Stainless Steel Brake Lines -- Yay or Nay

[kmacafee]

I have a 2015 Ram 3500 with 105,000 miles upon which I carry a 2000 pound camper. I updated the rotors and pads about 40k ago. I am hoping to keep this rig for years to come and am working through replacing components that could fail given the truck's age and mileage.

One such component are the brake lines. I have done a fair amount of research into whether or not they are worth it and the vast majority of things I have read and the people I have spoken with all agree that for competition driving they are essential. For regular and off road driving however, the general consensus is that, other than providing a firmer brake pedal, they are not necessary.

I'd appreciate any feedback from those of you who have switched to stainless from rubber or any opinions on whether or not they are necessary.

Thanks in advance.

 

[krick3tt]

I have had a lot of vehicles and most had metal tube lines, easy and rather inexpensive to replace. Some vehicles are stock with braided metal covered lines that resemble SS lines but I did not keep the vehicle long enough to gage the importance between the two types. I understand there may be a concern for professional vehicles to have SS lines with billet aluminum fittings. My vehicles now have rubber? lines. I think the most important thing is to secure them to keep from getting snagged on any obstacles.
So I would say based on my experience that whatever lines you have, inspect them periodically for crushing, snags and deterioration.

 

[AbleGuy]

On my old ’89 Chevy k2500hd, which I drove for 13 years in snow country, my hydraulic brake lines were metal tubing but not SS. I never had a problem with them, even when the idiot who put on my Firestone airbags pinched one of them a bit by installing the mounting the cradle over it, just FWIW.

The main thing I’d wonder is whether the SS lines you get are really those cheap Chinese made crap. If you can’t find quality USA manufactured lines, you might be better off skipping them.

I mention this only because so much of the “SS” parts I’ve used in the last 20? years (all manf in China) seem to exhibit rust surprisingly quickly. Same thing with screws, bolts, cookware and hinges. Quality SS is harder to find today.

 

[javajoe79]

You’re talking about the flexible hoses right? They’ll offer a marginally more firm pedal and can make for more accurate modulation of the brakes. Probably not much to gain from using them on your truck.

 

[Superduty]

I agree with @javajoe79 I would probably not replace them just because, but if one needs replacing at some point or if you are installing a lift and need longer lines, then it's worth it.

 

[ExpoMike]

Since you have a 2015 rig, I wouldn't even worry about the flex brake lines at this point. Unless they are damaged, they are fine. If you are doing a lift or something where you needed longer lines, then swap them out. I have run SS flex brake lines on a lot of my hot rod type projects but that was more due to needing custom lengths or ends. In applications where I can use the stock length and style, I would just run the factory rubber lines. Never once had an issue with a rubber line, outside of being very old (like 30+ years) where the inside of the line will deteriorate and cause a blockage or "check valve" issue, where it would not allow the brakes to release. This was even with the outside looking okay. For something 7 years old, I would make sure you have flushed out the brake fluid with new before I would ever concern myself with the lines. Put your money elsewhere at this point.

 

[kmacafee]

Thanks everyone for the sage advice.

 

[toddz69]

I agree with the advice given to the OP regarding his brake line replacement. Speaking from the perspective of someone whose adventure vehicle is over 50 years old, I swapped over to stainless-braided teflon lines years ago on my truck for long-term durability and perhaps some better pedal feel. After some more thought, I configured the brake lines such that one spare -3 AN brake line in my parts bag can serve as a spare brake line on any of the 4 wheels, the lines that run from the frame to axles, and even some of the flex lines that run from the master cylinder to the frame. Always have to think about field serviceability on our old rigs.

Todd Z.