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brakeline ext.

X

xjhm

NAXJA Forum User
Location
pikeville,ky
i have 5" lift on a 99 classic...
i installed the jks qd now i also straightened the brake line and redrilled/lowered the bracket in the wheelwell
i have raised it with a floorjack on one side to the point of hi-jack and the truck slid around a bit where it was extending...
i had some slack left in the brakeline but the other wheel was still on the ground...
after all this rambling my quest. is do i have to go with the longer lines
or would this be specific to each xj?
 
I'm at 4" and thought that everything was fine by playing with a jack, but I pulled a brakeline a couple of weekends ago. It didn't come completely apart, but by the time that I got home my braking ability had dramatically changed. That was actually when I discovered what had happened.
 
I use YJ brake lines on the front and rear at 4" of lift.
I have seen too many people lose brake lines with relocated stock equipment, right 'LessLimited'?
On mine, the mountings are lowered on the front, but I am moving it back to the stock position soon because when I stuff, the lines are almost too long and start to stretch in an 'S' shape. The YJ lines have about the same amount of rubber, but the hard line off of the banjo is about 4" longer, at least.
HTH
 
only way to know for sure is to go flex it.
 
The best thing to do is get YJ brakelines. You can get them for cheap at the junkyard and they are way stronger than stainless steel in my opinion. I have 6" with YJ's and the lines straightened. And at full flex, they are not coming close to pulling out.
 
I'm at 4.5" and have the YJ OEM lines but I only got about an extra 1.5" after I had to cut about an inch out to reflare my hard lines. So there is some more length but I'd like more. Has anyone used 3" or 4" lifted YJ lines?
I'm think'n in the 25" area. Any thoughts?
Curt (aka Xtreme XJ)
 
JeepFreak21 said:
Care to elaborate on this bad luck? I'm planning to eliminate the last bit of rubber from my system real soon.
Billy
Click to expand...

I'd like to know this too! The only way I can think of that rubbers are better, is that they're more flexible. But, stronger???
 
i think they are saying the rubber will strech and flex a bit more ... where the stainless fittings tend to snap when pulled too far

doesn't anyone make a short rubber hose/line that could be used like an extension? then you could just buy a 4" or 5" line and add it into the line and i'm not talking about a compession fitting type
 
xjhm said:
i think they are saying the rubber will strech and flex a bit more ... where the stainless fittings tend to snap when pulled too far
Click to expand...

Thats what I was trying to say, I've heard allot of horror stories where the stainless steels come apart out of the fitting. And I think the price of SS is way too much compared to $10 junkyard lines that work just as well. Ive had my rubber lines full streched to where you could not strech them anymore and they held up just fine. In my opinion, if they can take that much of a beating, then I dont know anything that could rip them apart besides overflexing, and thats when you know you need longer lines.
 
At one time in my life I raced motorcycles on road courses at speeds up to 140 mph and I raced in one of the slower classes. There wasn't a man on the track that didn't use stainless steel brake lines, both for their strength and because they don't expand under use allowing the rider to better feel what his or her brakes were doing. The few that did use rubber brake lines used them because that's what came on the bike and they were new to the sport and hadn't had the chance or money to change them yet.

I'm new to 4-wheeling, but none of the guys or ladies in the club that I'm in can ever remember seeing first-hand a stainless steel line fail unless it was too short for the articulation of the suspension. It's definitely not the cheapest way to go, but I've always been famous for taking the most expensive route to getting somewhere in anything that I've ever undertaken. I guess I'm gifted at spending too much! :doh:
 
xjhm said:
i think they are saying the rubber will strech and flex a bit more ... where the stainless fittings tend to snap when pulled too far

doesn't anyone make a short rubber hose/line that could be used like an extension? then you could just buy a 4" or 5" line and add it into the line and i'm not talking about a compession fitting type
Click to expand...

RE makes 4" extensions for $10 a pair. Drop those down a couple of inches from the body and add YJ lines and you should be golden.
 
Great Discussion! One other point about the difference between rubber and SS is the stretch factor. SS lines are often used because they don't stretch, either in length or diameter! The last is important for those who feel that pedal "sponge" must be eliminated. That is, SS lines typically are chosen to improve braking response to the pedal by eliminating the elasiticity of the rubber hoses that act like baloons under high preassure.

The other advantage may be resistance to damage. I take it you guys never see that as a problem? Articulation is the only issue?
 
All I can say is I've never seen or heard of a rubber line failing. I have personally seen two SS lines fail. Both times the crimp end snapped off. This crimp is the weak point whereas the stock rubber line just seems to have a better connection between the hose and the hard line. Add that to the slight "give" you can get from rubber and I think it's a safer bet. BTW, both guys that I saw break SS lines now use YJ lines.

my.02.
 
Can anyone confirm that the rear rubber brake hose on a facelift XJ is the same as the pre 97s.
I've measured mine and it's 14" long, now I believe that the older XJ is 17" long.
If this is true can I use a pre 97 hose to extend my rear brake line for a 3" lift. Are the fittings the same?. I suspect that a YJ would be too long.
Regards
Pete
 
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