I've just talked with a guy who'd been a serious racer, whose opinions I tend to respect and he told me there'd be no difference between SS lines and good quality braided rubber ones.

What's your opininion on that? Did you have a chance to run with/without these and the rest being the same in your S197?

EDIT: I'm talking purely about road course use and feel. I know they are worthless for the street

 

I'd argue that they are worthless for the street. I've used them on three street cars, and they definitely provide improved pedal firmness due to less expansion under pressure. They are also less likely to suffer catastrophic damage due to road debris, and won't dry out and crack like rubber. Other than that, they both work just fine. Stainless isn't necessary, but certainly worthwhile. Not to mention they look nice too. On the track, I'd want them just for safety's sake alone. Lines should be good quality DOT certified.There is valid argument that the factory lines are safer for normal street use due to chafing, or kinking due to misalignment. I inspect mine periodically , and have run them for years with no issues.

 

I remember reading that the OEM lines are not just rubber but actually a teflon braid with rubber coating. I switched to SS soon after purchasing the car so I don't have experience with the OEM lines on the track. But...as mentioned, there is zero difference in the feel between OEM and SS on the street from what I could tell. I doubt there is much if any difference on the track. Its one of those things - its a fairly cheap mod and everyone else does it on the track...so why not. At least that was my reasoning.

 

For years steel braided line were not street legal because of the high possibility of failure due to incorrectly installed screw on ends. Companies started to crimp on the ends and got approval to sell for street use. Another little known fact it is the teflon liner that gives SS lines their strength. In the old days the rubber hoses were just rubber with a bit of fabric reinforcement. When the rubber lines got old and the fabric started to stretch or when the lines got hot from racing not street driving the teflon lined hoses make a difference. The SS is just there to protect the teflon from hazards and abrasion.

 

Hang on a second fella's... There is a little misunderstanding.

Rubber lines are not just rubber. They are rubber and use a fiberglass braid too. The brake line pressure are WAY TOO HIGH to use only rubber it would explode. Think of a tire that was only rubber vs. what they really are with steel and nylon belts in them... or concrete without re-bar.

Stainless lines use a stainless steel braid vs. a fiberglass braid. They are firmer, and less susceptible to being cut. Is there a huge difference in feel? Can be, but that's more apparent the older and older the stock type lines are.

 

Sorry Sam but that is a common misunderstanding. The Stainless steel adds nothing to the burst pressure. The Teflon liner by itself is rated at 10,000 PSI it doesn't need any SS to make it stronger. You can buy Kevlar covered brake lines work absolutely as well as SS covered since the Kevlar is there just for abrasion resistance. That said the newer rubber lines have better cores some even have Teflon which make the SS a show item only. You to have look at the specific specification. I don't know what Ford uses on the Mustang. It's what is inside that counts.

 

from what i understand he didnt say they have higher burst pressure, just higher resistance to being cut
but you guys are a little out of my league lol

 

You think that stock cars come with kevlar lines? I have disagree that stock brakes lines in all cars (including this one) are using bulletproof material in their lines. I know that you don't see rubber lines on race cars very often.

 

Pedal feel would be directly related to expansion of the line at the same pressure. Regardless of the material used, if the expansion @ 1000 psi were no different, then there would be no difference in feel. One thing I didn't care for with the Goodridge lines was that they don't use anything to fix the position of the banjo fitting on the caliper, allowing possible misalignment or movement. Plus they are abrasive to anything that they rub against. On a 71 Chevelle, a C3 Corvette, and the S197 I experienced a noticeable increase in pedal feel. In the older cars it was probably due to material used back then. In the Mustang they were part of the M-2300S kit so I may be giving to much credit to the lines themselves.

 

That's why I wrote 'braided rubber' in my question.

Anyway, I'm not sure whether stock lines have teflon lining. I would expect teflon line to be still quite stiff. The stock lines are really soft and flexible in hand. But that might just be a wrong impression.