> -----Original Message-----
> From: Wright, Larry [SMTP:larry.wright@usop.com]
> Sent: Monday, June 21, 1999 8:43 AM
> To: National Corporation (E-mail)
> Subject: inquiry 062199e (#9)
>
> "Underneath", installment #9
>
[] <snip>
> A comment was made Saturday about the conversion to rear discs
> and the effect on the brake lines. It was pointed out that the Fiat
> calipers are 'floating', thus move a bit; the suggestion was to
> transition to a braided flex line to each caliper. I could see an
> alternative of using a rigid line, but putting a spiral (helix?) in the
> line to allow some flex, as you often see right at the master cylinders
> (esp for clutches) on many newer cars.
[] I did this on my Toyota race car. Used (floating) front calipers on
the rear discs, and I ran rigid line from the splitter block on the axle to each
caliper, with 1 1/2 turns of about 2" diameter immediately before the caliper.
The only problem that I ran into was a vibration thing; on the short side, the
brake line would resonate and then snap off at the caliper flare nut (good thing
it had a split brake system). I then started using hose clamps (instead of the
stock folded-sheetmetal tab) to clamp the brake line to the rear axle, and the
problem went away.
On the other hand, if you want to do braided flex lines, it's important
that the rigid line is mounted rigidly, so that the flex line is doing the
flexing. On my tube chassis car I used brass flare nut adapters to transition
from the flex lines to the rigid stuff (so at each transition there was the
following set of parts: rigid tubing / flare nut / flare nut adapter / Earl's
flare nut to 3AN adapter / 3AN hose end to Earl's stainless braided teflon brake
hose). I drilled a piece of 1" x 1/8" steel strap with a 1/2" hole, then
inserted the brass flare nut adapter through the hole and soldered it into
place. Then the steel strap can be welded or bolted onto the frame or rear axle
wherever you need to make the rigid to flex transition and it will look like you
meant for it to be that way.
[] <snip>
> Lawrence R. Wright
> Purchasing Analyst
> Andrews Office Products Div. of USOP
> larry.wright@usop.com (new)
> Ph. 301.386.7923 Fx. 301.386.5333
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