siscogts

Hi!
I am planning to repaint calipers, powder coat suspensions linkages, respray/powdercoat shocks and springs, etc....
But I have not much time to lift the car completely, I think I will lift the rear of the car and then the front and make this job in two stages.
I will change also those 22 years old brake hoses, While I am there.
Near mywork place there is a shop making every kind of hoses(fuel oil brrakes), also steel braided ones, for little money(just because we are friend-sort of- and we both like old GT cars).
Just to save time, I need to know the exact lenght of hoses,so I am ready with evrything when I put together brakes.

Does anyone know dimensions?
Thank you so much!
Francesco from Italy

123quattro

Put factory rubber lines back on. Braided SS lines do NOTHING to improve brake feel. People only think they notice something because they just bled the brakes. Rubber lines are also much more durable. Most hydraulic line shops won't even make brake lines due to the liability.

siscogts

never mentioned I wanted SS braided hoses, and I don't want any improvement of pedal feeling, just a reliable system, in fact I will flush brake fluid using nothing more than a DOT 4 fluid. this guy works with trucks and high pressure hoses for Caterpillar, JCB and other brands of excavators etc , so he's got right ruber hoses and right machines to work on that stuff.
Liability is not a problem if you know what you do and you have the right tools and machines .
Francesco

siscogts

Found sizes:250mm the rear, excluded the thread length of each side, front 390 mm from the center of banjo bolts hole to the beginning of the thread on the other side.
I just wanted to share this info with you...
Francesco

Pfc. Parts

I'd just like to express a minor disagreement with the above sentiment.

Braided SS lines will improve brake feel, but not conspicuously on a street car. If you're not putting the car on a track, don't bother with SS lines. Why? Because they have to be inspected and possibly replaced much more frequently than OEM lines.

They do improve feel (and function) with hot brakes. When I say hot, I mean visibly glowing hot. Even the best fluids will boil at extreme temperatures (above about 580 deg. F). Braided lines will not soften or expand at these temperatures, which gives them improved performance over OEM lines in extreme conditions.

Use the right tool for the job. SS lines are "pretty" on street cars but as Quatro says, they're a real PITA and you probably won't notice the difference.

PS: SS lines, contrary to popular opinion, *are* DOT approved.

PPS: Does anyone really drive these cars on the street anymore? I mean, what's the point of driving a car with a top speed of 170 mph on the street And the comment about braided lines being "pretty" was also pointless when applied to the 928; unless you change out the wheels no one will ever see them. But then, if you put your car on the track, you WILL change wheels since these absurd stock manhole covers do just about everything they can to keep your calipers red hot.

Pfc. Parts

Francesco -

I don't have the dimensions any longer, I bought SS lines from Goodridge, they make them to order in the correct length for your model and year. I put them on my '85 a few months ago.

You might have problems with the bulkhead mounting bracket using these lines. The bracket is keyed and expects a flat on one side of the interior hose/line connector. The Goodridge part is round and will not fit into the mounting bracket. To correct this problem you may need to round out the bulkhead bracket to accept the round connector.

You may also need to modify the Goodrige retaining clips, which have a very extreme curve and you may not be able to seat them on the bulkhead bracket without reducing the camber. You can do this with a bench vise or bullnose pliers.

And everything I've written is absolute crap. Don't believe any of it. If you follow this advice and kill yourself it's your problem, not mine.

GlenL

So much bad information in this thread.

SS lines make the pedal much stiffer, far beyond a good bleed. You'll feel that wherever the car is driven. The difference in feel lets you know, immediately, if there's a problem in the brake system. No mushiness to hide that first bubble of boiling fluid.

I do agree that they are unnecessary on the street and even on the track. I use them and change them every year or two.

Nothing is "DOT Approved." Nothing. What is "approved" are the tests. The tests for brake lines, and I've looked at them, are tailored to rubber lines. They don't include the fatigue testing for what SS lines are susceptible.

To the original poster:

Take the lines in. Beats mistaking a length or getting a fitting wrong.

Pfc. Parts

Perhaps "DOT certified"? I don't know what else to call it. Ate "Super Blue" is not approved for road use any longer, but still carries a DOT 4 certification.

I don't know how to express it in legalese but I do know that braided SS lines are legal to use on cars driven on public roads.

Pfc. Parts

Glen, your comment about fatigue testing made me think a bit more. From what I understand, the flexible brake lines used between the bulkhead and caliper are *only* tested for pressure and fatigue. They specifically attach the line to a caliper and shake it for some number of hundreds of thousand times until it breaks.

What have you discovered?

Pfc. Parts

Forget the question Glen. "U.S. Dept. of Transportation FMVSS-571.106 requirements" appears to be all that's necessary and there are several manufacturers "certified" to that set of specifications.

Captain_Slow

Bummer...the PO of my S4 put new SS brake lines on the car shortly before selling it. I do notice the brakes have a hard pedal feel and have a more immediate response compared to my previous 86.5. What should I be looking for in terms of the SS lines becoming a PITA?

Pfc. Parts

Nothing really, you should just be looking. SS lines aren't a problem of any kind if properly maintained. What you should be looking for is fraying of the outer shield around stress points, which are the inner wheel well bulkhead connector and the caliper itself. Look for broken or "frayed" SS fibers at those points. Any sign of separation/braking/shredding or *wear* requires replacement. Any sign at all.

Stainless doesn't tolerate repeated stress; it's very fragile. It should be inspected regularly (I inspect mine about once a month depending on use. Certainly every season). My position is to be careful with these things; a mistake could kill both of us. If it looks like it's having trouble, replace it. they just aren't that expensive

This would be why I called it a PITA. If you aren't putting your car on a track it isn't worth doing, which was Quatro's point.

PS: You will notice a stiffer pedal feel if you drive the car aggressively, as it was designed to be driven. That's why braided SS lines are used in these cars. The 928 has an exceptionally high curb weight. This makes it both difficult to accelerate and difficult to stop. In my opinion, acceleration is a matter of luxury; stopping on the other hand is a matter of life or death.

siscogts

Yesterday afternoon my friend made 4hoses for me, with DOT approved /certified/whatever/print on the hose,an external rubber hose to prevent damage from little stone....60 euro for 4.No stailenss steel braid,just common brake hose .
job done.
Francesco

Captain_Slow

Scott -
Thanks...so glad I randomly clicked on this thread. I was under the impression that SS would be the exact opposite. We see a lot of SS hose X,Y, and Z for our cars touted as "better". Heck, I've been told to use a SS water hoses for my household washing machine.

I'll be checking these monthly and whenever I have the car up on stands - which is more than once a month

GlenL

Yep. And the spec doesn't call for fatigue testing with pressure. Rubber takes pressure cycles well but stainless, as you noted, is brittle and will fracture.

Another failure mode is for the lining to creep back from the fittings. That's a fatigue failure as well. The linings are typically Teflon and neither Teflon or stainless are resilient. Once it starts to loosen, it goes.

So I use them on one car and have installed new rubber lines on a second. The second is intended to be a dedicated track car if not racer. Why? Cause I'm tired or replacing the SS lines and worrying about them.