Absolutely hate brake line flare nuts
10-31-2006, 06:43 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Kantuckee Yo'
Posts: 4,405
Absolutely hate brake line flare nuts
The damn things never come loose even with the right flare nut tools. I tried PB blaster and everything. The flare nut wrench would not grip it and it started to round it off but I did not push it to the point of damaged.
Then bought some crowes foot flare wrench's for use with a ratchet, same damn thing. OMG I am so @#$%ing pissed I cant stand it, this is all that stood in my way of dropping the K-member.
Tried vice grips, this has worked for me before but not this time. When I do this I get it super tight as to not round anything off.
Ended up heating the 14mm crowes foot wrench and squeezing it with a vice to make it grip the flare nut tighter, it was tight enough now that I had to hammer it on the nut. After busting knuckles I finally broke the confounded thing loose after an hour and life is good again.
Someone please tell me the easier way to crack these ignorant things loose without damaging them for next time. This has happened many times. If the things must be brass why can they not put a bigger hex head on them. Done ranting now.
Then bought some crowes foot flare wrench's for use with a ratchet, same damn thing. OMG I am so @#$%ing pissed I cant stand it, this is all that stood in my way of dropping the K-member.
Tried vice grips, this has worked for me before but not this time. When I do this I get it super tight as to not round anything off.
Ended up heating the 14mm crowes foot wrench and squeezing it with a vice to make it grip the flare nut tighter, it was tight enough now that I had to hammer it on the nut. After busting knuckles I finally broke the confounded thing loose after an hour and life is good again.
Someone please tell me the easier way to crack these ignorant things loose without damaging them for next time. This has happened many times. If the things must be brass why can they not put a bigger hex head on them. Done ranting now.
Last edited by wrd1972; 10-31-2006 at 06:50 PM.
10-31-2006, 08:53 PM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: spartanburg,sc usa
Posts: 363
this may sound ghetto but it works great.... put some visegrips on the nut and smack it with a hammer. gets em loose 99% of the time, and unless you go crazy with the visegrips, the nuts will still look nearly new.
10-31-2006, 11:10 PM
#6
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Kansas City suburb of
Posts: 2,734
The key is getting the vise grips on right and tight.
Once done they usually come off pretty easy but I have bunged up a few in the past.
Bending new lines is not that hard in my opinion just a pain that you have too.
Once done they usually come off pretty easy but I have bunged up a few in the past.
Bending new lines is not that hard in my opinion just a pain that you have too.
11-01-2006, 07:12 AM
#8
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Kantuckee Yo'
Posts: 4,405
It was a flair nut wrench, it had extra edges to wrap around the nut. It just did not fit snug enough to get maximum surface contact which is obviously needed. By heating and squeezing the wrench I made it fit more snug.
11-01-2006, 07:21 AM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Little Rock, AR
Posts: 27,711
Was it a metric flare nut wrench? The nuts are metric.
Mine were very stubborn, too.
The trick with stuck flare nuts is like what was already mentioned. If you can get a wrench tight enough on it, lean the wrench so it is tight against the nut flats, then give it a firm pop to break the nut free. It will either work or the nut will start to round off.
Sometimes there is little you can do about it.
In the past, I have used a special vice-grips that has a funny, three sided jaw that will actually grip the nut flats and not maul it too badly.
Modifying your wrench was not a bad idea, either.
Mine were very stubborn, too.
The trick with stuck flare nuts is like what was already mentioned. If you can get a wrench tight enough on it, lean the wrench so it is tight against the nut flats, then give it a firm pop to break the nut free. It will either work or the nut will start to round off.
Sometimes there is little you can do about it.In the past, I have used a special vice-grips that has a funny, three sided jaw that will actually grip the nut flats and not maul it too badly.
Modifying your wrench was not a bad idea, either.
11-06-2006, 08:35 PM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Lafayette, LA, USA
Posts: 260
I ended up adding a set of Craftsman pliers to my tool kit. You know, the black ones that look like they come from Transformers? They act like pliers and vice grips at the same time. They come in a set of 2--one big and one smaller--for about $30.
11-07-2006, 05:13 PM
#11
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Burlington, NJ
Posts: 1,367
you didnt have the right tool.
if it's loose then that's not the right size. that's why they never seem to work right...or whatever. it's not the right size.
14mm is not 9/16, and 10mm is not 3/8....and so on ...
if it's loose then that's not the right size. that's why they never seem to work right...or whatever. it's not the right size.
14mm is not 9/16, and 10mm is not 3/8....and so on ...
11-07-2006, 07:19 PM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: N Falmouth MA
Posts: 2,597
YEah, the cheap ones will open right up on ya... but the good Snap-On ones are great..
I vote for Vice Grips and a Propane or MAPP torch. Heat the Caliper, or whatever, up around the nut just enough. Clamp the vice grips on there first, tho. ...
... Caliper isn't aluminum is it??.. WHat's the melting point of AL??...
That should do it. Worse comes to worse.... just cut the thing off and you can work on the caliper on the bench w/ a torch. Just get a flare kit to rapair the line. It souldn't bee that much off.. maybe an inch or so.
Last edited by Bayer-Z28; 11-07-2006 at 07:21 PM.
11-07-2006, 09:23 PM
#13
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Queens, New York City
Posts: 927
i suppose the tool has alot to do with it
i have a set of flare nut wrenches (metric and sae) and i always check which wrench will fit best, an even the best fitting wrench has rounded out some nuts, but this is a set of "great neck" tools, not snap-on
vise grips, sure, never had a problem using vice grips
my biggest problem is once you round out the brake line, where the hell do you get a replacement fitting? not all the fittings are typical fittings you get at autozone or anything
i have a set of flare nut wrenches (metric and sae) and i always check which wrench will fit best, an even the best fitting wrench has rounded out some nuts, but this is a set of "great neck" tools, not snap-on
vise grips, sure, never had a problem using vice grips
my biggest problem is once you round out the brake line, where the hell do you get a replacement fitting? not all the fittings are typical fittings you get at autozone or anything
