Brake lines are an integral part of the hydraulic braking systems used by almost all cars and trucks. A hydraulic braking system is one that uses fluid to cause the vehicle to slow down as a driver's foot is applied to the brakes. If the brake lines aren't working, then neither will the actual braking system. Can you imagine driving down the road and being unable to slow down? There is a process that can be applied to the end of a brake line, called a flare or brake line flaring that makes it wider at the end. This allows for a wider tubing section, which allows the connector to slip in deeper and with ease. If your brake line can't flex with your vehicle's movement, the connection points will become stressed and eventually break. Take your time when routing out your brake lines, make sure that you have just the right amount of clearance around the other engine comparments. Tuck them away neatly in order to safeguard them from harm. These things could be what's standing between you and careening into another moving vehicle at high speed
More on Brake Lines for Dodge, Ford, GM Trucks
Brake lines are made from all sorts of materials, with differing applications for each. Off-roaders preference is usually for steel lines because puncturing a line is always a concern. If you're using a soft brake line, even a small pebble or stick could pierce right through. A steel brake line isn't going to react the same way that a flex line would. Flex lines even begin to stretch just from the amount of fluid flowing through. This is going to weaken braking performance due to the amount of line pressure diminishing. One of the downfalls to a steel line system is that they are less flexible than other materials, so the connections to the brakes should be checked more often than with a flex line. The braided steel line is one that is an attempt to solve some of the common ailments of the typical solid steel brake line. It is basically a softer brake line which is then surrounded by a mesh of braided steel strips; this allows it more give than steel tubing while maintaining a high level of strength around your brake line. It even prevents the soft line from swelling! This construction type's downfall is that the soft tubing within is difficult or impossible to check due to its protective shell. Performance brake lines also come in a range of other materials, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses: braided carbon fiber, Kevlar, and Teflon are a few of these. These materials may add strength, durability, and performance, but also make up for it in their cost.
