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Braided brake hose

S

shiney

Well Known Member
In many pictures, I have noticed a number of builders with stainless steel braided brake hoses. On the plans these are shown as VA-118 (drwng 36) Firstly I cannot find these in my QB inventory, should they be there? and secondly if not, where can I buy them and can anyone help me with the measurements and fitting requirements?

many thanks


Martin
 
Martin,

The VA-118 hoses come with the finish kit. Some builders also use braided hoses to replace the nylon tubing. I think that's what Darrell is pointing you to.

Clear skies,
 
tomcostanza said:
Martin,

The VA-118 hoses come with the finish kit. Some builders also use braided hoses to replace the nylon tubing. I think that's what Darrell is pointing you to.

Clear skies,
Click to expand...

Yep... that's what I was referring to. I don't know too many builders today sticking with the Van's offered brake lines. This also goes with some of the fuel lines.
 
#3's were what I ordered from Bonaco. Make sure they know you need AN compatable thread fittings on the ends...
 
Clear chafe cover

cjensen said:
#3's were what I ordered from Bonaco. Make sure they know you need AN compatable thread fittings on the ends...
Click to expand...

One advantage of the Bonaco over the Pegasus hoses is that they are now available with a clear chafe cover.
The raw SS braid will act like a file if it is not covered at locations where it touches or is clamped to your structure....:(

Make sure you get the clear chafe cover option....

gil A
 
az_gila said:
One advantage of the Bonaco over the Pegasus hoses is that they are now available with a clear chafe cover.
The raw SS braid will act like a file if it is not covered at locations where it touches or is clamped to your structure....:(

Make sure you get the clear chafe cover option....

gil A
Click to expand...

Awesome news Gil...! Thanks for sharing.
 
I'm confused with the sizing

cjensen said:
#3's were what I ordered from Bonaco. Make sure they know you need AN compatable thread fittings on the ends...
Click to expand...

When I looked at their website, it says -3 is only 3/16". Don't I want -6, at 3/8"?
 
craigvince said:
When I looked at their website, it says -3 is only 3/16". Don't I want -6, at 3/8"?
Click to expand...

For brake lines -3 is fine, -4 is ok too.

-6 and larger are sizes for fuel lines

Reinforced hose sizes are funny, the i.d. matches the id of an hard line with about an 032 wall, so a -6 has an id of 5/16, or the same as a 3/8 hard line.

This means by i.d. a

-5 hose is about a 1/4 id
-4 hose is about 3/16 id
-3 hose is about 1/8 id

Now you might guess why you don't see too many -2 hoses

Un-re-enforced hoses have the same id in 1/6th as there -#, but don't use them for brake lines or fuel lines with any pressure. They are for low pressure instrumentation and drain lines.

Also make sure you always use ends that are engineered for the hose you put them on.
 
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Better choices

Just a heads up for folks considering opting for SS brake lines between the master cylinders and the wheel cylinders. The rubber/stainless steel lines that come in the kit do provide a small amount of "cush" when applying brakes. I got reports from the new owner of my plane that the brakes are quite sensitive when the AC is at speed. I'm almost certain this is the reason why. With this said, I would replace only the plastic lines with the SS brake lines and use the hoses that come in the kit between master cylinders and firewall.

http://www.jeffsrv-7a.com/FUSELAGE/04-12-08.htm

-Jeff
 
Braided lines

I have been in touch with Bonaco and they do a RV7 kit consiting of the following items;

2 pcs -3 Teflon? Steel Braided lines straight to straight @ 24? OVL length

2 pcs -3 Teflon? Steel Braided lines straight to straight @ 36? OVL length

4 pcs 822-3D -3 male to 1/8?NPT male 90?

1 pcs 821-3D -3 male to -3 male 90?

1 pcs 826-3D -3 male to 1/8?NPT male to -3 male tee

Can you think if anything is missing before I order it, I've checked the plans and everything seems to be there.

