brake lines, Rubber or Stainless braided steel

which one?
preferences?
upsides and downsides?

and why is it all so expensive?
i think i just quoted over 300 dollars for the whole stainless front line set...
haven't seen rubber yet.
local store says discontinued from manuf...

 

With my mods I had to get custom hoses done. Was going to pay $40 each to get rubber ones made, but changed to the braided lines at the shop. I cant help myself when it comes to shiny new things sometimes.

Both will stop you just fine, but braided have a slightly more solid feel and look the goods.

 

Whoa. Price way too high; CHECK WITH CHACAL! (XJ4Ever)

The stock Yamaha lines are soft to begin with; so you get a "springy feel" even when everything's 100%.

Stainless lines are a very worthwhile upgrade; they come with various color sheaths if you don't want to be obtrusive about it, and they're only slightly more expensive than the stock rubber lines.

Upgrading to stainless lines is the single biggest improvement you can make to the front brake on any '80s Yamaha.

Highly recommended.

 

$300 dolars for stainless?!!!!!!
How many sets are you buying? (J/K)
Tell us who quoted that price so that we can avoid them.
Now, on the other hand, was that the price for you to take the bike into a shop and have them do all the work of removing the old stuff, installing the new stuff, bleeding and out the door. Then that would seem about right depending on the hourly shop rate plus parts.

 

I just bought some braided stainless ones for my Maxim from rennsportautoparts on EBAY tested to 3000PSI. Total cost for 3 custom lines delivered $71, DOT approved, lifetime warranty and they came with new banjo bolts and crush washers. They took about a week to get. Just make sure you measure the lengths and orient the banjo fittings correctly.

 

I bought a set from chacal for my XJ700. These are probably the best SS brake lines I have ever seen and will probably outlast the lifetime of the bike. I paid around $170ish with all new hardware also.

 

well chacal wasnt selling it as a kit, it was everything priced each...
here was his prices (obviously they are subject to change but)

BRAKE LINES:

Braided Stainless Steel Brake Lines:

1981-82 XJ750 Seca models:

HCP2837BLKST Aftermarket DOT-approved braided stainless steel BRAKE LINE ASSEMBLY, from the distribution joint to the left brake caliper, with black sheathing.
$ 49.95

HCP2836BLKST Aftermarket DOT-approved braided stainless steel BRAKE LINE ASSEMBLY, from the distribution joint to the right brake caliper, with black sheathing.
$ 49.95

HCP2834LHBLKST Aftermarket DOT-approved braided stainless steel BRAKE LINE ASSEMBLY, from the left caliper to the left anti-dive unit, with black sheathing.
$ 37.95

HCP2834RHBLKST Aftermarket DOT-approved braided stainless steel BRAKE LINE ASSEMBLY, from the right caliper to the right anti-dive unit, with black sheathing.
$ 37.95




BRAKE HOSE HARDWARE:

Brake Line Union "Banjo" or Union Bolts:
TOTAL SINGLE-DEPTH UNION BOLT USAGE BY BIKE:

XJ750 Seca (use 4)

HCP4232SET4 Aftermarket brake hose junction UNION BOLTS, used to attach a brake line end fitting to the master cylinder, distribution block, caliper, or lower fork tube anti-dive valves. Set of 4:
$ 17.00


TOTAL DOUBLE-DEPTH UNION BOLT USAGE BY BIKE:

XJ750 Seca (use 1 per side)

HCP4233 Aftermarket brake hose junction UNION BOLT, used to attach a brake line end fitting to the master cylinder, distribution block, or caliper. This is a double-hose-attachment length bolt, bright polished chrome-plated finish, and is used only on the following models, and only in the listed positions: All XJ700 models, right side of the distribution block. All XJ400 dual-disc models, all XJ550 dual-disc models, and all 1983 XJ750 Maxim and Midnight Maxim models, outlet side of the distribution block. All XJ750 Seca, XJ750P (37H models), and XJ900RK and RL models, at the caliper where caliper lines and lower anti-dive brake lines join together. All XJ1100 models, left side caliper line, upper end. These bolts should be tightened to a maximum of 19 foot-pounds of torque! Each:
$ 6.00


Brake Hose Union Bolt Crush Washers:


TOTAL BRAKE CRUSH WASHER USAGE BY BIKE:

XJ750 Seca (use 14)
HCP4231SET14 Aftermarket brake hose union bolt copperCRUSH WASHERS, set of 14:
$ 14.00

Total Cost from Chacal 212.8 + 8.5% california tax
Total Total
230.88 + shipping


i feel like im missing a line because local store told me 5 lines...

 

bigfitz why did you take off your antidive line?

 

That's a 550. They weren't blessed with anti-dive.

 

I agree with Fitz. The SS braided lines are the single best purchase I have made for my bike. Knowing what I know now I would pay $300 for the upgrade

 

I just bought stainless steel lines from rennsportautoparts as well. All three lines, banjo bolts and crush washers to fit my 85 Xj750XN were $61 - $20 for shipping. Ray was great to deal with and I received my lines in three days. A bunch of XJ owners in the Toronto, Canada area did a mass order from these guys and I haven't heard any complaints about the product. Maybe one of them will chime in and give you their two cents worth on the product.

