DIY Braided Brake Hose

[Hattee]

Most passenger cars are shipped with rubber brake hose being cheaper to manufacture, hardy and rarely fail with normal usage. Rubber brake hoses are able to withstand the hydraulic pressure encountered when braking, but they tend to swell/bulge (ballooning) when hard braking pressure is applied, hence limiting braking pressure translating to

[Tanzy]

Is your cable tie system as flexible as the steel braids to allow movement without chaffing at the hose when the wheels move? Also, steel braided hoses have a clear silicone jacket to keep dust out.

[Hattee]

Unless we have wheels turning beyond 90 deg both sides, 8mm-10mm spacing is enough, perhaps.

[Nine_eleven]

very interesting...

 

i suppose you have done this for your own car?

 

right now, i can't think of any appreciable side effect of such a mod...

[Trex101]

This is an interesting idea. Have you tried it? What the effect?

[Dwoon]

Does brake fluid get very hot? If so, would the cable tie withstand the heat and not melt or "creep"?

[Trex101]

Can the cable tie withstand the effect of the expanding brake hose under pressure?

[Hattee]

If only we know whether ballooning a rubber hose or breaking 50 cable ties require more force.

 

And if we know a typical braided steel brake hose actually uses rubber hose inside.

[Wankie]

not sure about brake fluid but i used some zip ties on my DIY heat shield for the air intake pipe, they do 'creep' and i have to tighten them every 2 weeks or so. haven't figured out if its the zip ties or the armaflex

[Poortraveller]

for me ... will not risk my life on this DIY

[Yeobh]

Can you cable tie takes brake force that can built up to 3,000 psi. All reputable rubber brake hoses for safety resaons will have burst pressure of at least 4x.

[Furrynadz]

frankly if i see u park beside me and i spot that monstrosity of a "use cable tie to simulate steel braid hose" i will just go to my boot and take my shears and snip ur 4 brake lines off and good luck to u

 

[Hattee]

guess DIY might be just waste of time for some who ...

[Jeffrey]

The brakes in the car are critical; a DIY to save $300 is just not worth the risk, especially if the mod has not been fully tested. Just my honest opinion.

[Hattee]

Agree. Cable-tie braiding doesn't appeal to those would have no clue of its collective stength and imagining the thick rubber can actually balloon through the tight spacings. Perhaps, what needed is the correct understanding of braiding before we can conclude if proper cable tieing is unsafe. Not forgetting no changes to original installation.

 

If you allow me to tell you the other side of the story. Haven't you heard of corrosion found at the aluminium joints of certain aftermarket braided hose. Also customised hoses often have to re-use and re-fasten back the OEM couplings. And it not uncommon some COT aftermarket braided hoses are not exactly the same length as OEM hoses. Do you think they are safer?

[Rk98]

so i think the cable tie is nt recommended!! am i right?

[Hattee]

For those who have no clue of what's braiding and undertand the collective stength of cable tie, imagining the thick rubber can actually balloon through the tight spacings.

 

Better not save the $200-$300 and have sleepless night I suppose. And good luck if you trust those aftermarket braided brake hoses are safer.

Edited February 12, 2006 by Hattee

[Approvel]

For me, I rather spend the $200-300 to let the pros do it