Regards


Martin
 
That's news to me! I ordered the lines back in August, and they didn't have this kit put together as far as I know.:cool::cool::cool:

I'll be ordering the fittings from them today!

Thanks Martin!
 
Chafe cover

shiney said:
....
Can you think if anything is missing before I order it, I've checked the plans and everything seems to be there.

Regards

Martin
Click to expand...

Yes.... make sure it has the clear chafe cover option I mentioned earlier.....

gil A
 
cjensen said:
That's news to me! I ordered the lines back in August, and they didn't have this kit put together as far as I know.:cool::cool::cool:

I'll be ordering the fittings from them today!

Thanks Martin!
Click to expand...


........I just got mine too. No mention of a RV-7 kit when I ordered them a week ago? Didn't get the clear stuff though......guess I have to anchor everything good.
 
hi all,

we'll also go with the braided hose, along the main gear legs to the brake assembly and from the master cylinder to the parking brake valve, which is at the position of the standard van's brake line bracket on the firewall.

we're building a 7A.
all the fittings on the matco parking brake valve (could be exchanged if needed) and the bulkhead fittings in the gear leg weldments (would be a pita to exchange) are already installed, AN4, as per plans for the aluminum lines.

questions:
- will a -3 braided hose line (as from the mentioned kit) fit the AN4 fittings, or is -4 required?
- if not, what options do we have?
- the 2 x 24", am i right in assuming, these are to replace the 2 lines that come from van's for the brake master cylinder to firewall?
- the 2 x 36", are these the main gear leg lines, and if so, will they work for a 7A?

thank you very much!

kind regards, bernie
 
Two options

flyvans.com said:
.....questions:
- will a -3 braided hose line (as from the mentioned kit) fit the AN4 fittings, or is -4 required?
- if not, what options do we have?
- the 2 x 24", am i right in assuming, these are to replace the 2 lines that come from van's for the brake master cylinder to firewall?
- the 2 x 36", are these the main gear leg lines, and if so, will they work for a 7A?

thank you very much!

kind regards, bernie
Click to expand...

Bernie... the -3 hose won't fit the -4 fittings you already have.

Two easy options exist...

1. Change the -4 fittings to -3 fittings... look through the catalogs and choose -3 fittings that have the same size pipe thread end as the ones Vans specified.

2. You could leave all of your fittings in place and just order -4 braided hose... nothing really wrong with this option if parts are hard to get/change for you... This hose would exactly fit your existing fittings.

gil A
 
thanks gil,

we'll get -4 hose in this case...
that's kind of what i figured, but with "your" imperial measuring system, nothing really would have surprised me ;-)

how about the lengths, will these be ok?

thanks a lot,
bernie
 
For making the hoses
-3 is 3/16 this it the most common size used in brake applications.



GAHco said:
For brake lines -3 is fine, -4 is ok too.

-6 and larger are sizes for fuel lines

Reinforced hose sizes are funny, the i.d. matches the id of an hard line with about an 032 wall, so a -6 has an id of 5/16, or the same as a 3/8 hard line.

This means by i.d. a

-5 hose is about a 1/4 id
-4 hose is about 3/16 id
-3 hose is about 1/8 id

Now you might guess why you don't see too many -2 hoses

Un-re-enforced hoses have the same id in 1/6th as there -#, but don't use them for brake lines or fuel lines with any pressure. They are for low pressure instrumentation and drain lines.

Also make sure you always use ends that are engineered for the hose you put them on.
Click to expand...
 
RV7 Brake Kit

When I came up with the "idea" of making a brake "kit" for you RV'ers I had no idea of the response I would be getting. Thank you all.
But please keep in mind that I do not have this "set in stone" if any of you have
thoughts on making this a better "kit"...PLEASE....please let me know.

