Healthy Brake Systems: Best Brake Line Flaring Tool

Click here to see examples of brake flaring tools.
Click here to see examples of brake flaring tools.
Over time the brake lines on your car can start to wear. This wear is mostly the result of corrosion which can be exacerbated by things like salty roads or infrequent brake fluid changes. Brake line wear necessitates that we replace our brake lines from time to time.

When it comes to replacing your brake lines, there are many options available. Most of these come in the form of ready made kits that contain everything you need. Typically brake lines in these kits have fittings already installed and are ready to go right out of the box. However, when you are doing custom brake setups that require different than stock brake line routing (such as for hotrods, exotics, obsoleted vintage cars, etc) , things get a little more tricky. In these cases you need to cut your lines to the appropriate length and adapt your own fittings onto the end.

The correct tool to install fittings on brake lines is called a brake line flaring tool, which is also sometimes referred to more specifically as a double flaring tool (which is one of the more common specific types of flare geometry). A brake line flaring tool is designed to deform the end of your brake line once you have slid your fitting into place. Once you flare the end, the fitting is no longer able to slide off. Furthermore, the flaring operation creates the necessary geometry in the end of the brake line to provide a good sealing surface to keep your brake fluid from leaking when you connect the fittings.

The Best Brake Line Flaring Tool

OTC Stinger Double Flaring Tool Kit
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In our opinion the best brake line flaring tool is the OTC 4503 Stinger Double Flaring Tool Kit. This kit provides you with everything you need to flare your brake lines. First, it allows for single flaring or double flaring (which provides a slightly more robust flare that is more resistant to material cracking during tightening). The yoke and swivel are of high quality and made from heat treated steel for durability. The yoke has the correctly sized holes for each size of brake line. It is split into two halves which screw together using a pair of wing nuts. The swivel slides behind the yoke with ease and can be easily positioned to drive the adapter into the end of the brake line. The tool comes with the appropriate adapters to cover brake lines from 3/16″ through 1/2″ (which converts to 4.8mm through 12.7mm for our friends who think in metric) and also comes with a handle that you can insert into the swivel to aid you in tightening the flaring tool.

When it comes to build quality, the overall quality is high with the OTC Stinger kit. The fit is fantastic, and the finish is great as well. The chrome makes this tool look pretty snazzy. Another great thing is that this kit comes in a well made black plastic case for easy stowage and portability. Finally the tool is advertised to be able to flare copper aluminum soft steel brake lines which means that it will most likely work for your car.

All in all, we think that if you are looking for the best brake line flaring tool kit, this one will treat you fantastically. That said, there are also a bunch of other more extensive kits on the market if you need something particularly special, so don’t hesitate to take a look at some of the other brake flaring tools on the market! Happy wrenching!