TookyCat said:
I guess I'm the only Tard on here who doesn't know what the stainless brake lines are for or what they do.. can someone explain? Thank you in advance
Stainless steel brake lines are actually a misnomer. They refer to flexible fluid lines that are covered by a braided stainless re-inforcing layer. Typically what you see on high dollar race cars etc.
New rubber brake lines are fine, however as they wear and age the rubber breaks down and gets 'tired' as this happens two things occur:
1. The rubber contaminates fluids it contains,
2. also it begins to absorb some of the pressure its transferring, making the brakes feel somewhat spongy (the lines balloon up and absorb some of the energy intended to apply the shoes or calipers).
By installing brake lines that have the braided stainless steel covering you should notice a few things, first, you will notice a firmer pedal, depending on how worn out yer old lines were/are this will be a major improvement in feel and operation. Also, most of these brake lines are constructed with long term in mind (vs the factory mentality). These lines are usually teflon lined or some sort of long term coating. The stainless steel lines dont generally expand and blow up similar to a balloon (like the stockers).
You will notice decreased effectiveness with stock rubber lines over time. The theory behind the stainless steel braided lines is they arent supposed to 'give-up' like the rubber stockers.
On a side note, I had some custom made for me here by Earls when I did my LS1 rear disc conversion. I noticed an extremely MORE FIRM pedal. I cant attribute the change in feel completely to the change in brakes, so I assume a portion of it was due to the brake lines.
IMHO, they are a worthwhile mod. I would strongly recommend them to anyone that really wants to 'lean' on their truck as the S10 braking system is marginal at best. Eventually I want to get some made for the front also, where the flex hose is @ each wheel. The stainless braided hoses are also much more abrasion resistant than the rubber ones due to their construction.