Do You Need Braided Steel Brake Lines?
Making your BMW feel and perform the way you want it to isn’t the result of one or two major changes. Little tweaks to all the systems that combine to equal the total driving experience are more noticeable than just a few bolt-on upgrades. This means more adjustment capabilities in your suspension components, stiffer drivetrain mounts, higher-performance tires, engine software tuning, and improvements to brake parts are more valuable than a big ol’ turbo in terms of a well-balanced build. It’s all about creating a stiff, responsive, and predictable car that will react quickly to your demands for the biggest advantages on the track. While one of these upgrades by itself isn’t going to drastically change the performance of your BMW, the idea is to make improvements comprehensively and understand that each piece of the puzzle is equally valuable, but only when used correctly and with other supporting upgrades. One such upgrade is switching your factory rubber brake hoses for Turner Motorsport Stainless Steel brake lines for a minor improvement that will pair well with the other upgrades to complimentary systems you should pursue to complete the package.
We won’t ever lie to you. Stainless brake lines aren’t going to completely transform your BMW in any way and they aren’t going to be a significant advantage on their own. With proper steering, suspension, drivetrain, tire, engine, and brake part upgrades, however, they are a critical part of the formula. Stainless steel brake lines, like the other upgrades mentioned, offer the benefit of more feedback and responsiveness from the brake pedal. Think of it as better communication between you and your BMW. |
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What do they do?
Stainless steel brake lines replace the factory rubber brake hoses and connect the hard lines on the body to the caliper, which allows brake fluid to travel from the ABS module to each caliper. The fluid itself is what supplies pressure to the pistons in the calipers, which extend and press the brake pads against the rotor, ultimately stopping the vehicle. Stainless lines and rubber hoses are no different in that regard, but the properties of each material create a difference in feel. |
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What are the differences?
Rubber Hoses:
Rubber brake hoses are constructed in three layers, traditionally speaking. They have a rubber inner core that is wrapped by a fabric mesh material for strength. Surrounding both layers is an outer casing of a protective rubber that holds it all together and prevents the fluid line from sustaining light damage.
Stainless Steel Lines:
Turner Motorsport Stainless Steel Brake Lines have three layers in their construction as well but offer much greater strength than traditional rubber hoses. The core is constructed from PTFE (Teflon) for improved durability and reduced expansion under pressure. Surrounding the core is a woven stainless steel mesh that is both abrasion and impact resistant while also less prone to expansion under pressure as well. Finally, a polymer coating encases the stainless steel weave for protection against corrosion and damage as well as to prevent the stainless weave, which is itself abrasive, from wearing against anything it may contact. |
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What are the advantages?
Since the Turner Motorsport stainless lines are much more resistant to expansion under pressure than rubber hoses, brake pedal feel is much stiffer and more immediate. This means you have a better awareness of your brakes’ responsiveness since there is much less expansion in the hose itself under pressure.
Turner Motorsport Stainless Steel Brake Lines are also much more durable than rubber hoses, which means they can withstand more abuse, higher temperatures, and exposure to elements. It is just as important to improve the overall durability of your critical components, like brake lines, as it is to improve their function, which is one of the often forgotten benefits of stainless steel lines.
Finally, simply replacing old hoses is an advantage. Over time, your brake lines can swell internally, which reduces the amount of fluid that passes through them to extend the piston. This results in less pedal pressure and more input to achieve the same amount of clamping force on the brake rotors. While just replacing old brake hoses with new rubber ones would bring your brake pedal feel back to how it was when your BMW was new, it is always a good idea to go ahead and replace the old hoses with improved versions, like the Turner Motorsport Stainless Steel Brake Lines. |
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What are the disadvantages?
Again, we won’t lie to you. Stainless steel lines have one drawback, though it isn’t to do with their function, durability, or installation. Stainless lines, because they are encased in a stainless steel mesh and have a polymer outer coating, are harder to inspect if one is damaged and leaking internally. With a rubber hose, you can visually inspect the hose to see if it is swollen, cracked, or completely broken. Stainless lines will not show that kind of damage and may be more difficult to diagnose if they are somehow damaged. The upside is that stainless lines are inherently more durable by design, so the likelihood of one or more brake line sustaining damage is much lower than that of a rubber hose.
In short, Turner Motorsport Stainless Steel Brake Lines offer these benefits:
Better brake response
Stiffer brake pedal feel
More durable
Corrosion/abrasion resistant
Attractive |
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Does installing Stainless Steel lines require anything else?
Every time you remove a brake hose, you are introducing air into the brake fluid system. This means you have to bleed the brakes to expel that air for the hydraulic system to pressurize. Not only that, but brake fluid breaks down into water when it is exposed to air, which reduces the boiling point of your brake fluid and decreases your brakes' effectiveness. It is recommended that you flush and replace your brake fluid every two years, but we also recommend that you perform a full flush with new fluid when installing new Turner Motorsport Stainless Steel Brake Lines. If you intend to spend time on the track or harder driving conditions, we suggest you upgrade to a brake fluid that has a higher boiling point and is designed for motorsport use when you install new stainless lines. |
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Conclusion
With Turner Motorsport Stainless Steel Brake Lines, you are making an upgrade that is a part of a well-rounded build. On their own, these lines aren’t going to make a huge difference. The full recipe of upgrades that improve the responsiveness and feedback from your BMW to help you receive more information from your car by feel, however, certainly includes these brake lines. Remember, it’s about making incremental changes with an end-goal in mind that satisfies a need rather than fulfilling a want. Ultimately, making intelligent upgrades that work cohesively as a larger picture rather than one or two major changes will allow you to dramatically increase your BMW’s performance to help you shorten your lap times and improve your control. |
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