hard brake line to caliper - 1990 GLI

[bomberbob]

Howdy. I usually hang out in the air cooled forum, first time over here. Will see how this goes.
My bug is almost done, rolled the Jetta into the garage to try and fix a lot of issues and cut out the cancer rust. The hard lines on the car are severely corroded, years of driving on salt/brine Iowa roads in the winter have really messed this car up. I bought a kit and will replace all the hard lines front to back. Pulled the transmission out to do some clutch work, and while on my back noticed the rubber lines look pretty bad, will replace. What to do about these little hard lines that go to the caliper? Hoses I see advertised are male one end, female on the other, 180 mm (7.3 inches). Hoses on car measure 10 inches, and are female both ends. I can find these little hard lines nowhere, and I am afraid one twist and they are gonna snap. Do people just ditch them and go straight to the caliper?

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1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[Matt Wilson]

I imagine you'd have to make something like that. Either way start with plenty of penetrating oil and let soak for a while before you attempt to pull apart, then you can take the little metal pieces to an auto parts store and get the right fittings and metal line. The line is usually soft enough that you can shape it by hand, and if you are clever/picky enough you could mimic the same shape - maybe wrap the line around something like a big socket wrench or get the same shape??

Sometimes those fittings have been corroded enough that the hex has shrunken a little bit making it sloppy on the wrench. Use the tightest wrench you can. I've also had excellent luck with using a large crescent wrench and tightening the thumb screw as I wobble the wrench to get it as tight as possible, then loosen the nuts.

Good luck, hope you don't snap anything!
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1972 Standard Beetle
1969 Baja Beetle

[Abscate]

You can make these from CuNiFe pipe about $1 per foot and $1 per fitting.

It might take a couple of tries yo get the bends right. Tape the fittings near the end before you bend as you csnt slide the fittings over bent pipe
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.ssS!