 

That should have been $61 + $20 = $81 in total.

 

Damn! Wish I knew about that, I'd like to put those on my X during the resurrestion phase.
Got a link or info I can use.

 

ME TOO!!!

skillet

 

The fifth line is a steel line from the master cylinder (behind the headlight) to the union between the forks. I didn't need to replace this. But $300 or more is what you'll pay to refurbish the front brakes on a 750 seca (throw in caliper rebuilds, any anti-dive bits that you can replace, master cylinder rebuild and pads. Still worth it all things considered, and your brakes will be better than new.

 

heres the link, looks like im gonna be doing it too, for 70 bucks ill fold

http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/rennsportautoparts/

if you go to one of his ebay listings and look at his description, he has all the info you need to order custom length lines

 

He sells on ebay:

http://bit.ly/gYE7y9

If the link doesn't work do a ebay search for iten # 190499473579

and here is their web site:
http://rennsportautoparts.com/

and here is a link to brake line specs for the Maxim X put togeather by HAP:

http://xjcd.org/node/440

 

Hey Maxfly, do you have a link to the dealer with that set?

 

A quick caution in regard to "eBayed" (or other) custom stainless brake lines:

In addition to the angle of the fitting at each end, the "clocking" or rotational relationship between the two ends of each line is critical to fitment, as a stainless line cannot be "twisted" like a rubber one can.

If you're having custom lines made, by anyone, then not only do you need to specify which fitting for which end, but you also need to ascertain and duplicate the "clocking" of the ends relative to each other, or they MAY NOT FIT.

Keep in mind that the brake lines chacal sells for the XJ series are properly "clocked" for the bike they're for, so this isn't a concern when buying them from XJ4Ever. However, when buying elsewhere, be aware of this or you may end up with some custom made stuff you can't use.

 

Good point...The best way to be sure is to remove the brake lines from the bike before ordering.

 

i had to get customs due to the over haul of the crap ass existing braking system provided by yamaha.

http://www.z1enterprises.com/

was the place don't worry about clocking because you buy your length of hose and buy your ends they screw together making fine adjustments with clocking easy!

my lines were 105 shipped to ontario canada, thats crush washers banjo bolts and everything.

best upgrade i did to my bike was the braking system.

 

I went and overhauled my 750J front brakes . Did the master cylinder, pads, lines, the whole 9 yards. The difference was incredible.

And, of course, I documented the experience here.

 

Thanks for the link. I haven't installed the lines yet so it will be a great help. Where is a good sorce to get a Mityvac - sounds like the tool to use.

 

+1 for Z1 Enterprises.

I recently got a rebuild kits for my MC, SS brake lines, double banjo (eliminated the splitter to the dual discs), and crush washers for around $115. The difference is incredible!

 

Chacal stocks them.

I'm starting to see a trend here...

 

I have heard alot about this upgarde and have emailed rennsportautoparts dot com to get some information about pricing etc..

 

Hey guys
I went with rennsportautoparts for my purchase. I got the set for my 85 XJ750XN Maxim-X, here's what it cost to get it to my door:

Merchant
Raymond Chan
sales@rennsportautoparts.com
Note from merchant
The merchant hasn't sent a note.
Description Unit price Qty Amount
85 XJ750, SS Brake Lines Set
Item # $65.00 1 $65.00
Subtotal $65.00
Shipping and handling $12.00
Tax $10.01
Total $87.01 CAD

Well packed and all new bolts and crush washers, I'll go out to the garage later and take a picture of the kit.

 

I would like to order some of these. I wondered if I could get help figuring out what I need. I have a 82 xj650 maxim with the master cylinder that comes out the front. Everything else is stock.

 

http://www.speedlinez.com/UniversalBrakelines.html
nuff said

 

ended up ordering venhill lines off of ebay. They have swivel ends on them.

 

I agree with fitz, plus rubber hoses rot and crack braded hoses will last the life of the bike if not longer.

 

Wound up picking up a set of stainless steel from rennsport... guy was friendly enough and helpful enough.... BUT

It took 3+ weeks in shipping to get here....

when it did arrive it didn't come w/ all that it was supposed to.....

their customer service guy that I dealt with after ordering was as useful as a dehumidifier in new mexico.

But I'm very happy w/ their brake lines... clean, black, chrome ends, exact length requested.... Pretty much a guy w/ a roll of line and the ability to crimp ends, but for 21 bux a piece I didn't complain

 

So according to their site, each line comes with the necessary hardware. I like the idea for sure.

Just go out to the bike, pull off the old lines, order the new ones and slap them on?

I just got my bike on the road and holy crap this bike has crappy brakes compared to my old YZF600R. It goes like stink but stops like it too!