Regards,
ThisOne
 
van's flex brake lines

I used them. They installed easily. If you use them make sure you look at the drws carefully. AN fittings are required at the master cylanders. I goofed and used brass then had to change. I also used alum tubing for fuel lines. It was a bugger, but eventually I made it work. Since I had an auto conversion I needed a return line for the fuel injection supply.
Regards,
John
 
When I put the "kit" together, I baised it on "nude" hose (this being the most economical), Yes there is the "clear coat" but I have not adjusted the "kit" price for the "Clear".
Colors as well.

az_gila said:
Yes.... make sure it has the clear chafe cover option I mentioned earlier.....

gil A
Click to expand...
 
Bonaco can make you -3 lines with -4 nuts. :)


QUOTE=flyvans.com;160939]hi all,

we'll also go with the braided hose, along the main gear legs to the brake assembly and from the master cylinder to the parking brake valve, which is at the position of the standard van's brake line bracket on the firewall.

we're building a 7A.
all the fittings on the matco parking brake valve (could be exchanged if needed) and the bulkhead fittings in the gear leg weldments (would be a pita to exchange) are already installed, AN4, as per plans for the aluminum lines.

questions:
- will a -3 braided hose line (as from the mentioned kit) fit the AN4 fittings, or is -4 required?
- if not, what options do we have?
- the 2 x 24", am i right in assuming, these are to replace the 2 lines that come from van's for the brake master cylinder to firewall?
- the 2 x 36", are these the main gear leg lines, and if so, will they work for a 7A?

thank you very much!

kind regards, bernie[/QUOTE]
 
Delta $$$

ThisOne said:
When I put the "kit" together, I baised it on "nude" hose (this being the most economical), Yes there is the "clear coat" but I have not adjusted the "kit" price for the "Clear".
Colors as well.
Click to expand...

Do you know the price delta for the clear chafe coating?

gil A
 
The fittings are crimped on. And every kit is made to order. So not knowing those builders who are using -3 and those that are using -4, I'll just leave it to those that call....and we'll take from there.


flyvans.com said:
even better if this is a possibility!

why not make that standard on your "kits"? assures maximum plug'n'play ;-)

regards, bernie
Click to expand...
 
Lines and Ends

For those who are going to get brake lines from Bonaco.
Make sure what what size the ends are.
As I understand it the "Finnish Kit" gives you brass fittings that are 1/8"NPT to -4 90?. If your going to use those parts make sure you ask for "-3 hose straight to straight with -4 nuts with clear and your length of the line".

If on the other hand you are going to change to aluminum fittings (1/8"NPT to -3 90? P/N 822-3D) then you will be asking for, "-3 hose straight to straight with -3 nuts with clear and your length of the line".

Hope this helps
 
What price kit?

Sorry Brett (This one) I'm a bit confussed, are you offering a complete "Braided Kit" for the 7? I have dual brake system plus parking brake. What is your price for this?


Shiney
 
I got my braided hoses from Bonaco

My braided hoses from Bonaco came in this week, and I got them installed today.


I like these MUCH better than the plastic ones from Van's that I removed!

Thanks to you guys who recommended Bonaco.
 
Just for you Brett

Mine are 29" tip to tip, including the fittings. The fittings are straight.

Thanks Brett for the great service.

Regards,
 
Aircraft Safe?

Stupid question but I am just wondering if this hose is suitable for use on the pressure side of the system, i.e replacing the VA-118 hoses and running lines down the gear leg?

I guess the lines are used in Automotive applications, but are they OK for aircraft? Also is the hose being used compatible with MS 5606A fluid?

Thanks
Richard
 
Great service

I just received my braided lines from Bonaco, they are better than I expected, great service and a great product, highly recommended thanks Brett,


Martin

p.s. I have replaced the VA-118 with the braided lines, I'm pretty confident that they will be good enough.
 
Thank you for you kind words. :D
I can only hope that with the continued help and support from builders like and You and the rest of the RV community, I can improve and add more lines to suit everyones needs.

Good luck on the build hope to see some pictures.

Warmest regards,
This0ne


shiney said:
I just received my braided lines from Bonaco, they are better than I expected, great service and a great product, highly recommended thanks Brett,


Martin

p.s. I have replaced the VA-118 with the braided lines, I'm pretty confident that they will be good enough.
Click to expand...
 
