Thread: Brake line flare tools - recommendations

Thanks for the suggestions all. Gary reasons I'm looking to buy one is previous experience with hydraulic shops to get extended brake hoes made up for my old disco left me with heart problems when I was given the invoice. I'll call around the brake shops to get some ideas on costs but if its normal inflated WA prices it ends up being better value to get a tool myself. Also good reason to get another project car after the 101, no point having all these speciality tools sitting around doing nothing.

Did you just use 3/16 bundy tube on the 101?

Originally Posted by stuee

Did you just use 3/16 bundy tube on the 101?

If that is the normal steel tube used on 101s then yes.

I have got a 'Rigid' flaring tool, it does a great job, if you have the misfortune to either break/loose an item from your set, they are readily available from 'Eagles' plumbing supplies, my brake tubing bender is a 'Record' tubing bender, both have given me many hours of use over the past 13 years. That fancy one that somebody showed looks the ducks gutz, but I will be sticking with mine cheers Dennis

Originally Posted by northiam

If you already have a plumbing/fridge flaring tool all you need is the double flare die! Draper 50810 3 16" DIE FOR 37870 Pipe Flaring Tool KIT | eBay

Thanks for the heads up........I have a flaring tool from my gas fitting days.....I'm not sure it will go small enough

Originally Posted by northiam

If you already have a plumbing/fridge flaring tool all you need is the double flare die! Draper 50810 3 16" DIE FOR 37870 Pipe Flaring Tool KIT | eBay

Not as straight forward as I was hoping.....I have a rigid single flare tool and a borrowed rigid double flare kit......I grabbed the die but sadly it won't work as the thread/come doesn't retract far enough to slide over the die

I have a rigid ratcheting flare tool and it does work.
Try inserting the die on the cone then inserting the tubing from underneath?
Regards

Originally Posted by stuee

Mr Tax man has been nice and e-tax has estimated I'll get some money back this year. I need to do all the hydraulic lines on my 101, brakes and clutch, and rather than hire a trailer on two separate occasions and drop it off at a specialist I'm keen to do them myself.

I've been searching for brake line flare tools and there seems to be three categories, cheap vice type units (basically two bars grip the pipe then the bit that goes around them), quality vice type units, and then a host of trade type units that are supposedly less prone to slipping and flares not forming properly.

I've been recommend a Sykes Pickavant unit (Flaremaster2) which comes in a nice kit with a cutting tool but is up there at around $300 on ebay not including delivery. I'm going to chase up a few Australian suppliers to see if they can get it and for how much. It looks nice in that it it doesn't require a bench vice like some of the trade models so its portable, and supposedly grips better than the more basic style units.
02729600 - Flaremaster2 Kit for 4.75 & 6mm Brake Pipes

Just thought I'd ask what others are using and see if any one has any recommendations.

edit* while searching I see a few have and recommend Rigid flare tools, anyone with negative feedback on these?

We use the same tool here at work (brake shop) and its good as gold for our on car jobs and with a bit of care can be bench mounted in a vice. Just make sure you use the right flare for the job they do both din and sae ball and double flare