"Inner" rear brake lines (the ones by the diff) - how best to remove?

[dspock]

In doing some research I've read about a few different approaches to getting the flexible brake lines near the diff off. My rear carrier and trailing arms are still installed.

mine are corroded pretty badly:




I've read some will cut the flex line close enough to the union to get a deep well socket over it for a clean grab.....others have had different techniques. I've put some penetrating oil on them and let them sit (not in this pic)

Has anyone does this recently?

I'm doing an awful lot of other work on the rear to leave these things in there looking like this...but the thought of dropping the sub frame is getting me down.

Thoughts?

[jibbajabba]

Oh those are going to be fun!

I would cut them and use a socket with some heat applied to it.

[1st Roundel]

I did mine not long ago and while not that bad, it was pretty straight forward. The union is on the other side of course and I've found with dissimilar metals, the unions usually come free, especially since there was probably some brake fluid on the threads.. Just be sure to use proper flare nut (brake line) wrenches and I bet your fine. If not you always have the last resort of cutting them

[dspock]

thanks guys for the quick response.

jibbabjabba: only heat I have is a BS mapp torch...good enough or too slow?

1st Roundel: did you do yours with the trailing arms still in the car? (last thing I need is to f it up and need to run new hard lines)

[///Mavrikno13764]

Did mine along with the subframe bushings.
So mine were easy to get to :/
But, they were the last piece to disconnect it and mine were as corroded as yours.
I cut mine and stuck a socket over it. It was the only way I could have gotten it out.

[xworks]

Size 10/11 brake flare spanner can be worth it's weight in gold in these situations.......

[jibbajabba]

Size 10/11 brake flare spanner can be worth it's weight in gold in these situations.......

I agree, if your keeping the brake line. In this case where the OP is replacing them, cut the line and use an actual 6 point deep socket on it.

Mapp, or what is now Map-Pro is the yellow bottle, which burns hotter then propane (blue bottle). Unless you have these in a little hand held unit, it's going to be difficult to not burn your undercarraige, so I would NOT recommend them in THIS application.

If I need to heat something up that is in a tight spot or where i need to concentrate the heat to a small area I use this, and I use it a lot!



It's only $16.00 at Home Depot and is an AWESOME little tool. I use it all the time, especially for soldering. It would be perfect for what your trying to do.

[dspock]

I agree, if your keeping the brake line. In this case where the OP is replacing them, cut the line and use an actual 6 point deep socket on it.

Mapp, or what is now Map-Pro is the yellow bottle, which burns hotter then propane (blue bottle). Unless you have these in a little hand held unit, it's going to be difficult to not burn your undercarraige, so I would NOT recommend them in THIS application.

If I need to heat something up that is in a tight spot or where i need to concentrate the heat to a small area I use this, and I use it a lot!



It's only $16.00 at Home Depot and is an AWESOME little tool. I use it all the time, especially for soldering. It would be perfect for what your trying to do.

Thats great. Thanks Jibbajabba. Will pick one of those up this week. Now I need to decide if I'm gonna drop the rear and do the bushings. This started as an axle replacement.

[autox320]

If round it try like any other brake line with vise grips and heat. Hard line end is always softer metal and the job of swapping brake lines always frustrates me. Armed with new SK flare tools and portable torch I chant a small line to the car gods to please let it separate. PB blaster day or so beforehand just to be sure.

My last version of this job turned out to be more complicated than I imagined lol.
Old e30 318i 4dr, my girls fav car actually with 300k miles. Went to replace the sub frame lines and couldn't even with a special flare wrench. I decided to let a shop take a crack at it, but nobody would touch it. The dealership said no way cause they might have to replace the main hard line. I was crunched for time on leave and said sure do it, but they looked at it on the lift and wouldn't touch it.

So back home tried to heat it blocking the gas tanks with a welding blanket. Rounded the hardline with the flare wrench, and wouldn't budge with heat and vise grips. Problem with this cars history is previous owner pumped the subframe bushings with liquid nail so about impossible to remove. I've had the whole rear unbolted and pried with my weight on a 4ft crowbar on the sub frome. It's permanently bonded to the under body and through bolts. I'll be tackling this car eventually finding a way to get the subframe off. It's sitting having the engine rebuilt (m42)after losing compression finally. I figure I'll pull the tanks and start burning things out. Fight fire with fire. Cut the lines and socket the ends off. If have to replace the hardline to the T junction it's not impossible just time consuming. Sounds like fun huh

[dspock]

Update:

Was able to get the old lines off and the new lines on.

BIG thanks to jibbajabaa who offered the micro-torch. That was the key. (NOTE: you have to buy the fuel when you buy the torch...it doesn't come with any)

I didn't have an offset flare nut wrench so lined up the nut and clamped it with some vice grips. That did the trick.

Installing it, I left the vice grips on, tightened the lines by hand and then finished them up with my long extension and a crows foot:





the finished product on the opposite side: