Stainless Steel Brake Lines on a Daily Driver?
 

I'm about to take my brake calipers off to paint them with a G2 kit. While I have them off I was considering swapping out to stainless steel lines, probably the StopTech lines. Do you think it's worth it on a non-tracked car or should I save the coin?

Go for it since you'll have to remove the line anyways. You'll get better brake pedal feel even on the street.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Better to change to ss lines. When I had my stock lines replaced with Goodridge lines the improvement was significant. I noticed that the ss lines have a smaller internal diameter. I guess this helps increase pressure and this is complemented by the ss reinforcement because the braided stainless steel prevents expansion.

I've heard that SS lines do almost nothing on a car that already has such a good brake feel. I've read posts on here saying they are good, and some saying that their brake feel got worse when they put them on.

Rubber lines aren't just rubber, they have tensile material laid below the rubber to prevent expansion. On a 20 year old car, sure they will make a difference, but I would wager that going to a higher temp fluid, buying a MC brace, or buying better brake pads are all better investments than SS lines for a car built in the last year.

Honestly, I haven't noticed anything wrong with the braking system. I figured since I was already taking the calipers out it would save time to just swap out. But for me, this probably would end up being only a cosmetic change.

I am debating this as well. With Oregon summer weather (85 - 95F), will a SS line be necessary for occasional track events? Or just swapping the high temp brake fluids enough for it to not boil/melt the brake lines?

Also, if I get high performance pads, will the stock brake line hold up fine?

SS lines aren't required. Rather, they're there to prevent long term degredation that the stock lines will eventually suffer.

We only stock Speigler lines for the FR-S/BRZ; they come with a lifetime manufacturer's warranty.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lKokKLxt1M"]Spiegler Performance Parts Whip Test - YouTube[/ame]

From personal experience, what is the longevity like on SS brake lines? I'm all about modifications that will reduce maintenance costs/time (more importantly time).

Spiegler is well established in making brake lines for our two wheeled brethren. Apparently they're pretty strong too....

http://spieglerusa.com/media/upload/image/HangBike.jpg

Not too many people ride here... I think ;)

I personally change my brake lines every 100 on-track sessions or so on my S2000, but that car is underbraked, and brake line failures (at the crimp) from extreme heat cycling has been observed on the platform.

We've been keeping an eye on our lines on the CSG BRZ, and they aren't seeing anywhere near the heat my S2000 does, so I'm going to say (for now) that they shouldn't ever need to be changed on a street car unless there is visible damage. Tracked cars should have the lines inspected regularly, but I don't forsee them needing regular replacement.

Eh? The only person seeing them would be you.

Listen, just do a better tire setting and pads, you'll be fine for a street set up.

I'm installing SS lines on my car..

I recently did a track day at Mid-Ohio with Carbotech XP10 pads. One thing the XP10s do, according to Carbotech, is level off a bit when they get up to temp. This is to allow for greater modulation. When I hit that temperature point, I could really feel the "slack" in the braking system. So I want to eliminate as much of that as possible.

I have installed a MC brace, but I'm not sure I can say it was a noticeable improvement. So SS lines are waiting to go on, and at the same time I'm going to upgrade to ATE Blue. We'll see how the pedal feel is on my next track day.

ss lines are cheap like 100$ for both front and rear so might as well. But for a brand new car, i dont feel like you would need it.

chase bays are cheap - $80 and have the "L" fittings unlike other lines.

F*** your 95F summer temps lol just giving you a hard time because im in Texas. Ive looked at SS lines but honestly probably the last thing id do for a DD unless you are looking for that little bit extra feel. bleeding the brakes and upgrading the fluid might give you all the extra feel you want or a MC brace.

Stainless lines are not a bad upgrade on a daily. But for the first few years your OEM lines will be just fine for street use.
If you drive on the street AS IF you were on the race track, then you will enjoy the consistency they give over the years. :)
Pads with more grip will expose the need for better feedback that lines can give.

