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Where to get a small radius brake line bender?

18415 Views 13 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  BigLeo69, 
Greg_M
Anyone have a source for a brake line bender that makes tight bends, on the order of 7/16" radius?



Thanks,
Greg
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BigLeo69
eastwood
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Mustang Man
Yup, it's called two small diameter deep sockets and a vice...

Use something like a 3/8-inch socket and bend away. Every brake line in our Roadster was bent freehand using sockets, steel pipe, paint cans, anything round in the garage to back the tubing wall with. I've always bent by hand and don't own a tubing bender...


And if you want to make a coil (service loop) just wrap it around the socket...


HTH...
Mark
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Greg_M
Mark,
Don't need no stinkin bender!
I will give that a try. I thought the tube would kink and collapse.

BTW I found the bender for $46 but lead time is 1-2 weeks.
http://www.toolsource.com/364fha-le...-99809.html?osCsid=8purl3df2ddnbieqnao3ttt7m5


Thanks for the cool tip,
Greg
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Darren
Harbor freight has a sweet small radius bender. I used it exclusively and it never once kinked and made very tight radius bends.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-8-eighth-inch-to-1-4-quarter-inch-tube-bender-94571.html


I made all these bends with it: http://ffcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243472&highlight=brake+lines
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Joe T
home depot sells them in the plumbing dept too. . . .called a tubing bender
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Greg_M
Darren said:
Harbor freight has a sweet small radius bender. I used it exclusively and it never once kinked and made very tight radius bends.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-8-eighth-inch-to-1-4-quarter-inch-tube-bender-94571.html


I made all these bends with it: http://ffcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243472&highlight=brake+lines
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Darren,

I checked HF first :icon18:. Saw that one for $9 but couldn't tell from the specs what the bend radius is. Looking at your fine work, I would say maybe 1" min radius?

Thanks,
Greg
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Darren
Greg_M said:
Darren,

I checked HF first :icon18:. Saw that one for $9 but couldn't tell from the specs what the bend radius is. Looking at your fine work, I would say maybe 1" min radius?

Thanks,
Greg
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Yes, I'd say 3/4" or 1" but that is a guess.
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R
i can certainly appreciate the complete do it yourself aspect of these kits..including the "straight" lines that come with the kit....but...(at the risk of being boo'd off the forum) how about the pre bents from breeze automotive....i after marketed them and they saved me about 6 to 8 hours of bending and measuring and fitting...and there inexpensive ( was gonna use cheep, but the quality of them is waaay to good for that word) too!!!!...all stainless with brass couplings. went in in about an hour..

r ray
the man from nantucket
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ascott172
I have the harbor freight one and their tube bending pliers. The pliers are less than 1/3 of eastwoods price and worked great. They helped me make small tweaks to the brake lines so the wouldn't rub on things like welds.

Darren said:
Harbor freight has a sweet small radius bender. I used it exclusively and it never once kinked and made very tight radius bends.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-8-eighth-inch-to-1-4-quarter-inch-tube-bender-94571.html


I made all these bends with it: http://ffcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243472&highlight=brake+lines
Click to expand...
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ROADRACER83
Brake line pliers

I have a couple of benders and this one is great to do bends with small radii and on the project. Eastwood has them on sale now

http://www.eastwood.com/ew-brake-forming-tool-pliers.html

Ron
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Greg_M
rray said:
i can certainly appreciate the complete do it yourself aspect of these kits..including the "straight" lines that come with the kit....but...(at the risk of being boo'd off the forum) how about the pre bents from breeze automotive....i after marketed them and they saved me about 6 to 8 hours of bending and measuring and fitting...and there inexpensive ( was gonna use cheep, but the quality of them is waaay to good for that word) too!!!!...all stainless with brass couplings. went in in about an hour..

r ray
the man from nantucket
Click to expand...
Ray,
I agree with you where applicable. The Abs setup will require some short lines with custom bends, some rather small radius. The photo shows the lines that change with the ABS installation. This photo was taken years ago while building so it's much tighter to work in now.


Ron,
I bought those pliers from Eastwood. Thanks for the tip. Between them and Mark's socket bending idea, I should be set.

Greg
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P_Matt
If you are really worried about kinking you can slip a small spring inside the tube you are going to bend. Some people even say sand but I've never tried that.
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BigLeo69
a 7/16" radius i don't think you could get a 3/16 brake line to do that
but like i said earlier the eastwood one that is a plier style will get you in tight radiuses.
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