Product review: Russell Stainless Brake lines

5129 Views 7 Replies 6 Participants Last post by GSRCRXsi, May 4, 2005

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Discussion Starter · Mar 8, 2005

When I was shopping for stainless lines, I had a few criteria in mind.

1) Reliable brand name. No ebay noname brands for safety equipment
2) The stainless braid must be coated to prevent damage to the teflon core
3) The mounting brackets must be the same as stock
4) The mounting brackets must be repositionable along the line to allow for alternate calipers. (ie: EX 10.2" brakes).

My search narrowed down to two brands. Goodridge or Russell. I didn't have access to Earl's locally, so I couldn't examine that product. In my mind, there is functionally no difference between the Goodridge and the Russell brake lines. They both fulfilled all 4 of the requirements listed above. And for those who are worried about brand name reliability, I discovered that Russell is actually a subsidiary of Edelbrock. The Russell lines were significantly less expensive than Goodridge and they bolted up properly with no issues. They even came with replacement washers for the ends of the lines.

My old rubber lines were quite deteriorated, so I noticed a huge difference in my braking response. However, not as big of a difference as I felt when I upgraded to 10.2" brakes. Overall, I would say that this is a recommended upgrade, especially if your rubber lines are starting to deteriorate and distort/bloat. Not only is it a nice upgrade, but it is also a safety maintenance item.

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Opticon

· #2 · Mar 8, 2005

My brakes are pretty squishy right now and I'm thinking about upgrading. With the B16 going in next month, I'll bet the extra stopping power will be much needed.

What was the cost on these puppies, and where did you get them?

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stick

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 8, 2005

I picked up a set for $124 CDN at Lordco parts. (local parts distributor). You can probably get them for cheaper in the US. Performance parts up here are usually all more expensive because we have to import them.

Just a point of interest, they will not improve your braking power...only your braking response times. To improve braking power, you'll have to upgrade one or more of the following: calipers, pads, rotors, or tires. If you upgrade to larger calipers, it is also suggested that you upgrade the Master Cylinder to a 15/16" one from either an 89 Accord LXi or a Prelude from the same years as the CRX.

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Stavros

· #4 · May 3, 2005

FIRST POST on here guys. stickershop referred me to this site, since he lives really close to me and saw me messing around under the hood of my CRX one fine afternoon

anyway, from what I've experienced, SS brake lines can improve your brake feel, but unless you have lowered and stiff suspension, the movement of the suspension parts tends to deteriorate the steel braid fairly quickly, thus reducing their life substantially. My friend had one of these lines fail on him due to ruptured braid, and I'm lucky to still be able to call him up for poker nights (no serious accident happened)

not sure what brand he had on his car, but it is something to think about.

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stick

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 3, 2005

Stavros said:
not sure what brand he had on his car, but it is something to think about.

If you could find out, that would be really good info to know. I wonder if the lines were plastic coated or not.

The term "Braided Stainless Brake Lines" is actually a bit misleading. The brake lines are actually made of a teflon tube and are wrapped in the stainless braid material. The traditional problem with this design is that if dirt and dust is allowed to get into the braid, it will act like sandpaper and eventually cut through the teflon line. This problem has been overcome by coating the outside of the lines with plastic to keep dirt and dust out of the braid.

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akirarex

· #6 · May 3, 2005

One point of interest with these braided brake line kits is that they are cheaper than buying those 4 hoses at a parts store. I think they want 35 bucks a piece for the fronts and something similar in price for the rear.

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chet90si

· #7 · May 3, 2005

Just for the record, if you guys have extremely lowered cars (2in. or more) or are not using the brake-line bracket on your shocks, then I would not recommend your standard Goodrich or Russell kit. The hose they supply are the same as stock length, and that extra slack is why people have problems with them.

I suggest going to www.opmautosports.com and getting the Earl's kit which lets you choose custom length lines. The recommended length for a car lowered 2 inches is about 20 inches.

Also, if you're running Koni Yellows with out the brake line bracket, then its absolutely crucial that you get shorter lines!

EDIT- The Earl's lines are not DOT approved however...so probably not a good choice for a car that sees alot of street use!

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GSRCRXsi

· #8 · May 4, 2005

chet90si said:
Just for the record, if you guys have extremely lowered cars (2in. or more) or are not using the brake-line bracket on your shocks, then I would not recommend your standard Goodrich or Russell kit. The hose they supply are the same as stock length, and that extra slack is why people have problems with them.

I suggest going to www.opmautosports.com and getting the Earl's kit which lets you choose custom length lines. The recommended length for a car lowered 2 inches is about 20 inches.

Also, if you're running Koni Yellows with out the brake line bracket, then its absolutely crucial that you get shorter lines!

EDIT- The Earl's lines are not DOT approved however...so probably not a good choice for a car that sees alot of street use!

my car is lowered probably about 2 inches (1 finger gap, maybe slightly less) and ive had zero problems with the goodridge lines. i do want to coat them in some sort of plastic though, maybe ill wrap them with electrical tape, lol.

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