Brake flex hose size - AN4 or AN3?

[Ken H]

My Scorpion now has all-new 3/16" steel hard brake lines and a Tilton master pedal assembly. The logical connection to the calipers would be via an AN3 flex line (to match the 3/16" hard lines), however the original flex lines are AN4. In theory an AN3 flex line should give a stiffer pedal, but is there any downside to using a smaller size than the original?

I'm also curious about people's experience with using the stock rubber hose vs. the SS braided covered hose style. Some say the SS isn't the best choice for street use.

Thanks,
Ken

[Will]

Ken; I have the SS lines, Jeff D put them on my car when he owned it.
The lines themselves have proven to be just fine. I did have a mysterious brake problem where suddenly the pedal would go to the floor, but after a lot of looking, I finally found the problem. At the caliper body itself, a steel adapter had been used, and overtightened so that it "cored" out the thread entirely. Under the right conditions, but not always, this thing would actually move in the caliper, and leak. Damn near drove me crazy. I solved the problem by using a larger adapter and retapping the caliper.
If you do use brake lines with larger connections, you'll probably find they are more tolerant to use of a normal wrench vs. line wrench, etc., but the risk is that you can then overtighten whatever you put into the soft caliper if you arent careful, i.e. double wrench it! It also looks like adapters were fitted to the line brackets on my car, probably metric to AN flare adapters.
-Will

[Wallace]

Supposedly - the outer stainless braid can fracture and puncture the inner teflon tube. What I did on mine was to use stainless fittings and change the hose part every couple of years just to be sure. Not quite so littagation mad (at the moment) in the UK so not a problem with the insurance - so they can't be that dangerous !!

Platted fittings will rust themselves together aftrer a year (at least in this country . . . .!).

Dash 3 seems to be the size recomended for brakes, 4 for clutch.
Also - make sure the hose is the right length - not so short it can stop (or at least try to .. .) suspension movement or so long that it rubs on the wheel if it "springs" away from the caliper (been there, seen it, done it .. . ). I've actually plumbed ALL the braking system in hose bucasue I always make a pigs ear of bending copper tube. .. . apparently this shouldn't casue a spongey pedal (at least that's what the supplier told me .. . .!!! ).

[monte_giallo]

I use the Goodyear stainless hose Chad sells to try to get a firmer pedal and to be more damage resistant on the track. The pedal still goes almost to the floor, but I can't blame that on the stainless hose!

It's been fine and it looks nice!

[monte_giallo]

...er, that should probably be 'Goodrich' !