Replacing brake lines (flares)

[leapdragon]

Hi all,


So I am down to brakes, which I hate working on, but they're one of the last "do it pre-emptively" things on the 2002 V70 XC I bought earlier this year. There are a couple cracks in the lines, and the fluid looks to never have been changed (has the appearance of old coffee, even though the car is stopping fine).

So I started with the idea that I'd replace the flex lines first, front and rear. And I was determined to not damage the flare nuts. Well... that was a joke. PB blaster, torch heat, patience, $$ spent on high-end flare nut wrenches and an acute angled nut-unlocker vice grip... And I ended up getting nowhere and rounding the first one off anyway—after 16 hours of battle on a single nut over the last two days. Started with "I am going to be patient and get four of these loosened without damage" to by the end "I hate you, you stinking nut, and I will eventually kill your siblings, too, once I finally get you off, whenever that is."

So now I have a bubble flare kit coming. My question:

Is there any reason to even give a hang about the three remaining nuts? My inclination is to cut right to the chase and just saw each line right off and re-flare them, without bother trying to loosen first. Then, just violently wrench them off with counter-held vice grips to get them out of the bracket. I figure I could get all four done in an afternoon that way and if I'm just going to lose anyway.... ... But maybe there's a "don't be an idiot" reason to not just saw+re-flare them all and not even bother with the nuts?

I feel like it would be a huge time-saver, but I don't want to do anything dumb.

[jonesg]

That's what I do. Unless they're newish they rarely loosen for me. I replace with Nickle copper lines , much easier to work with.
Ni/cop doesn't rust out like steel.

The small hand held flare tool is much easier to use than the beam type. I'll see if I can find the youtube vid.

[jonesg]

This one, $20, it's the cats meow.

[jonesg]

Duplicate post.

[oragex]

I replaced the front flexibles on my 2003 and the nuts went reasonably easy.and it's a canadian car - lots of salt here. Used an adjustable wrech and a locking pliers. But you never know. The thing I hated is when I couldn't get the new flexible started at the caliper - iit has a very fine thread, and I was leaking fluid. Have a 2qt bottle and an eye on the reservoir, if air gets into the abs unit, only the main dealer can burp it.

[Cookie-the-Swede]

I just replaced all four of the flexible brake lines on my S60 last year. I didn't use a flare wrench and don't remember it being an issue at all.

[jonesg]

I think this is about the poster with rounded off flare nuts.