Making braided brake lines.

[sickpup]

Theres been a lot of rubbish on here recently about making brake lines. Most of it around whether you can re-use ends or hoses in new brake line assemblies so as I've been doing a lot of this recently as I restore one of my GSXR's I thought I'd do a step by step guide for you all.

I am using an old line here with new ends, as the price of hose has gone up considerably in the last few years I tend to keep all off cuts for later use.

How to make brake lines

When cutting the braided line to length wrap half a dozen turns of insulating tape around the hose and cut through the tape, it helps to stop it fraying out. ALWAYS cut the line with a hacksaw, if you use cutters you will introduce two weak points in the brake line at either end of the hose and the hose will possibly rupture under heavy braking. Clamp the hose just tight enough to hold the hose so the inner isn't crushed.

https://img345.imageshack.us/img345/1369/dsc016706wm.jpg

The end of the hose once cut will look like this. You can clearly see the inner PTFE hose and the outer braid. You can clean up the inside lip of the hose with a small scalpel.

https://img345.imageshack.us/img345/5623/dsc016722bl.jpg

Next slip the nut end of the banjo onto the hose and then fit the sealing olive. The sealing olive works just the same as the olive in a central heating joint, it deforms to fill gaps. The olive is fitted between the outer braid and inner hose and pushed into place. The easiest way is to push the hose against a solid flat lump of metal, in this case the edge of a bench.

https://img345.imageshack.us/img345/7752/dsc016803fy.jpg

It's obvious when the olive is in place, look into the end of the olive and make sure the PTFE hose goes all the way up the olive as shown here.

https://img345.imageshack.us/img345/3069/dsc016633ep.jpg

Next we fit the banjo to the hose. The banjo has a sticky out nipple that fits inside the PTFE hose.

https://img345.imageshack.us/img345/6587/dsc016643fp.jpg

Pull the banjo nut up the hose to the banjo and tighten. when fully tightened there will only be one or two threads showing.

https://img345.imageshack.us/img345/4492/dsc016692qa.jpg

Do the same at the other end and you have your complete brake hose.

Advanced Class

To protect your brake line and to stop sacrificial corrosion where the line touches fork legs or yokes the line is often covered with heat shrink tubing. To do this do as follows.

Always fit heat shrink in two parts. Fit the heat shrink after fitting one of the banjo's. The first part should go from one fitted banjo to no closer than 1 inch from the other end of the hose...

https://img342.imageshack.us/img342/7375/dsc016777ky.jpg

...and shrink with a heat gun.

https://img342.imageshack.us/img342/4650/dsc016760iw.jpg

Then add the second bit of heat shrink and add the nut for the second banjo. As you can see the banjo nut doesn't fit over the heat shrink, this is why you fit it in two parts.

https://img342.imageshack.us/img342/9334/dsc016783bg.jpg

Fit the second banjo as detailed above then shrink your second piece of heat shrink and your line is finished.

https://img42.imageshack.us/img42/7236/dsc016836oa.jpg

[NSR150RR]

Great post

2 questions:

1. Where can I buy the hose?
2. Can I reuse the stock end? If no, where can I buy the new end?

[sickpup]

1. I sell the hose and fittings as do most bikes shops.

2. You can't reuse the ends from rubber hoses as these are crimp fitted. I wouldn't recommend using Aluminium ends at all but Stainless, Chromed or Cadmium ends meant for braided hose use can be reused. You must always use new olives.

[NSR150RR]

I live in America. Where can I buy the end pieces for my NSR?

[Kickstart]

Hi

Not seen anyone locally selling hose parts. Had enough problems trying to get a hose locally in a hurry.

What kind of prices are they?

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[sickpup]

Hi Keith

I will have to check tomorrow as I know prices have risen a lot over the last couple of years and my price list is out of date.

What sort of quantities are you after?

Hose is 10M in lenth

Banjos and bolts come in boxes of 5.

Washers packs of 50.

Extra olives 5 a pack.

Or dealer kit quantity.

Give me an idea what you want, quantities and whether Stainless or Chromed.

[Kickstart]

Hi

That would depend on prices. I will need some soon for Charlottes ZZR600, but could be tempted to invest in a decent stock if I could afford it. Definatly stainless.

Twice in just over a year someone had come round and left their bike behind because the alloy fittings on their brakes had cracked.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing