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I am finally starting to assemble brakes and suspension on my 83. Looking back, I wished I had taken more photos for reference. I purchased rear brake lines from inline tube but they seem too long. Not only that, but I can't figure out which end goes toward the caliper. While I am in the process of figuring this out with them, I thought maybe someone here could help me sort this out. According to the sticky: 82-86* cars are equipped with iron, single-piston Delco-Moraine calipers and 10.5" rotors. In those years, the pass side caliper with its flex line is mounted in front of the axle, the drivers’ side with its hardline to the rear (I've heard that some early model cars, perhaps 82-83, have hardlines to both sides).
I am attaching a photo of the car when I got it. I don't know if this is the original axle or not (I was told it was, but it has 3:42 gears). Clearly there is the pass side with a rubber hose behind the axle, not in front as the sticky says, and I can't remember if there was a hose on the driver side or just a hard line. The service manual shows what appear to be hardlines to BOTH calipers. Next time I will make my life easier and get the brake lines on before the axle goes in, lol.
this brake line tool is under $50 and will do both bubble flair and Dubble flair. on any 3/16 SS brake line. the brake line 16ft $25 or 25fy coil of SS brake line. is easy to work with.
making your brake lines is easy.
the big money is the brake line straightener $80. as the brake line comes in a coil. and you need to use the tool to get the line straight. takes 2 sec. after that its easy..
the SS line is so easy to work with. the tubing benders are under $15.
Last edited by articwhiteZ; Jan 31, 2022 at 02:27 PM.
Well, lonesome, a whole month before getting your first reply must've felt rather "lonesome."
Laying out the hardlines like they'd meet at the driver's side of the axle pumpkin makes it obvious as to which side is which, so I'm guessing you've worked this out by now.
But regarding your passenger's side question, yes, it's correct that the passenger's side hardline ends at the LCA bracket, and a short soft line runs to the caliper, just like in the picture of your "aged" axle.
The driver's side, however, is different. Its original hardline would've curled at the caliper and routed directly into it. So any upgrade on 82-88 axles, other than OE replacement, will require that driver's side axle hardline to be replaced with one from an 89+ set. But yours, appearing to be newer/remanufactured versions of the original brakes, the axle's original driver's side hardline should've connected right up. Have you already discarded that hardline? If you still have it, then clean it up with degreasers, paint thinners, etc., and reuse it.
I've looked at those listings for replacement hardlines, and the one offered for the driver's side for 82-88 axles does differ from the original. The claim is that it will fit both, a caliper or a drum, but it appears to be for a drum and would require some reworking to fit a caliper. So they probably make it long so it can be curled by the customer.
But rather than trying to reshape and curl that new hardline and risk destroying it, it would seem that new hardlines for 89-92 brakes would be the better way to go for factory replacement 82-88 brakes, too. Then the driver's side would terminate at the LCA, like the passenger's side does, and you could simply run a short soft line to the caliper, like on the passenger's side.
At least, those new hardlines are inexpensive, and you could get multiple years to experiment with different fitments.
Last edited by LAFireboyd; Feb 2, 2022 at 08:42 AM.
Even the Russell lines on the rear require a loop thrown into it.. The lines are a little over 12 to 15".. This line I had made with a 1/2 inch added to copy the factory lines for my Factory disk brakes
Can confirm, well worth the money, as many times as I've tried to use the standard flare tool I never could get it right, this tool makes creating a flare very easy, if you have only one flare to do they are still worth the money. There is also a 1/4 line tool as well. These are not advertized as forming a ISO/Bubble flare but it does make a nice bubble flare.
Last edited by 91banditt2; Feb 2, 2022 at 10:40 AM.