One thing I like about them for, for street cars, is that when your braking hard you will have better control of that limit when the car goes into ABS, for example.

As folks have said above... Lines do vary in quality A LOT, for example, all are braided hose, but some have a clear sheath over the braid and some manufacturers have ditched that or made it 'optional' to save some cost. Some brands are not even technically street legal...
So what we are telling you is do your homework before trying to save money on a part that WILL kill you if it fails. :(

I know we have used Technafit, Speigler, and Goodridge in the past with good results on all sorts of cars, not all of them have the nice application specific fittings for our cars though. Stay away from no-name brands, etc.

Oh I was originally looking at the StopTech lines and wouldn't buy ANYTHING not DOT rated for street use. I have no problem paying for quality parts, especially when my life's on the line. This was more a "while I'm at it" thought process.

What I think I'll do is wait until I need brake pads, then bleed the system, swap the lines, and put on some Hawk pads or something since everyone seems to agree its not necessary on a brand new car.

Isn't it the other way around? I've never heard of stock lines failing but i've heard of SS lines bursting.

Sure is. The Speigler lines are 2x the cost of the "no-name" $100 set mentioned above. Do you trust the cheap stuff with the single most important safety system on your car?

I know the Speigler come with a coating over the braided lines, which i'm guessing helps with durability. Iirc the SS lines deteriorate because stuff gets into the braiding and breaks it down over time.

But yeah, anything steering or braking related is a top priority for myself.

Just based on the little research that I've done, I believe the weakest link on all brake lines is the crimp and not that actual hose itself.

Nevertheless, always inspect your brake lines whenever you can.

I'm in the same page. I will flush my brake fluid and replace it with a Motul RBF600. "While I'm at it," I'm thinking of getting new brake lines.


Did you end up replacing yours?

SS lines are a waste of $$$ IMHO, they trap heat and dirt can get in the braids and eventually wear even silicon lines. Get a higher quality rubber line. Seen so many SS lines fail before rubber lines.

Personally, I don't care about looks, especially since no one sees them. Better braking performance would definitely be a bonus. The main reason I'm switching, some may not agree with, but it makes me more comfortable and I'm in the car, so I'm going to try it. The reason is I got in a crash last week, and it sheared off front & rear pax side brake lines. Personally, I'd prefer that didn't happen again, so we'll (hopefully not) see/test whether they help with that.

All we know is.... He's called The Stig

Might want to re-order so you're bleeding the system after replacing the lines, not before :D You should really flush all the fluid out if you're pulling the lines anyway. Swap lines, flush the whole system.

Stainess lines aren't going to do a single thing for braking performance. Won't help you stop faster or shorter at all. All they do is make the pedal feel a little bit more consistent under HEAVY braking.

The difference in feel is less than the difference in feel between stock pads (more compressible) and good aftermarket pads, so if you just want a stiffer pedal you'll get more change from pads. I swap back to stock pads every winter, there's a very noticeable difference in pedal feel (and bite).

Good to know, thank you!

That was just a possible side benefit anyway though

All we know is.... He's called The Stig

They are not going to do a single thing to prevent them from snapping when you crash either.

Well, unfortunately I wasted money in the classifieds again. Probably won't be the last time either.

All we know is.... He's called The Stig

On the bright side they will take forever to rust!

Well, at least that's something! Lol

All we know is.... He's called The Stig

No reason not to. They're great.

lol. besides the "expansion" they do absolutely nothing. It even says it on stop tech's webpage "for that race car look." don't be too surprised... I had no idea myself.

Going to go on and post this because I know its comming.
"So why is that better than the OEM rubber design?
Stainless Steel lines provide a number of benefits as compared to their OEM rubber overmolded counterparts.
1. The SS braid provides superior protection from flying roadway debris.
2. The SS braid and Teflon hose reduce expansion during pressurization.
3. They provide the race car look."