Do I Need a Hydrualic Brake Line Kit When Installing Hydraulic Brakes or Can I Use Regular Tubing

Updated 05/03/2021 | Published 04/29/2021

Question:

Hello. I work for Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems and we are using the DM5403 brake kit on a few of our custom trailers used to transport our aircraft. We are looking into doing some custom modifications to the brake kit. We are considering removing the flexible hoses and the hard lines 30inch and 4.5 and replacing them with longer custom hoses directly to the 3/16inch brake tees. I cant seem to find information on the thread size of any of the components here. Do you know the thread sizes? Also, assuming we match the fittings properly are there any reasons a customization like this might not work? Like are the hard lines necessary in this system? Thanks!

asked by: Chase B

Expert Reply:

You're not going to want to customize a brake system like the Demco Hydraulic Brake Line Kit for Tandem Axle Trailers - Drum Brakes # DM5403 for a few reasons. The hard, stainless steel lines are necessary through the majority of the trailer to allow for a frictionless transfer of the brake fluid through the system. The rubber hoses at the ends are required because of the movement of the suspension; you don't want hard lines going to the brake drums because of the movement of the wheels.

With something like this, you will want to use the parts designed for this installation since you'll want as much of the stainless steel hydraulic line as possible.

expert reply by: Erik B