Brake Line Placement for TT Disc Brakes
Most trailer installation pics and videos I've seen show flex hydraulic brake lines run from the frame rail to the caliper assembly, mere inches from the side of the tire. On my truck I noticed s...
Forum Discussion
Appreciate all the input from everybody. I'm in no big rush, so taking my time to research all my options.
Given a choice, I think it's a no-brainer to route the brake lines on the inside of the frame rail; however, for those of us with a sealed underbelly it's a more difficult option. I would think running the brake line on the outside of the frame rail is not a major concern, as long as the brake line is routed towards the center axle area, prior to getting close to the wheel well/tire area. As I mentioned in my opening post, most of the installation pics and videos I've seen route the flex brake lines parallel with the sidewall of the tire. I would think dropping the primary brake line to the center of the axle a with flex line, then using a splitter to run brake lines along the axle housing all the way to the caliper assembly is a better option. That keeps the lines away from the outward trajectory area in the event of a blow out. I guess one's choice boils down to the odds of general road debri damaging a line if it's routed towards the center of the axle vs. a chance a tire blow-out will damage a flex line run next to the tire sidewall.
As for the discussion about steel vs. copper/nickel lines, yes, no doubt steel itself is "stronger" than copper and nickel. However, strength is not always the major concern for every application. I found this article a couple days ago (same article that JoeWay referenced) about the use of copper/nickel brake lines a very interesting read.
Here's a quote from this link that I found very interesting:
"Users of copper-nickel brake tubing in addition to Volvo include world-class vehicle manufacturers like Rolls Royce, Lotus, Aston Martin, Porsche and, most recently, Audi. Copper-nickel is also used in military, fire fighting and other heavy vehicles."
Given a choice, I think it's a no-brainer to route the brake lines on the inside of the frame rail; however, for those of us with a sealed underbelly it's a more difficult option. I would think running the brake line on the outside of the frame rail is not a major concern, as long as the brake line is routed towards the center axle area, prior to getting close to the wheel well/tire area. As I mentioned in my opening post, most of the installation pics and videos I've seen route the flex brake lines parallel with the sidewall of the tire. I would think dropping the primary brake line to the center of the axle a with flex line, then using a splitter to run brake lines along the axle housing all the way to the caliper assembly is a better option. That keeps the lines away from the outward trajectory area in the event of a blow out. I guess one's choice boils down to the odds of general road debri damaging a line if it's routed towards the center of the axle vs. a chance a tire blow-out will damage a flex line run next to the tire sidewall.
As for the discussion about steel vs. copper/nickel lines, yes, no doubt steel itself is "stronger" than copper and nickel. However, strength is not always the major concern for every application. I found this article a couple days ago (same article that JoeWay referenced) about the use of copper/nickel brake lines a very interesting read.
Here's a quote from this link that I found very interesting:
"Users of copper-nickel brake tubing in addition to Volvo include world-class vehicle manufacturers like Rolls Royce, Lotus, Aston Martin, Porsche and, most recently, Audi. Copper-nickel is also used in military, fire fighting and other heavy vehicles."
