Still working brake lines, specifically the rear. With my truck being so low and the rear tires being so tall, getting the rear wheels off is going to be a challenge. The original route of the rear brake line is down the passenger side frame rail and the flex line drops down right above the rear end, but it's too short to allow enough droop of the rear axle to get the rear wheels off.
Running the brake line down the trailing arm seemed to be the best alternative. My plan was to bring the line to the trailing arm crossmember and use a bulkhead connector (Earl's part# 989543ERL). These connectors are -3 AN on one end and 3/8 inverted flare on the other. It is held into place using a spring clip. The only problem is, the frame is too thick and the receiver groove for the spring clip is obstructed. So, I handed them over to Brad, and he chucked them into the lathe and turned them down. They fit perfectly now. Here is a before and after picture:
I built a bracket to hold the forward part of the line and attached it to the trailing arm with two 8-32 button heads.
Here it is with the fitting installed, the spring clip in place, and the line connected. It's a very secure assembly, nice and tight with no movement.
Starting to clamp up the line.....
Here's where it got tricky. I tried a couple of line routes using a piece of scrap tubing, but I didn't like the way it wrapped around the edge of the arm. I didn't want a brake line hanging out in the breeze, especially in an area when it can get damaged from everything in the road. The only alternative was to use another one of the modified Earl's fittings. The best place to install the fitting was right between the perch and the coil spring, but that was right in the area of the reinforcement plate. Here is a picture of the hole drilled to final size (5/8"). You can see what I mean about the reinforcement plate.
I figured that chucking the arm in a mill and milling away a part of the plate was the answer, but Brad had a better one. He used a flat bottom mill and just spot-faced the arm. I actually liked his idea better!
Here's a picture of the arm with the brake line installed. Once it's back on the truck, I will bend a small line to connect the fitting on the arm to the tee on the rear end. I used a 1/4" clamp along with a 1/2" spacer to secure the line. (there is a 3/8" clamp in the picture, but it has been changed to a 1/4")
A HUGE thanks to Brad for opening up the shop on a Saturday night to do the machine work for me. I can't thank you enough!