Stainless braided brake hoses

[Naj ✝︎]

No answers to James' question? Are the fanciers of the braided hoses too timid? 

I have to admit that I do use them.
I have no idea if they are technically superior, just that they are made by a company in West London (on my way home from work), and they make them to pattern 'while you wait'. About the same price as the rubber ones once the shipping charges are factored in.
And they look cool!

naj
Not show cars, of course.

[Khurram Darugar]

I have these too, dont know if they make any difference but my brakes as a whole are spot on!
Kay

[jameshoward]

And they look cool!

That's a good enough reason right there! 

[mdsalemi]

FWIW, when my car was restored I paid no attention to parts manufacturer and just bought what I could from Miller's. When I recently checked the brake hoses (they are now 15 years old) they looked brand new. However, there's no getting around the 15 year old thing, and rubber IS rubber--so after 15 years of flawless performance these hoses--which are FAG if anyone is interested--are going to be retired this summer. I just purchased a full set of four from Dave Gallon. They are all new ATE. Since the braking system (calipers and booster) are ATE, I think ATE hoses should probably be OK. The total cost for all four new ATE hoses was about $50.

Yes, stainless braided brake hoses look cool. On my car, you'd have to jack up a corner, and take the wheel off--OR lock the steering wheel in one direction and peer in for any admiration; flex lines are not that visible. The other argument FOR SS lines is that they tend to expand less thus reducing any soft pedal...

[Autobob]

We have used braided stainless lines for over 30 years in our speed shop. They offer better abrasion resistance and less expansion than OEM rubber lines. Some cars have a noticeable pedal feel improvement; some are hard to tell a difference. They also have a Teflon inner lining that is less likely to develop a 'flap' after aging. It is rare but we have experienced old OEM lines on a couple of Alfas that developed a flap in the rubber internally not letting the fluid quickly release pressure. So brakes would still have some drag that would then go away after a while. The lines from a good company are also individually tested at very high pressure. That said for most cars the OEM rubber lines are fine and last a long time just buy rubber lines from a known company like ATE for example.

[Raymond]

Alfred, What Bob said.  And, no, we aren't too timid but some of us have jobs and can't get on the forum every day. 
Meanwhile, I just saw a kit from a company called Precise Lines that seems to be just the ticket.  The problem is, the guy can't remember where he bought it and I've poked around the web and can't find the kit.  I'd like to do the work in two weeks so it's a bit frustrating not to have a shop like the one near Naj where they can knock out a set in the time it takes to knock out a set.

[tel76]

Ray,
Why do you want to go the SS route, why not buy the product from MB or ATE, they are a proven product and will last the distance?

[Raymond]

Eric, read AutoBob's post.  I like to try to turn repairs into incremental improvements.  It may not be better but it won't be worse than the factory spec.  I think it will maintain performance over time better than the factory spec.  The plan is that will be the last time I ever have to replace these lines.   And, it makes me happy.