2001 996 Brake Lines Replacement

[996driver]

I am going to replace the 9 year old rubber brake lines with braided stainless ones. I know to use a flare nut wrench but my question is what size? It appears to be 11mm?

Should these be on very tight? I do not want to round them off. Any tips or insights are appreciated.

Thanks,

Scott

[Loren]

Unless you track the car a lot I would stick with OEM.

[996driver]

Unless you track the car a lot I would stick with OEM.

Both my wife and I track this car

[seanmcr6]

Loren, can you explain why? What makes the rubber hoses more *street friendly* than SS lines?

AFIK, SS lines simply maintain a constant and consistent pressure/feel due to a lack of expansion from heat....so I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want that??

[Loren]

Because the lines are much stiffer they tend to loosen themselves as the wheels turn and move with the suspension. The amount of slack is critical especially if you have a lowered car where the suspension travel has changed.

In track cars it is proper maintenance to check the brake lines for tightness - in a street car you likely will not do that.

If you decide to install them, you need to be aware of a few things:

1. When you install them, you must make SURE that they can't kink, twist, or stretch under any combination of wheel drop, bump, or (for the front wheels) steer.

2. The stainless-steel outer braid will cut through anything against which it rubs, so you have to make sure that the lines don't rub back and forth over anything important.

3. Stainless steel lines have been known to fail when dirt gets between the outer braid and the Teflon lining... As the braid moves back and forth, the dirt abrades the Teflon and can make it rupture. If you look at stainless-steel lines on motorcycles, you'll see that many of them are encased in plastic tubing, apparently in an effort to eliminate this problem. The tubing also helps considerably with the abrasion issue mentioned above.