Just ordered the following for my standard dual brake RV7. I am also using these instead of the VA-118 supplied in the finish kit.

2pcs -3 St to St w/clear @ 36” (from Lft to Rht) $19.00 ea.
1pcs -3 St to St w/clear @ 18 (Rht side up to Tee) $12.75 ea.
1pcs -3 St to90° w/clear @ 18 (Rht side up to Tee) $13.50 ea.
8pcs 822-3D (master cyld to -3 nut adaptors 90°) $5.00 ea.
1pcs 826-3D (This replaces the plastic Tee) $7.70 ea.
2pcs -3 St to -4 St w/clear @ 24” (from Lft master to #4 firewall bulkhead fittings) $17.?? ea. (special -3 st nut on one end -3 hose w/clear -4 st nut on the other end)

All from Bonaco. ThisOne, thanks for the help in customizing my order! Now do some advertising with Doug :p

Everyone else happy with their decision to use these products?
 
Received my hoses from Bonaco and I am more than satisfied with the results.

They put together exactly what I needed. They also did the wierd -3 on one end and the -4 on the other hoses.

The clear coating is very nice.

Now to get them installed....

2000539895749522017_rs.jpg
 
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Weight Difference?

What is the weight difference with these? Can you weight them before you install them?
 
ncarmon said:
What is the weight difference with these? Can you weight them before you install them?
Click to expand...

I will weigh them with my kitchen scale. I am sure they are heavier than the plastic stuff but man they sure look more like they belong on an airplane compared to the plastic tubing. The plastic stuff uses all heavy brass fittings so it may not be that great of difference.
 
Several of you have emailed me asking for pictures of my hoses from Bonaco. I don't want to fill up this thread with big pics, so click the links and the pics will open for you:

Tank Attach
A-Gear Mount
Fuel Valve
Valve to Pump
Pump to Gascolator
Vent 1
Vent 2
Brake Pedals

Sorry some of the photos are blurry.

This kit from Bonaco completely eliminates all of the aluminum tubing from the firewall back. It also replaces the plastic brake lines from Van's that have had mixed results. I've spent many, many hours over the past month working with Brett at Bonaco to come up with a standard kit so you'll have another option for building your fuel or brake lines. The choice is yours. Save some money and make your own alum tubes or save a bunch of time and headache and order pre-made. Once we came up with the final kit, I installed all of it in less than an hour. Of course, each set of hoses can be ordered separate, if you've already made part of it, or just want to replace part of it. Personally, I chose to replace all of my alum lines because I liked these so much more.

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Bonaco now has standard kits available for the 7/7A and 9/9A brake lines and carb fuel lines. The FI fuel lines obviously would be different between the valve and the firewall because of the high pressure pump, etc.

By the way, these are teflon core, stainless steel braided, with a clear-chafe coating. This clear-chafe coating is great, since it eliminates the possibility of scratching the airframe and tearing your fingers.
 
Looks interesting for fuel lines.

Anyone know how well the Teflon core holds up under use with fuel? Do they need to be changed on a regular basis like some other flexible fuel lines?
 
I thought you weren't supposed to use flexible fuel line before the fuel pump (i.e. the suction side) since in theory a flexible line could collapse and cause fuel starvation under the right circumstance.

Now I will follow that statement up with the fact I know nothing about the characteristics of stainless braided teflon hoses. Could anyone shine some light on if this is truly a potential problem?
 
Brantel said:
Looks interesting for fuel lines.

Anyone know how well the Teflon core holds up under use with fuel? Do they need to be changed on a regular basis like some other flexible fuel lines?
Click to expand...

Brian, do some poking around on the Aeroquip site and other vendors for the final word, but all the homework I've done says teflon hoses have unlimited service life for use with fluids we have in planes. The rubber hoses have a suggested service life of 5-7 years, depending on who you ask.
 
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