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Old 03-31-2020, 10:38 AM   #1
Tim Ayers
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Default Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

Hi All:

Preparing for a possible lock down and would like to order a brake flaring tool and tube straightener for coiled stock.

What do you recommend?

Think of this:

Lisle Low Profile Brake Line Single/Double Flaring Tool Kit 4.75 3/16 1/4 #33260. It's $100 and made in the USA
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Old 03-31-2020, 11:00 AM   #2
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

I don't flare my own brake lines. I get the nearest standard length and use it. Might have one line I have to put a kink in to make it fit.
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Old 03-31-2020, 11:11 AM   #3
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

With the new "cunifer", you may want to re-think that.
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Old 03-31-2020, 12:08 PM   #4
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

I bought this one from Eastwood on sale with free shipping IIRC. Haven't used it yet but it looks pretty nice and it had some good reviews.
https://www.eastwood.com/professiona...ring-tool.html
Create 3 kinds of precision flares,
in 5 sizes of tubing
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Old 03-31-2020, 12:33 PM   #5
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

I have the above Eastwood setup with both double flare and 37 degree single dies, really a solid piece and have used it a fare amount. Works great.
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Old 03-31-2020, 12:36 PM   #6
Tim Ayers
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

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Thanks, all. So I noticed the tube straightener tool is $100 on it's own. Any Yankee engineered home built ones? I can see spending $100 on a piece of plastic with some wheels inside.
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Old 03-31-2020, 12:37 PM   #7
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

Quote:
Originally Posted by 51504bat View Post
I bought this one from Eastwood on sale with free shipping IIRC. Haven't used it yet but it looks pretty nice and it had some good reviews.
https://www.eastwood.com/professiona...ring-tool.html
Create 3 kinds of precision flares,
in 5 sizes of tubing
I have a flaring tool very similar to this, we also used similar at work for many years making hundreds of brake lines. We have a tubing straightener similar to this, it works amazing.https://www.ebay.com/itm/Metal-Coile...gAAOSwqfNXjZyx
hope that link attached correctly.
Remember Double flare for steel , single for stainless. Stainless can be a pain to flare & get to seal until you figure it out.
Good luck.
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Old 03-31-2020, 12:44 PM   #8
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

Hi,


I bought a barely use Blue Point (Snap-on) double flarer from Ebay several years ago. The Lisle looks similar. Mine works great with no slippage and makes excellent double flares. You can get a good one for $40 to $50 like this which is what I bought and it had all the pieces.



https://www.ebay.com/itm/BLUE-POINT-...sAAOSwqzhegU1m


Skip the tube straightener. Buy straight lengths and trim for a custom fit. The Green Book has the lengths per model. I bought my 1/4" brake lines from Napa and made sure they pulled straight and unbent ones from the hanging rack.


Glenn
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Old 03-31-2020, 01:01 PM   #9
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Ayers View Post
Thanks, all. So I noticed the tube straightener tool is $100 on it's own. Any Yankee engineered home built ones? I can see spending $100 on a piece of plastic with some wheels inside.
I think you mean you "can't" see.

Check this out : https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...8#post-8528527.

For some reason you have to "click" on the pictures individually. A further search of the H.A.M.B. will undoubtedly yield a few more home-made solutions.
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Old 03-31-2020, 01:01 PM   #10
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

Quote:
Originally Posted by glennpm View Post
Hi,


I bought a barely use Blue Point (Snap-on) double flarer from Ebay several years ago. The Lisle looks similar. Mine works great with no slippage and makes excellent double flares. You can get a good one for $40 to $50 like this which is what I bought and it had all the pieces.



https://www.ebay.com/itm/BLUE-POINT-...sAAOSwqzhegU1m


Skip the tube straightener. Buy straight lengths and trim for a custom fit. The Green Book has the lengths per model. I bought my 1/4" brake lines from Napa and made sure they pulled straight and unbent ones from the hanging rack.


Glenn
Thanks, Glenn. I already purchased the coil of tubing.
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Old 03-31-2020, 01:26 PM   #11
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

Quote:
Originally Posted by 51504bat View Post
I bought this one from Eastwood on sale with free shipping IIRC. Haven't used it yet but it looks pretty nice and it had some good reviews.
https://www.eastwood.com/professiona...ring-tool.html
Create 3 kinds of precision flares,
in 5 sizes of tubing
2X on the Eastwood tool. Wasn't cheap, but does a great job with double flares and multiple sized tubing. Highly recommend it if you're going to do much custom line making.
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Old 03-31-2020, 01:27 PM   #12
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

I have a tube straightener with the pulleys to run the coiled tubing through and it works well.

I also found if you clamp a piece of angle iron to a welding table you
can clamp or hold the end of the tubing to the edge of angle and start unrolling it by hand and it comes out straight. I saw a video of this method and it is handier than my expensive straightener. Works real well with the cunifer.

John
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Old 03-31-2020, 03:34 PM   #13
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

Summit also sells the tool for flaring that is similar to the Eastwood unit. I would spend the money to buy the one from Eastwood or Summit. They make perfect flares every time and that's the secret to no leaks. Those manual double flare units are O.K, but the flare is not always straight. There's a reason you see them at swap meets and for sale used.
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Old 03-31-2020, 04:10 PM   #14
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

John has a good suggestion in using a section of angle iron. Unroll it into the “throat” noting that you might have to add a shim or to over bend it to make it straight/flat. I did something similar with 3/8” copper for my Columbia controls.

One thing I on the Eastwood or Summit tool, is it good for making a flare close to a tight bend? Looks like the tool mandrels may be thicker than with the manual tools.

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Old 03-31-2020, 04:57 PM   #15
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

I use a flare tool similar to the one Eastwood sales. Love it.
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Old 03-31-2020, 08:21 PM   #16
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

Spend your money right the first time, nothing short of the Eastwood turret type and upwards from there...
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Old 03-31-2020, 08:40 PM   #17
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

Quote:
Originally Posted by Talkwrench View Post
Spend your money right the first time, nothing short of the Eastwood turret type and upwards from there...
It all depends on if you use "cunifer" or steel. When I was using my "Old Forge" flaring tool, about 1 in 5 leaked and I had to do them over, sometimes a couple of times. Now I have no such problem.

I guess "Better Materials make Better Tools". Or maybe I just got better at it. (I don't think so.)
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Old 03-31-2020, 09:33 PM   #18
Kurt in NJ
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

I have the mastercool hydraulic flairing tool, and one at work, that along with using the copper/ nickel pipe has made it easy, near perfect every time
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Old 03-31-2020, 11:40 PM   #19
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

I bought a coil of Copper Nickel Brake Line. The way I straitened it was I tied a knot in each end and stretched it strait with a come along, Worked just right. Perfectly strait.
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Old 04-01-2020, 06:58 AM   #20
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Default Re: Brake flaring tool & tube straightener suggestions

I've been doing some crafty kind of work with #9 steel wire. It comes in a coil. If I unroll it onto a straight surface, it still has a residual bend. I traced that residual bend onto a piece of scrap plywood. I then rebend it in the opposite direction against the curved edge of the plywood and it comes out pretty straight.

I've been using an inexpensive flaring tool and with the copper nickel tubing it works OK.
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Last edited by PeteVS; 04-01-2020 at 08:47 PM.
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