D44 Brake Line question

I'm finishing off a front D44 and the axle has a stock hard line running from side to side, with a single rubber line from the axle to the frame. Is there any reason I shouldn't keep the single line rather than do a seperate line at each side?

i really dont see any reason not to, but im no expert, hydrolics is hydrolics and fluid flow is fluid flow. no difference in flow with the two lines, the calipers take the same amount of fluid to move either way.

I don't intend this to be a yes or no answer because I don't know. I just want to bring up the fact that there may be a problem with fluid volume. Obviously, one line can't move as much fluid as two.
Let's say each line can only move 10cc of brake fluid per brake pedal stroke. By having one line supply both calipers you only get 5cc/caliper rather than the whole 10cc/caliper if you had separate lines coming off the MC.

Tom, it shouldn't be a big deal to switch it to two lines. You already have them on the frame, so it should be just a matter of adding rubber lines from the calipers. I'm with Brad, it's not just the brake pressure, it's the volume to move the caliper piston. Plus, your brake system is already set up for individual lines, so you'd have to change it to a single line.........you have to change something, might as well change the axle.

Yeah, but its different, and we all like to be different:laugh3:

Sorry, this may be seen as a slight thread hi-jack, but this is somewhat related. I was thinking of running my brakelines down my long arms. Basically, run hard lines to the long arm joint, use a short piece of rubber line for making the long arm joint, then run hard line down the long arm (inside some sort of welded on barrier, of course). Use another piece of rubber line to go to the caliper and your done. No more stretched SS brake lines on flex and less chance of damaging those long SS lines. Has anyone done this? The whole line length/volume thing is what has me concerned right now. I have not run the numbers yet to see if it will affect braking.

A.

Andy in Pa. said:

Sorry, this may be seen as a slight thread hi-jack, but this is somewhat related. I was thinking of running my brakelines down my long arms. Basically, run hard lines to the long arm joint, use a short piece of rubber line for making the long arm joint, then run hard line down the long arm (inside some sort of welded on barrier, of course). Use another piece of rubber line to go to the caliper and your done. No more stretched SS brake lines on flex and less chance of damaging those long SS lines. Has anyone done this? The whole line length/volume thing is what has me concerned right now. I have not run the numbers yet to see if it will affect braking.

A.

Click to expand...

Adding length to your lines won't effect braking. I would be much more concerned with the fact that you're putting your brake lines in a pretty precarious place. An awful lot of things end up hitting long arms.

Not sure the right answer but why would all the brakes have separate lines in the front today if there wasn't an issue. I would bet there is a proportioning issue with the single line.

However for a true trail only rig it shouldn't matter, just keep it off the highway to be safe.

hinkley

Besides, with rock around who needs brakes anyway?

Andy in Pa. said:

Sorry, this may be seen as a slight thread hi-jack, but this is somewhat related. I was thinking of running my brakelines down my long arms. Basically, run hard lines to the long arm joint, use a short piece of rubber line for making the long arm joint, then run hard line down the long arm (inside some sort of welded on barrier, of course). Use another piece of rubber line to go to the caliper and your done. No more stretched SS brake lines on flex and less chance of damaging those long SS lines. Has anyone done this? The whole line length/volume thing is what has me concerned right now. I have not run the numbers yet to see if it will affect braking.

A.

Click to expand...

Seems like way more trouble than it's worth.
If you run properly setup limit straps you'll never ruin a brake line from over extension.

Adding length to your lines won't effect braking. I would be much more concerned with the fact that you're putting your brake lines in a pretty precarious place. An awful lot of things end up hitting long arms.

Click to expand...

Yes, protection of the hard line is key. I am thinking of welding a v-tunnel on to the top of the long arm (I have Claytons) and running the line through that. I don't get into the top of my long arms very often, if ever. I wouldn't think adding length to the brakelines would affect braking either, but I won't be convinced until I check the numbers. I would be adding approx. 6 feet of hard brakeline per side.

A.

Back from the hijack......The D44 has a really nice hard line running across the top of the axle with short flex lines at the wheels. It is extremely well protected and is the way that Ford F150's ran for years. As for limiting straps, yes they are great and all that, but the issue is that you still have to have two extremely long brake lines instead of one that is mounted more towards the center. It just looks like an elegant solution and I wanted input as to possible problems. I can't see that volume would be a problem since it is the way it was done on the original vehicle and I am running the stock brakes and rotors from the D44. As for the lines already being there for both sides, well the vehicle is completely stripped including the full engine compartment and brakes. I will be using the dual booster and the E350 MC from my old rig. There are also discs on the D44 rear.

Tom,
You will be fine running a setup like the factory ford design, as long as the line sizes and components (calipers, MC,..) match that of the vehicle the axle was removed from.

This style of feeding brake fluid to the brakes is very common and, in all honesty, may mean slightly less pressure/flow to each caliper, but the calipers/MC/line-size/system has been designed to work with that pressure and flow so it should perform as well as any factory Ford setup.

The hardest part may be how to get the line from the MC to the axle...(and if your posting in this forum, thats not particularly hard.)

If you run properly setup limit straps you'll never ruin a brake line from over extension.

Yes, limiting straps are the obvious answer to over extending the brakelines. I was curious if anyone had attempted anything different though, like what I suggested.

HTH's
A.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...