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brake hose vs pipe
rodgling - 14/4/15 at 08:51 AM

I'm currently over-hauling my brakes with the aim of improving pedal feel. Currently my car uses braided hose throughout, would I notice any improvement by switching to metal pipe?

I realise this is unlikely to be the main source of my soft pedal but while I've got everything in bits now it might be a good time to do it?

As a first step I will block off all the hoses at the calipers, bleed, and see what the pedal feels like to test the existing braided hose.


britishtrident - 14/4/15 at 09:27 AM

You will only feel a tiny difference, one thing to check is that your pedal box is sufficiently stiff.


loggyboy - 14/4/15 at 09:32 AM

Personally I would only want flexible hoses where they are needed for suspension movement.
Not just from a feel point of view, but from the ability to check the condition of the hoses from year to year.


rodgling - 14/4/15 at 10:22 AM

Will test the hoses I've got then and see how it goes. I see what you mean about being able to check condition, but if they are not impacting feel I will leave them be for now.

Pedal box looks mega stiff, I seriously doubt I could flex it even with 5-1 leverage or more. It's thick steel bolted to a steel bulkhead.

[Edited on 14/4/15 by rodgling]


russbost - 14/4/15 at 12:18 PM

You will not get any improvement with metal hoses over braided hose unless the braided hoses are damaged. In both cases there is no significant distortion of the outer "case" which is enclosing the brake fluid - neither will allow any expansion


Slimy38 - 14/4/15 at 01:22 PM

Is it worth reviewing your brake pad compound? On my tintops the pad type made more difference to 'feel' than anything related to the pipes.