Stainless steel brake lines are always talked about as one of the first modifications to a car in terms of safety. I am going to probably upgrade to this mod as well.

The question is if the car has a stronger stop and is better than the rubber, why don't many cars come with stainless steel brake lines from the factory?

Now I know I don't really look into if every car on the road has them such as a vette or viper or any high end mercedes or bmw. If they do than this question isnt valid. But if the answer is that they cost money than that shouldnt be an option with these cars (lexus, merc, bimmer, jag, high end sports cars). Also stopping power, like 0-60 is talked about in terms of stopping feet. This should be a cheap way of boasting that ?

Steel braided lines are really not all that neccessary. What do you drive?

well, if you do get the lines, make sure you get ones that have a silicone sleeve, or some other sort of plastic/rubber sleeve over the stainless braiding.

I have heard horror stories of pieces of gravel being lodged in the braiding, chaffing away the rubber line underneath, and causing a failure...

Technically, stainless lines arent DOT approved either...though, i think the coated lines might be.

goodridge i believe has excellent stainless lines for just about every setup, and they are reasonably priced...

they are great for pedal feel, thats for sure....no more sponginess due to line swelling under braking pressure....

other than that...they look awesome too heh...

ive got goodridge lines on my car...btw

Most if not all cars, dont come with stainlless lines because they dont' need them, its a good idea to upgrade if your gonna be driving your car harder, as the more stoping you do creates more heat the soft rubber lines swell and brake feel is lost, so like on a track after a few laps you loose braking, with the stainless lines pedal feel is maintained and is more rigid so braking is kept up, as long as your rotors and pads can handle it... also why it's a good idea to upgrade those to.

Your question is easy.

Under normal driving on public roads, the flexible are more the adequate for people.


Stainless steel lines and braided lines are for racing or extreme conditions. Under hard and constant use, like at high speed, brakes get very hot and normal brakes and pads lose gripping power. Steel lines don't flex under hard braking, so the pedal doesn't get spongy. There are other factors that come under the Heat topic, so changing to racing pads and changing the brakes to larger or racing type help brake fade under stressful useage.

Anyway, if you don't race don't change. It does help, but won't your money go better into something else?

http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/boot/66/17465720.jpg
Porsche 928 Site (http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/boot/66/)

i do believe on the "hot" packages on most cars steel brake lines are part of the packages, it is mostly for sport.
Brake hoses can be damaged by chafing or from being stretched out or bent hard. Age and environmental stress can cause the external rubber covering to crack. Rubber brake hoses can also suffer from internal deterioratrion. While somewhat less common, this can result in swelling or bulges. it can cause the affected hose to act as a one way valve - allowing fluid to pass into the caliper, but not allowing pressure relief once you take your foot off the pedal. This will cause the brake to bind, resulting in a warped rotor, accelerated pad wear, and a host of problems that are well worth avoiding.



i can tell you that they are not the cheapest thing. I put some on my mothers 1989 Volvo 760 T wagon, my dad still drives it pretty fast when he does drive it. Its cost a little over $100, and that was through a volvo discount place.

I can't argue with the advantages of adding braided lines on a car. But under normal driving, as I said, it just isn't worth it! Now, on an old Dodge Ram truck I owned, I messed up the original hoses twice while 4-wheeling. I added the braided and that was a huge difference! But then, having tree branches and all that debris banging against the lines, they wore out quickly or once one line got a hole.
Now, in my Porsche the lines are steel and the flexible has got a light braiding inside so they are a step above regular lines. Not true braided, but close. On the track there is very little fading or spongyness.
But I drive my Reatta daily and put 350-600 miles on a week for service calls. I just wish I could find flexible lines that are like the Porsche's. Now, if I could upgrade the front and rear brake discs and calipers to, say, a Vette's that would be nice!

http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/boot/66/17465720.jpg

you own a reatta? as in buick reatta? god, i love the looks of those cars, how do you like the car?