 

When I got mine it came w/ new bolts, brass washers, lines, a sticker, and a bike cover for 9 bux, that's actually pretty guud, I went w/ an XL for my bike and I'm glad I did, rather have it sloppy then too small.

Pulled the lines off and let the new ones sit in the sun for awhile to get the round out of them from shipping. Front was pretty cake, rear was too though it was a tighter spot and was harder to bleed, or not harder just more uncomfortable due to the spot of it. Did my brakes at the same time but that isnt' necessary. make sure you got plenty of brake fluid handy and not old stuff. brake fluid is hydroscopic meaning it absorbs water and that's no joke.... better to buy a fresh bottle for a major job like this. Keep the resevoir filled while bleeding

 

whoa dead thread! for those of you who a running a single brake line up front what length are you using? im going to get one stainless hose for the whole thing and want to know what you guys have used.

 

Hey Layitdown, with an 82 maxim you need two: one from master to junction block between forks, and one from there to caliper.

I think I may go for the speedlinez for mine. I suppose you just measure them, and order the same, or slightly larger (rather than smaller)

 

So I can't just delete the junction block? My buddy has virago. Everything swaps but his only has one hose. Can't see why I can't just run one

 

Well, for rubber hoses its a pressure issue - why they made it that way in the 1st place, but search the forum - maybe braided steel are strong enough to handle the full stretch without a split

 

What's wrong with the junction block? When I upgraded to SS lines the junction block made it easy. XJ4Ever had the block to caliper SS line that had exactly the right angular configuration & length-Remember that SS lines will absolutely NOT twist or otherwise allow flexible rearrangement. You can bend them but they won't twist at all. The standard top line wouldn't work for my bike because I have much lower and somewhat shorter overall bars, but it was easy I just rode the bike to a shop that makes custom lines (their primary customer is airplane hydraulic lines) and we sized and fitted the top line with the right orientation. $35.00 customized, looks sharp, and very functional.

And yes I expect the bike to be a smoldering hunk of metal in the distant future but those SS lines will still be intact.

 

have had braided lines for about 10 months i think, no comparison, just today when a stop light went orange i decided to stop instead of going thru it, just to practice an emergency stop, wouldnt have even tried with the old rubber lines, piece of cake, people need these.

 

Rubber lines expand when you apply pressure on them, the stainless ones don't. You get way better braking power and the brakes feel way better. You will feel the difference trust me.

MN

 

Certainly you can delete the junction block. It's a concession to production flexibility, nothing more.

That being said, it does make it easier when changing bars, for instance.

I too have substantially lower bars than stock; I got my properly "clocked" custom shorter-length upper hose from XJ4Ever.

 

As a note about the dangers of rubber hoses. I really thought I would have to rebuild my MC or caliper, pulling the front brake did nothing and while I could sort of bleed the line down to the caliper, I was not getting much pressure, but was baffled that I got tons of pressure directly at the MC. I then tested at the end of the first line and had less pressure, at the end of the junction was about the same and at the end of the 2nd was practically none.

So I got a custom SS single line, I saw no reason to keep the unnecessary junction box, it just seems to be a future point of failure to me. With the SS I have tons of pressure to the caliper and the front brake system works great with no other changes.

Keep in mind the rubber lines, dated 1980, did not leak or 'show' any problems, but through their flexing alone I had 0 braking power (I'm guessing there was an internal leak or cracking to be to this point of failure).


As for the line itself, I requested 42" (this is a 1980 Maxim), and it is about 1" too long. It looks fine, doesn't stick out at all and I just routed it a bit longer, but my guess would be 41" would fit just about exactly, so maybe go with 41.5" for a margin of error.

I went with Rennsports and he gave me a swivel head on one end so I didn't need to worry about twisting the SS or having it custom to the exact angle. It was something absurd like $40 shipped.

 

Just an FYI, I don't believe SS lines are lifelong parts, as someone suggested earlier. The outside is coated and protected, but the same rubber hose lies within, and is subject to the same degradation (perhaps at a slower rate). Additionally, that coating and protection can hide flaws and damage in the hose that would otherwise be noticeable.

I'm not trying to talk anyone out of SS lines; they're a great upgrade that I'll be making myself. But they should still be replaced after several years of use. (I'll let someone more knowledgeable than myself suggest how many years that is.)

 

The key factor in the longevity of SS brake lines in relation to brake fluid is the PTFE(Teflon) polymer that the inner tubing is made out of. The PTFE's high electronegativity (resistance to electron's which hinders chemical reactions) as a result of the ionic bond between the Carbon and Fluorine molecules allows the PTFE tubing to remain intact for a very long time (much longer than the average lifespan on most automobiles) even in a harsh chemical environment. This material characteristic of the PTFE coupled with the strength and protection of the SS braid sheathing and (generally) a PVC or similar outer coating make these types of brake lines extremely durable.

 

front brakes were the first thing I ever had to do the '83 XJ9. Tried the rubber ones, still felt squishy. Fortunately for me, Spiegler factory is right down the road.