Fitment issues with stainless steel braided brake lines.

[fstlane88]

I've done a fair bit of searching and did not come up with anything, so if this has come up before my apologies. The issue I'm having is with a set of SMC Products brake lines, but the packaging also says Goodridge on it in several places so I'm not sure who really made them.

Problem area #1 is circled in red in pic below. Pic is not the actual kit, but best I could find real quick. Also, on the lines i have there are two of those points on each line, naturally b/c there are two points on the car for the line to mount. Both of those points on lines I have are too large to fit through the brackets both on the inner fender and on the spindle.

With some light grinding I got them to eventually fit through on the only side I worked on today. Problem #2 is now the factory retaining clips are way to small (New line is thicker.) to slide back in place. Is there a size up for the clip I can use, or should I try to mod the factory ones to fit?

 

[mkiiichip]

Each one of those junctions needs two clips to work properly, first is an e clip,

And a retaining clip

Which one doesent fit?
I just installed a set of goodridge lines and it all fit without modification.

 

[fstlane88]

Good point I have both, but only tested the U. Which did not fit. I did not try the half circle. I could forsee it working because it has give.

 

[mkiiichip]

Both of your posts are confusing to me.

Inside of the each of circles you posted, need to have both of the clips i posted, to work.

I dont know how to explain it any better than that.

 

[fstlane88]

I'll try to make some sense of it. The area in red that is circled in the picture. In say the center of that, when the line is on the car and that portion of the line is in the bracket. You would then push the clips onto the line to secure the brake line to the bracket. The girth of the line is to thick, thicker than the ID of the factory U-clip.

I was trying today to grind the ID of the factory U-clip to allow it to fit into the area on the line it's meant to fit. I now see and understand that both clips work together to hold it in the bracket. But the U-clip still does not fit/push onto the line because the line is thicker than the ID of the U-clip.

Hopefully that makes sense. What I was referring to regarding the half circle fitting, is that it has give that the U-clip does not have.

I will try to get pictures up tomorrow that hopefully can help make some sense of this, but it definitely is becoming clear that I have an uncommon problem(s) with this install.

 

[hvyman]

It will fit. Its a tight fit and its supposed to be. If it was loose it would just fall out. Have to push it in there good. There should a little slot designed for it. Have to push the line thorugh far enough to see it as well.

If you have a micrometer measure it.

 

[fstlane88]

ID of U-clip is a hair over 10mm

OD of line where clip should fit is 12mm.

I put the line on my workbench today and tried to force the clip on the line, and it basically deformed the clip. It couldn't expand outward to fit, so it twisted. Something here is definitely not right.

 

[Asterix]

I took a file to my clips to make them large enough.

 

[fstlane88]

One other thing I'm noticing looking around at other kits made for our cars. You guys that have done this install before, were the lines on the front in 2 peices?

The lines I have in this kit, are all one peice for the front, which is further adding to the difficulty of install. And leading me to believe I got the wrong kit.

 

[hvyman]

There 1 piece.

Does ther c clip fir in that hole?

 

[mirage83]

I purchased and installed a Goodridge kit for my '88. All 4 lines were 1-piece, and while I did have problems getting the retaining blocks and clips into position they all finally gave in and cooperated.

 

[fstlane88]

Alright, I'll give it some more hell, and see what happens.

Thanks for the replys.

 

[fstlane88]

Took a file to the brackets and got one side done. Try to start/finish other side tomorrow.

Then the rears, which I can't imagine being nearly as troublesome.

 

[mkiiichip]

The rears are simple, they will be some needed relief.

Do you have a pic of the packaging from the lines? It seems strange some goodridge lines fit well and some don't.

 

[fstlane88]

I'll get some pics of the actual lines up later today.