

aftermarket will never be as good as O.E... close is good enough, but just looking for recommendation v.s making something as aggravating as these line by hand (with bender and flare tools)
thanks
clint

Re: 81-87 reproduction brake lines
 

I used inline tube's stainless lines. Everything fit perfectly, except for the long run from the prop valve to the rear axle. There were gratuitous detours that weren't needed, and other places the line should have routed around a rivet or crossmember and it didn't. I fooled with that line quite a while, then finally just bought a piece of stainless tubing and made my own replacement.

I'd suggest not bothering with a premade kit. With the right flaring and bending tools, the job is easy enough. You can buy all the tools and the line, and still pay about the same amount as you would to just buy the pre-bent line. Bending tool = $10, Flaring tool = $180, tubing = $150, fittings = $50. Resell the tools when you're done(yeah, right!) and you'd be money ahead.

https://www.harborfreight.com/tubing-bender-3755.html

https://www.amazon.com/TGR-Professio...ct_top?ie=UTF8

Edit, I just looked up what Inline Tube would charge, and yes, they are considerably cheaper than the route I outlined above.

Re: 81-87 reproduction brake lines
 

Wound up trying 2 different brands, both short lines driver side front brake line to prop valve was too short, and the passenger side front brake line bend at the prop valve was to about the same as the first brand that would rub the frame once the prop valve was tightened to the frame.

Bought the rigid double flare tool... its nice, but the flaring bar is not as nice as the 37degree one..
Bought some cheap 3/16 line on amazon to play around with
also picked up inline tube's 3/16 tube bender.

the tube bender is nice, makes clean bends.

Thought I would share some tricks that I couldn't find when searching...
You can bend vibration stress loops..

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/4577/uFsZSH.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/4479/od6aeY.jpg

While the small tube and a tight bend radius is way stiffer than wrapping/bending it around a 1.5 inch piece of pvc pipe or some can.

With the tube nut on, the closest you could make a bend 1.5" to the 0 mark

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/1259/UA3NbU.jpg

removed stock handle, found 2 3/8-24 nuts (probably from the 10 bolt rear axle backing plates) and welded them together, the bolt holding it to the die is smaller than 3/8, probably 5/16 which allow a little up and down to center the tube on the die.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/7161/sWUZE3.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/4854/eYPs4v.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/672/8zLYYH.jpg

basically shaves off .5 off the length between the tube nut and bend. all that's left to do is whip up a handle so I don't have to use a crescent wrench to hold the flats of the welded nuts / or a vice.

figured someone might find it useful, also doesn't damage the tool!
clint

Re: 81-87 reproduction brake lines
 

Nicely done.