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View Full Version : Pre-bent brake lines too much to ask?



saluki540i
04-27-2007, 09:18 AM
This is trivial in the grand scheme - I know. Would it be too much to ask that the brake lines for the trailing arms be bent? I took delivery of a crap load of new nuts, bolts, washers, etc. for the rear half of the 540, and couldn't believe when they handed me two straight sticks of brake line. I shouldn't complain too much seeing as I'm going to be bending everything else anyway.

shogun
04-27-2007, 09:51 AM
Usually it is better to get them a straight pipes, because sometimes it is impossible to install pre-bent pipes.
Get a cheap fuel line tubing bender and it works nice
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/2718,718_Fuel-Line-Tubing-Bender.html

Ross
04-27-2007, 10:14 AM
Having worked in parts dist centers for several manufacturers I can tell you that pre-bent lines generally are re-bent by the time you get them.
The only way to safely pack some of the longer lines is in very large cartons with lots of expensive packaging material. In my day UPS wouldn't touch a carton that size so it had to be shipped truck, freight would be many times the cost of the part. Hence they got "finessed" into smaller cartons.

everlast
04-27-2007, 10:40 AM
That said, i ripped some great condition rear lines from a donor car once for an e30.. i had the subframe off.. man, what a relief that was. I basically walked back and forth behind the 30 times, with this giant grotesque monster of lines in my hands, weaving it in and out of all the nooks and crannies... and presto! new brake lines installed.. :D

Robin-535im
04-27-2007, 11:53 AM
This is trivial in the grand scheme - I know. Would it be too much to ask that the brake lines for the trailing arms be bent? I took delivery of a crap load of new nuts, bolts, washers, etc. for the rear half of the 540, and couldn't believe when they handed me two straight sticks of brake line. I shouldn't complain too much seeing as I'm going to be bending everything else anyway.
Rigmaster sold me some great used ones a while back. Cleaned up real good and worked great... perfect BMW bends to match.

RallyD
04-27-2007, 05:12 PM
I used a full beer can and bent the lines around it, worked like a charm. + you have something to look forward to when you are done.

saluki540i
04-27-2007, 05:24 PM
I used a full beer can and bent the lines around it, worked like a charm. + you have something to look forward to when you are done.
I've got a tube bender but it doesn't make the tight, sharp bends like the factory - more of a casual bend.