Stainless steel brake line help!

[4x4man514]

Hey guys, I just spent over $300 on stainless steel brak and fuel lines, plus a bender and flaring tool. I spent most of the day trying to get my rear brake line bent just perfect on the rear end(one side). When I try to tighten the nuts the whole line twists before I've gotten the nut tight. I've made a complete mess out of my perfect line and I'm not real confident it's sealed.

What in the &&@&$ am I doing wrong?my double flares look right I guess. I saw on one post someone was using some kind of extra fittings. These are supposed to attach right to the hoses and wheel cylinders aren't they? What do I need to do? This stuff is too costly to keep screwing it up plus I can't find a local source for it so I have to keep ordering it.

This job is really kicking my butt. I hate fooling with this stuff. I wish I could just buy the preformed stuff but I'm running my lines down the top of the frame rail, my front end has a waisted axle housing, and my rear end has bc axle rockers( u bolts are farther apart) . I can't even find a source that has straight line so I have to try and straighten the dang line before I can even start bending it.

Thanks for your help guys! I need it!

 

[KBUCK1]

Are you trying to tighten the one end completely before the other end is attached at all? If so, attach both ends first and then tighten, I used some of the coiled stainless and had the same issues. Its a pain. The aluminized brake lines are 10 times easier to work with than the stainless. Also, you'll have to tighten and loosen and re tighten those stainless lines 3 to 4 times to get them to seal completely. At least I did. Good luck

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

I bought pre-bent stainless lines for our 67 and had a heck of a time trying to get the connections to seal. That crap is hard. Found tightening the nuts, loosening them, and re-tightening them seemed to work for some reason. Good luck!

 

[73azbronco]

Also, lube the nut part inside that touched the flare, and lube the flare, and lube the threads. Not gobs.

However, I gave up on stainless, nothing but trouble long term. Aluminized stock is far superior.

 

[4x4man514]

Are you trying to tighten the one end completely before the other end is attached at all? If so, attach both ends first and then tighten, I used some of the coiled stainless and had the same issues. Its a pain. The aluminized brake lines are 10 times easier to work with than the stainless. Also, you'll have to tighten and loosen and re tighten those stainless lines 3 to 4 times to get them to seal completely. At least I did. Good luck

Yea I had the whole line on clamped and everything before I started tightening. It still torqued the whole line.

 

[4x4man514]

I wish I had known how bad this was gonna be before I bought $300+ for this crap.

Are the fuel lines this bad too? I know they are bigger.

 

[4x4man514]

Ok I'll try they. Like I said I. Desperate. Do you think at this point of failure I may have ruined the hoses or wheel cylinders or the flare?

And are the bigger lines easier or worse?

Thanks