Hello,
While putting on new stainless lines with a new torque wrench that I obviously did not use correctly (the 'click' is MUCH lighter on this new one), I sheared off the bolt that came with the kit to connect the lines to the caliper. Had to get the car put together again (haven't driven it yet) so I reused the OEM bolt with the two new crush washers that came with the SS kit (after getting the sheared off bolt out, no thread damage). I know one is not supposed to reuse the copper washers, but can one safely reuse the bolt? If so, then why do the SS kits all come with new bolts, just so everything looks "pretty"?

Thanks for your thoughts,

 

typically they come with hardware because some replace their lines because either parts or the line itself is faulty plus wouldnt you buy a kit that said hardware included over no harware? lol as long as it was same length and it snugged up your fine. no worries

 

Take a look at this chart on the strength of bolts made of different materials:

Table 1b,Fastener Property Comparison about halfway down the page here:

http://www.algeo.com/~joe/KIAT/kiat_2.htm

Now tell me why you'd rather have stainless steel screws holding your brake lines in place. Maybe it broke easily because it wasn't really all that strong to begin with.

 

Proper stainless steel braided brake line kits, like Goodridge, come with carbon steel banjo bolts, not stainless steel. These are to be torqued to 18 lb-ft. They are not a weak material, but they are drilled to allow fluid flow, which reduces the maximum torque you can use. If installed properly, they virtually never develop an issue.

The reason they are included is that many OE banjo bolts do not have the correct length and/or head configuration. Rather than leaving it up to a user (who may or may not be a professional service tech) to decide whether it will work properly or not, Goodridge includes new banjo bolts and crush washers to eliminate any potential issues.


Chris

 

The ads for SS brake line kits I looked at either didn't mention the banjo bolts or implied they were stainless steel by the wording. For example: "...kits come with CNC machined stainless steel fittings, banjo bolts and new copper washers..."

Then there was the OP's comment: "...then why do the SS kits all come with new bolts, just so everything looks "pretty"?" That led me to think they were "pretty" stainless rather than just carbon steel specially sized for the new lines as you pointed out.

So, thank you for setting me straight on the matter. I appreciate it.