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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Where to buy good quality nuts for brake lines?

I'm making new brake lines and thought I'd use new nuts. Does anyone who of a place to buy some good quality nuts? I've got two good ones but I'll need a few more. 3/8" x 24

Standard brake lines in Aus are double flares and most are metric so my internet search hasn't found a seller over here. I've found a few places in the UK but at 10 for £2.50 they sound a bit cheap for me. I also found a good place in the US (FedHill) but they don't ship outside the US.

If I can find a flaring tool at a reasonable price I might even do my owns flares but as the brake fittings in Aus are double flares the flaring kits are for these. I haven't found any DIN/ISO Bubble flaring kits over here. Does anyone know of a flaring kit in either Aus, US or UK that's a reasoanble price and quality?

If I have to I can get the brake shop to flare them for me but I like to do things myself if I can.
Greg H

Greg

It's my understanding you need double flares not bubble flares, bubble flares are used on modern vehicles. I recently replaced all my brake pipes and made all my own from scratch. I bought a reasonable tool IIRC about £20 and some 20 gauge 3/16 pipe. Making the flares isn't difficult but it does need practice. The price for the nuts sounds about right. I bought mine from here http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/brakepipe/brakes.php

Bob
R.A Davis

You could try Automec. They sell brass unions.
Cheers John
HALL JOHN

Examples of some flares on this listing...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sykes-Pickavant-Brake-Pipe-Flaring-Tool-3-16-4-75mm-/310213422713
Dave O'Neill 2

Bob here's a pic of mine. Definitely not a Double flare which is the standard in Aus and Asia. I think the DIN flare is used on cars in Europe. So were old English cars like mine i.e. Bubble?

What do English cars have now?

Vehiclewiring looks like it has the nuts that I'm after and easy to order online too.

Still not exactly sure what type of flaring tool I need to be looking for. Does anyone have a name for this type of flare?


Greg H

here is a great web site with (I think) the answers to all of your questions

http://www.fedhillusa.com/


Norm
Norm Kerr

Hi Norm, I had been to that website and that's where I got this info from. That's why I was sure I had Bubble flares but can't understand why I'm having so much trouble finding a flaring tool to suit.

I also found some pics on a forum of a car which has a new set of lines made up and I think it may have been yours? Very neat job. If it was I assume you know what type of tool I need. I found the ISO / Bubble falring tool on Amazon.com Only $20 in the US A bargain and surely good enough for the few flares I need to do. But can't find it elsewhere. Perhaps it's called something different in other places.

http://www.amazon.com/OTC-4504-Stinger-Bubble-Flaring/dp/B0015PMZMU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311680536&sr=8-1


Greg H

Greg that last image sure confuses me; the lower half mentions 'old style bubble flare' and 'DIN/ISO flare', and the side by side pics look different, yet the heading *implies* they are the same or perhaps interchangeable.
David Smith

Greg, If you decide to purchase from FedHill, I will act as an intermediate shipper. If you are willing to pay the postage. I am a 40 year midget owner and willing to do this as a help to you. John
J Bubela

Hi Greg,
when I did my new lines, I rented a production flaring tool from FedHill. It was way easier to use than the one in your link (and faster too). I already had one like what you showed, but after trying the FedHill one I never looked back!
By the way, the simple tool from Amazon, I bought mine from a local hardware store.

David, you are correct, the DIN bubble flare and the "old style (British Girling) bubble flare" are interchangeable. Almost nothing else in the world of brake lines IS interchangeable, but in this case it is.


Norm
Norm Kerr

thanks Norm, I'm still learning...
David Smith


Thanks for all your advice guys. I think I know what I'm after now. FedHill said they would post direct to me but postage was $26.50 for a pack of nuts! Thanks John for offering to post them on but now I know what I need I'll see if my local brake shop can help out with the nuts. I'm now also thinking for the few flares I need done rather than buying a flarer it may be easier to get the shop to do the them too.
Greg H

For a standard double flare, you have a two step process; first form a bubble, then invert it into the tube. If you stop after step one, the resulting bubble works just fine with either the Girling bubble nuts or the DIN type. I've done thousands of them with no problems. The standard autoparts store replacement lines available here generally have just such an incomplete bubble form, the same for both Girling/SAE and DIN nuts.

The Girling nuts have an internal chamfer which results in the fitting being expanded outwards and fouling the threads if it has been overtightened as in the picture posted above. The DIN nut does not have this chamfer. Either type nut will form the partial bubble to the correct finished shape when tightened correctly.

FRM
FR Millmore

This thread was discussed between 26/07/2011 and 28/07/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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