I'll be changing my front brake hoses this weekend. The book said I need flare wrench which I don't own so I went to Sears to get a set but they don't have a set, they just have individuals. They are like $14 each. I don't know what size I need or if a flare wrench is even required. What do you know?

Never had good luck with flare nut wrenches on brake lines.Always rounding off the nuts.Much better success rate with vise grip pliers and some penetrant like PB Blaster.If you use vise grips carefully you can squeeze hard enough for a good grip but not enough to crush the nut.

Oh yeah, and use wood or something else which is flat and/or soft, that way you don't ruin the bolt.


-justin

What do you mean. Like a thin piece of wood or something in the actual claw of the grip? :?

Yep, just put in like a shim or something [break it to size], that way you will have a little cushion [sp?] for the bolt, and you won't have those harsh lines on the bolt [trust me, i've been there]. I think you could also use a cloth, but I recommend the wood. 1/4" thick will work just fine.


-justin

Go down to your local harbor freight tool store (here'* the address):

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...l_Store_ID=176

and buy an english AND metric set of chinese made flare wrenches for $12

Their item no'* are: 5125-1vga (english) 5126-1vga (metric)

When you find the right size, buy the craftsman tool for better lifetime quality if you like.

When I replaced the brake lines on my 90 I bought a set of flare wrenches from Pep Boys got $20 or so. 4 double-ended wrenches for a total of 8 sizes from 10mm to 17mm and polished chrome. Nice. I believe I only used the 12 and 14mm on the job.

hmmm. So many options now. Thanx guys

RESULT: Ok I went to Autozone at got flare wrenches. They come in 3 packs. One option is the metric (6sizes from like 12-17mm) then SAE. I intially purchased metric because most nuts on my car are metric so far. But to my surprise the SAE 9/16 was the better fit on the metal brake line nut and I beleive like a 5/8 on the actual hose nut. Anyway its done. I wasn't really havin a prob I just thought I should change them because they are prob factory being that I bought the car w only 58k miles on it. Also I felt like my brakes weren't bleeding as good as they should. Actually they were bleeding good but when I would test them out by doin a series of hard stops (ie. 2 from 100mph-0), (2 from 60-0) and (2 from 40 -0) it would seem like the brakes were not as stiff as they should be.