'74 cj-5 brake lines!

ECJ5 Gods... impart thy knowledge upon me!

I am getting ready to re-run the entire brake line system in my '74 and I am thinking about using this product:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/brake-lines/p2018112.jcwx?filterid=c15918d1166j1#prodDetailTabPanel

PloyArmor lines say you can bend them with your hands which means they could work for all the lines I need. What do you guys think?

Also can/should I run 1/4" lines for everything? I have 11" drums on the back and have converted to front over the the 1 1/8" disc setup. I ordered the portioning valve for a disc front and drum rear so I think I should be good there but being as this is a pretty important part of a moving vehicle I wanted to ask the gurus!

 

JMO -

1) The standard plated steel line has a lifetime typically measured in decades. How long does this repair need to last?
2) Once you buy the tools, making brake lines is cheap. The main hangup is making good flares, not bending. The poly-coated line won't help you with that.
3) If you want to avoid the bending and flaring, complete sets of pre-made lines are available in both steel and stainless. Inline Tube is one source.

There's no advantage to running larger line. The voume of brake fluid you need to move is minuscule - it's the pressure that transfers the force. The factory line is all 3/16". The smaller the diameter of the tubing, the higher the bursting strength for a given wall thickness will be. IMO you should not second-guess the factory engineers by using a different sized tubing. Plus smaller tubing will be easier to work with and cost less.

Sorry this is so overwhelmingly negative, but that's my opinion.

 

No worries! I would actually rather buy a pre-made kit but I wasn't sure they would work with my disc brake setup as I though I had read somewhere that the front disc might require larger tube. If you think I can just order the replacement kit from Inline Tube or Morris 4x4 and be ok, than I would rather do that. I assume they come with all the fittings on and the flares complete?
Also, the only reason I was thinking of the poly-coated line is the ease of bending it around by hand. I watched some installation videos on youtube and it looked pretty simple. I remember running a replacement line in an old '74 volvo I had and I kept kinking it.
I just have a jeep that is almost ready to drive, I want to put the brake line on this weekend, WHat is the easiest way I can get the done with my current setup? THANKS!

And again feel free to be negative, I am a rookie and need to be pointed in the right direction.

 

I bought a complete prebent stainless kit for my 74 and glad I did! I also did the disk conversion and had no problems. Just had to use the flexible lines that fit chevy calipers........my .02 worth.

 

You bought the '74 kit or the '76 and later kit? I didnt see a '74 kit that listed it would work with Disc front.

 

Thats the same line that I got at Autozone.
Same price (minus shipping)

It bends just fine by hand and the outer coating made it easy to install the outer coiled protection.

I would stick to the 3/16 as the larger tube and end fittings won't fit into the wheel cylinders,etc.

I used the 1/4" line to run new fuel hard lines.

The 3/16" is also perfect to remake the vacuum hard lines

 

Wait, that jeep doesnt even have brakes... or steering!

-edit: now I see the MC hiding in there.

 

I think the '74 or '75 kit would be no obstacle to installing disk brakes. Only the flexible lines from the frame to the front hubs changes. You're going to have to do some adapting if you use a combination valve other than what Jeep used from the factory. There is a replacement valve available for the FSJs which includes a metering section, proportioning section, and the brake warning switch. http://www.bjsoffroad.com/CartGenie/prod-746.htm You could also possibly use the combination valve from a '77 or later CJ with front disk brakes ... I don't have a source for that one, but there may be one.

The '77 CJ with front disk brakes does not have a proportioning valve. This is the same strategy as the '75 CJ with all drum brakes. It instead has a combination valve with only a metering section and a brake warning light. Check out a '77 TSM for a description of this part. The '82 manual shows a 3-way combination valve (switch, prop, meter) for all Jeep models. I expect a valve from this era, or the FSJ valve, would be your best option. http://oljeep.com/gw/82_tsm/Part 2 Section G.pdf

 

I bought the kit for a 74' and used disk brake parts from a chevy front end therefore needed the flexible line from the frame to the calipers.....

http://www.buybrakes.com/store/JE1015-SS

 

I got a kit from classic tube, it was ok, but the lines for the rear axle sucked I just bent them by hand and made them work.

 

Ok, I ordered these:
http://www.jeep4x4center.com/product-information.asp?number=531015

they say nor for front disc but I am just assuming that means the flex lines and all the hard lines should be fine.

 

The front flex lines should be the only difference, and then it's only the fittings thread into the calipers.

 

Excellent, I have to get these done while Posimoto is on vacation

 

Better hurry! I'll be home in 9 days. Unfortunately I have to go back to work after being off since June. That's going to slow me down a little.

 

So my lines came but they dont have the right size fittings for the portioning valve I bought, do they make special adapters for these so the flares seat right?

 

If you have a good FLAPS near you, they will have adapters.

 

Hmm, I dont even know what FLAPS is.... TO GOOGLE! *swooooosh*

 

Aha!
Friendly Local Auto Parts Store! Unfortunately this is California and we only have APSFOBTSOTOE. (Auto parts store full ot bitching teenagers stuck on their own entitlement)

But I get the Idea: they are common.

 

All this time I thought FLAPS was a brand name. And even went as far as to think, "wow FLAPS is everywhere expect California." In some ways I was right. HAHA!

 

That's funny!

I also wished we had a one of those nice FLAPS stores in South Africa!