Sometimes, you can be mystified by the inner workings of your vehicle. If you have recently uncovered your brake lines for the first time, you may have been surprised that they have many loops circling their connection points. It may seem unnecessary, but these brake line loops and bends are there for a reason.
Why do brake lines have loops in them? Brake lines have loops and bends in them to allow them to flex and move as your car is driven. Without a little bit of give, your brake lines would eventually break under the stress of bumps in the road. Also, the loops in the brake lines allow for additional movement and flexibility when replacing the master cylinder or other brake parts.
Understanding how cars and their brakes are constructed will help significantly in understanding why each part is made the way it is. Read on to discover why brakes lines have loops and bends in them, how they are important to the function of your brakes, and if they are needed for every single vehicle.
Why Do Brake Lines Have Loops in Them?
There are many things we do for our cars that help them last longer. From frequent oil changes to tire rotations, it is essential to keep up with car maintenance. Hopefully, you have been checking your brake pads to see how much wear and tear they have.
This may be why you have spotted the loops in your brake lines. These loops are integral to the brake system because they allow for the flexibility that is needed for the brakes to work effectively.
How Your Car Is Constructed
Brake lines are usually anchored to the frame of the car. The frame is solid and rigid, having little give to it. Most cars have a separate body and frame. However, in recent years, many car manufacturers have been moving towards producing unibody cars, where the frame and body are one.
When the two are separate and distinct parts, the way they interact can have a considerable impact on the life of your car.
The frame and the body are connected with rubber body mounts. These mounts help protect the body of the car from experiencing too much vibration, either from the road or from the engine block. The brake lines are connected to the frame, while the master cylinder is mounted to the body. The master cylinder is what converts the force of the brake pedal into hydraulic pressure.
Along with this, there is a multitude of different forces continuously pressing, pulling, and shaking your car. With the distinction of frame and body, any connections between the two must allow for some flex and give. This includes the master cylinder and brakes, hence the loops and bends in your brake lines.
If your brake lines were to connect directly to the master cylinder with no extra length, the eventual bouncing while driving could rupture your brake lines. So, a few extra inches of brake line are the simple fix to this potential issue.
How Brakes Work
The extra length in a brake line can help absorb some of the bumps in the road. But, wouldn’t the length of the brake lines affect braking performance? Surprisingly, no. “How Do Car Brakes Work” gives an excellent rundown of how your brake system functions.
- The master cylinder converts your foot’s braking pressure into hydraulic pressure.
- The brake fluid is pushed down the brake lines through the reservoirs and pistons as you depress the brake pedal.
- Turnology explains that brake fluid is incompressible, which means it will stay the same volume no matter how much pressure is put on it. So, the pressure is incredibly consistent down the brake line.
- If you have a few extra loops in your brake line, you may need some extra brake fluid. However, it will not change your braking power because the fluid will push the pressure that much further.
- Most cars are set up with two sets of brake lines, one for each side of the vehicle. This allows you to have braking power even if one line leaks or fails. This is not an ideal situation, but the purpose of this design is to keep you safe.
Other Brake Line Configurations You May See
Brake line loops allow flexibility and do not take away from your braking power. But, does your car need four or five of them? Not likely.
When cars are made to look good, especially those that are made for showcasing, exposed engine blocks and unique car architecture are prioritized. If someone can throw a few more loops in the brake lines to make it look even cooler, then they will.
Therefore, you may have a few more loops than you need. If you are currently redoing your brake lines or replacing your master cylinder, you might be wondering if you need those loops, and if so, how many you need.
Replacing the Loops in Your Brake Lines
While you may not need five loops in your brake lines, it is crucial to have a few inches of excess brake line to compensate for the bumps in the road.
If you have a can of soda around, it is the perfect size for coiling your brake line. By coiling it around the can and then attaching it, you can recreate the loops that are common in brake lines.
If this seems like a bit much, or you do not have enough line for multiple loops, that is okay. Make sure there is a significant bend before attaching the line to the master cylinder. Whether you end up with a loopy U shape or a few oblong curls, either will provide the extra line needed for the brakes to function correctly.
Building a Car? Feel Free to Skip the Loops
Car manufacturers tend to be quite uniform when designing vehicles, but there will always be a few spacing differences between different kinds of vehicles. The extra brake line can help compensate for this.
So, are you rebuilding a car of your own? In this case, you are the chief mechanic on the job and get to make these calls. If you take decent care of your vehicle and don’t plan on taking it off-roading, you can skip attempting to put the loops in.
This may make you nervous, but there is nothing to get worked up about. A straight line for the brake lines is clean and simple, and many car buffs have rebuilt engines this way. Because the brake line will be customized for the car you are working on, instead of being mass-produced, you have much more freedom to be precise.
Loops, Bends, and Brake Lines: Now You Know
Reliable brakes are necessary to enjoy a ride, whether it’s in a minivan or an old mustang. From the pads and calipers to lines and cylinders, many facets of your car can be puzzling. Thankfully, the loops and bends in the brake lines are no longer one of them.
There is no clear right or wrong answer across the board for if these loops are always necessary, but we hope that we have given you a solid base to make an educated choice if you need to adjust or redo your brake lines.
Always consider how you use your vehicle when working with your brake lines. If you tend to ride more roughly, loops and bends are necessary. However, if you simply drive to work and back home each day, a bit of slack in the brake line will suffice.
