Lets talk race car brake lines

So, starting to plan the plumbing for the naskart. 

Braided flex lines, 3an to each caliper and chassis to rear axle. Will also use braided flex lines from the master cylinders to the 3an bulkhead fittings. These bulkhead fittings will move the metal lines inside the cockpit for safety. 3/16 metal lines. 

So, what metal? I was thinking nicopp since its so nice to work with, but i wonder about its crack and damage resistance with how malleable it is. 

I also need to make new transfer tubes for all four calipers. 

Whats best practice here, with what materials?

Thanks

I have not heard of any failures using NiCopp in rally cars, other than lines getting smooshed by rocks and stuff.  It's what I'd use, personally, although I only have experience with that and crappy parts store steel.

I plumbed both the MG and the Subaru using the $90 Jegs Universal Brake line kit (it's $98 now)

I believe it is just Zinc Coated steel brake line.  I had no issues flaring the line being methodical and using a midgrade flare tool.  

The car has 15ish Trackdays on it and sees weather and the lines still are fine.  

NiCop for ease of construction, there is no downside beyond cost.

I've used both. If you're plumbing only one car and won't do another, and have to buy a good ($$$) flaring tool, it may end up cheaper to just plumb the entire car with braided stainless hose. Add up ALL the expenses first and see.

Caveats:

Using ready-to-use brake lines with pre-formed ends may work, and may not, depending upon the spacing between components.

Using cheap flaring tools usually ends in leaks and frustration..

If you'll be doing multiple cars, yes, doing flared hard lines yourself is the cheapest route.

Pre-flared brake lines with pre-formed ends often ends up looking cleaner because it starts straight so it's clear of all the slight wobbles you get after unrolling a roll of hard line :) 

The concern with all braided is that there's a slight ballooning in any flex line, and when your entire brake plumbing is made of the stuff you end up with a little more spring in the pedal than you might want. It's also seriously expensive if you're buying pre-terminated lines, and I'd rather flare hard lines than build AN lines from both a reliability and a "ow my finger" standpoint. I have more faith in the long-term reliability of a flare I've done myself than an AN line I built myself, especially with high pressure.

I knew a mechanical engineer who was also into building cars. He wondered the same thing about AN braided brake lines, had the equipment to test it, and did so. He found that the lines do expand... but that it was such a ridiculously small amount that he never gave it another thought. Something on the order of 0.001% or so.

Good info. One of those "in theory, but not in practice" concerns then.

Didn't Bad Obsession do Binky in all braided?

I hate nicop with a passion.  I feel ashamed at rollercoaster lines, and the stuff is so soft that a flare is only good once, if you have to take it apart again it will leak.

I've had good experience with NiCopp. I prefer zinc/galv steel for vain aesthetic reasons, also it's cheaper. Stainless hard line would be my top choice but my flaring tool is too cheap to handle that material.

Pete: thats fantastic information there. Thanks!

Everyone else: i have the mastercool flaring tool, all the tube nuts and sleeves and bulkhead fittings, etc. Ive done quite a few street cars in both nicopp and steel, but not dedicated race cars with limited nvh measures. 

Ive also never made transfer tubes. 

Seems like nicopp may not be the droid im looking for outside the transfer tubes due to the reusability issues pete reported. But sounds ideal for transfer tubes. 

Would the roll of spiral armor wire be a good idea on all the lines to limit damage?

IANAmetallurgist but would think the malleability is a plus against cracks, all other things being equal.

Nicopp is especially nice for the on- caliper piping and other small bits.