Want your opinion please. Brake lines for Pigs

[Rainman]

I'm asking for your input. I'm patterning up brake lines for the FJ55s and the stinking chassis line is 93.5" long. My boxes had to be shortened to keep getting printed. I have a 40" x 7" bottom in these boxes. If I put a 180˚ shipping bend AND a union at around the pinch in the frame rail, I can get these in a box. A 95" tube about 4" in diameter would cost a fortune to ship.

Question:
Would you all be okay with those two actions put in the line? The shipping bends aren't too hard to remove since they're large radius bends. The union adds two nuts to the equation.
Or would you prefer two shipping bends?

 

[WarDamnEagle]

What do you use to remove the bend? Is there a way to use a tubing bender?

 

[Rainman]

I use NiCopp lines and they get stronger with each bend. A large radius bend is pretty easy to get out. Just take your time. On either side of the marked shipping bend, just place one end of the bend flush on a table top. Then grab the other end and slowly rotate downward in the direction of the tube. As the line lays on the table, it straightens it out. When you get to the end of the bend, release and see if it needs a slight over bend. I suggest laying it across your stomach and giving a slight push a few times until it's straight. If you just try to do it just with your hands, it'll end up wiggly in that section. It's really pretty easy to do. When done, that section is a little stronger.

 

[RocketCityCrzrs]

Would it be at all feasible to just break the line in two pieces and put a joint there to reattach?

 

[WarDamnEagle]

I use NiCopp lines and they get stronger with each bend. A large radius bend is pretty easy to get out. Just take your time. On either side of the marked shipping bend, just place one end of the bend flush on a table top. Then grab the other end and slowly rotate downward in the direction of the tube. As the line lays on the table, it straightens it out. When you get to the end of the bend, release and see if it needs a slight over bend. I suggest laying it across your stomach and giving a slight push a few times until it's straight. If you just try to do it just with your hands, it'll end up wiggly in that section. It's really pretty easy to do. When done, that section is a little stronger.

Sounds easy enough. Not to be a doubter but I don't see how applying shear force to tubing will make it stronger? Just curious.

 

[PabloCruise]

I suggest laying it across your stomach and giving a slight push a few times until it's straight.

I don't know about the belly template, mine is starting to get more convex!

 

[J Mack]

Not to be a doubter but I don't see how applying shear force to tubing will make it stronger?

Work hardening - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I'm asking for your input.

Anytime you add a threaded joint you create a potential leak, Nickel Copper as you mentioned above is easy enough to work with that adding the “shipping bends” would be the best option.
It appears that you are doing a great job educating your customers and gaining their trust, thanks for providing your lines for the 55.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Work hardening - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It appears that you are doing a great job educating your customers and gaining their trust, thanks for providing your lines for the 55.

Cool. Learned something new.

X2 on the great job. New lines are on my list when I get around to that stage. Was hoping you were going to move forward before then; great to see.

 

[scrapdaddy]

I agree with the shipping bends. I'd rather have a slightly wavy bend than a union that could leak. If we used my stomach to bend with, it would have the curves of finely tuned six pack, ok maybe a twenty pack.

 

[Rainman]

Yes. Oddly enough, NiCopp gets harder the more it's bent. Taking the straight line and creating a line for the trucks ends up strengthening it as it's made. One of the cool things about this material. Other than it never corrodes.

The pattern to make the chassis line for the '69 FJ45 is 93.5" long!!. My new box is 40" long. Putting one shipping bend (180˚) won't reduce it to fit. It either needs two shipping bends or two unions or one of each.

So with some of you learning, and some of you giving the requested opinion, it feel it's headed towards the "two shipping bends" solution. Not a problem and not a price increase. That ridiculously long line will be fun to install. Once in with all the line clamps, it should be bulletproof... With or without the six pack wrinkles.

Thanks for the kudos and the votes. I'm really glad to finally be able to help you guys out. Really!

 

[bobm]

30 pack here

 

[RocketCityCrzrs]

And shameless plug to @Rainman for his frickin amazing lines. Drove the pig to the swine soiree this past weekend after installing new lines on the front and rear axle. Truck stops like a new one and the lines were bent PERFECT using all the original mount points.

 

[PabloCruise]

I agree with the shipping bends. I'd rather have a slightly wavy bend than a union that could leak. If we used my stomach to bend with, it would have the curves of finely tuned six pack, ok maybe a twenty pack.

30 pack here

Are we going keg-shaped?

 

[WarDamnEagle]

When I get to that point I'm sure I will just drive up and get them but agree with @scrapdaddy that two bends would be preferable to two unions.

 

[Rainman]

Holy cow! The chassis line for this 55 is a half inch shy of 8 feet long! That's a 3rd of a spool of tubing all by itself.