Removed all hard lines and rear calipers today. Going to be making my own. Any tips, recommendations, or things to avoid?

 

Why?

 

why not? Was already getting rid of the old abs and it gives me something to do while I’m saving for front subframe, engine, trans.

 

Because there's a LOT of work to do them RIGHT and if you don't do it right you can literally die or cause harm to someone else. Mazda did a great job engineering the brake lines, really no good reason to rip them all out IMHO.

Dale

 

Because you need something to do while the subframe is out is not a good reason to remove all the brake lines unless you just want to clean them. Terrible idea to replace them with non-OEM unless you have a race car with a fancy ABS.

If you are just deleting the ABS, no reason to replace all the lines throughout the car.

 

I wasn’t trying to say they weren’t engineered well just that the 28 yr old lines and abs are certainly not what they used to be and I’ve been finding one thing after another that the previous owner skimped out on or kind of hid so while I’ve got the area clear I figured I would inspect and redo them. If I’m not able to make quality lines safe enough then I can reinstall the old ones or have some professionally installed. I just have to get something going on this car or I’m going to lose motivation entirely especially as it starts getting colder out.

 

To add to what the others said, unless your brake lines are rusty & corroded and looking like they might spring a leak somewhere, there's no good reason to replace them.

If you do decide to replace them, and new Mazda OEM parts are not available (likely?), be careful on the aftermarket lines you select to make your own. I'd recommend using these guys - Fedhill brake line - Where to buy brake line, fuel line, brake line flaring tools, brake line nuts and brake line fittings

The Cunifer lines they make are DOT approved, nickel-copper alloy that have a few advantages over the generic "bend your own" steel brake lines you can buy at your typical auto parts retailer. They are highly corrosion resistant, and much easier to shape/bend and its much easier to produce leak-free flares with these as compared to steel lines. Also highly recommend you buy/rent the line flaring tool they have on that site - unless you already have a profession grade flaring tool (which is what theirs is), you'll save yourself some grief & frustration making leak-free flares.

 

I hope you don't drive anywhere around me. If anyone suspects any brake lines need to be replaced, there is no better substitute for OEM! Between the design and materials, this shouldnt be debated.

 

Unless you’re a line-bending savant, that section that runs up and over the differential and sits in the retainers on the rear subframe??
….I could see that being a REAL bitch to duplicate.
If I were you I’d start reassembly asap. It’ll give you something to do and keep your motivation up.

 

Then dont fix that does not need to be fixed, and spend your time on actual issues instead of creating them.

I have tried making my own brake lines, but only smaller portions as repairs. And its a royal pain in the ***. So unless you are very experienced with this, or your old lines are actually rusted on the outside (the inside wont rust due to brake fluid) there is NO reason to start on this yourself. I can tell you that making a set of brake lines for the FD will completley destroy your motivation.

 

Outside of the lines has some surface rust? Get some POR-15 and paint it over the lines. Will convert and trap the rust and leave a black shiny surface that's VERY hard and will last forever.

Also hope you labeled them. This is exactly the route to take to turn a good running FD into a roller parts car once it's been a year and you have no idea how this goes back together.

Dale

 

(And its not about us all being a bunch off ******** stepping on your motivation and momentum. We have all more than likely been given similar advice by others, then ignored it, and then found ourselves in a pile of **** of our own doing. Personally, im putting together a Miata, a VERY simple car, that was not properly cataloged and labeled, and i want to beat my 3 year younger selves *** with a pipe wrench for being such an *** hat as to not doing a proper job with the dismantling. Its cost me lots of time, and lots of money, to search for the right bolts and nuts, buy new **** only to find the old **** in an unlabeled bag days after putting the new **** on the car. Its a royal pain of stupidity. And what advice did i ignore? The fking basic "label everything, sort everything, put it all in the same box". Spend a minute to save an hour.)

We are speaking from hard earned experience. Add just hope that we can save someone from doing the same stupid mistakes we did