Brake Lines

[JR66]

I've made inverted flares with my inverted flaring tool but not for the Alpine yet. Will inverted flare work okay on new 3/16 tubing to be used with original fittings connected to original wheel cylinders & calipers? I'm confused about difference between inverted flare and bubble flare. I like working with NiCopp, easy to bend and flare.

 

[Toyanvil]

My Eastwood tool does a great job on bubble flares, and I made my brake lines using Stainless steel tubing.
https://www.eastwood.com/profession...kedid=414358555912&wickedsource=google&wv=3.1

 

[sunalp]

You need to use bubble flares with the Alpine fittings as they are set up that was. If not mistaken the inverted flares
are ISO flares for European cars, german and italian , but not british.

The Nicopp lines are great to work with and 3/16 is the correct size for your car.

 

[JR66]

Thanks toyanvil and sunalp . I've learned a lot about flares today, especially that the Alpine needs a bubble flare. The Eastwood tool looks great but pricey for doing just a few ends. I may try to find a less expensive bubble flare tool. Some people recommend using just the first step of making a double or inverted flare. Have any of you tried that? Also there is something called a universal flare but it's only available on pre-made tubing. Here are four links I found that have more info on the subject for anyone interested. The first link has good photos of the differences.
https://www.triumphexp.com/forum/tr2-and-tr3-forum.6/brake-line-double-vs-bubble.1498934/
https://www.britishcarforum.com/community/threads/standard-for-the-girling-bubble-flare.114375/
https://store.fedhillusa.com/britishgirling.aspx
https://mossmotoring.com/hydraulic-pipes-with-universal-flares/

 

[sunalp]

If you're only going to use it once or twice, the Harbor Freight tool is inexpensive, and lasts just that long.
I have three of them, all with broken 3/16 bits. I finally broke down and bought a much better one.

I always do the two part bubble flare, but it really depends on what type of fitting you're using.
For the brakes you need a double.

 

[Toyanvil]

I think the Eastwood is worth the money, the cheap ones leave ring grooves in the tubing that can fail, the Eastwood does not.

 

[junkman]

You can buy bubble flair lines at AutoZone, just make sure you buy the British and not the Japanese one

 

[Gary T]

Double flare fittings are used on the Alpine rear wheel cylinders steel input line while at the "Y" shaped T fittings use all bubble flares for each wheel cylinder as well as the rubber hose fitting on the third leg of this fitting. So that means the two rear brake line along the differential must have bubble flare on one end a double flare on the cylinder side. All the brake connections on the front multiple port fitting are bubble flare, including the brake light switch.

Front calipers use bubble flare fittings from steel tube to rubber hose for each caliper. Hoses, if correct with use the correct inlet and outlet connection for the caliper itself.

 

[JR66]

The Series V is different.

 

[Gary T]

Thank you for the update on brake lines. I should have included in my response that this was based on my Series II Alpine.

 

[JR66]

Thanks for your input also & I should have mentioned in the beginning that I have a Series V. It doesn't use the T fittings for example. I checked all the tubing & hose ends today and all are bubble type with two exceptions. Inputs to the three flexible hoses are inverted flare and the inputs to the two front calipers use "crush" washers to seal. So now I think I understand the fittings.