Flare tool to do stainless brake lines

[helo]

Need suggestions.

I intend to replace my brake lines with stainless in the near future ('89 suburban), but I can't seem to find a good flaring tool. Seems like everything I look at is for mild steel/aluminum/copper.

I want to use straight stainless (hardline), not the tubing sold as a coil.

I'm thinking perhaps HVAC suppliers might sell a tool that will produce the proper flare on stainless lines? But, I can't fathom why I'm not finding a stainless flaring tool from any of the usual auto parts websites.

[454Cowgirl]

Flaring stainless is a gigantic pain in the arse.

There is not a hand flare on the market that can do it. I work in hydraulics. Only thing with any strength to flare stainless is a vise block and flaring pin. And even thoes are for thin wall stainless, anything larger and a hydraulic flare is needed.

So your wasting time looking at an auto parts store for a tool to do it. And if they claim it does, it aint worth the paper it was printed on.

[helo]

I think I'll stop by my nearest driveline shop next week and find out their capabilities. My oilfield job uses .042 wall stainless (freakin' stout tubing), but we generally only use ferrule fittings (no bueno for brakes).

For AN (37* single flare), there are some $100+ hand tools that claim to handle .035 wall stainless. [Ridgid 41162 377].

$200-$300 for a hydraulic flare tool is a bit much to only do one vehicle.

[454Cowgirl]

I think I'll stop by my nearest driveline shop next week and find out their capabilities. My oilfield job uses .042 wall stainless (freakin' stout tubing), but we generally only use ferrule fittings (no bueno for brakes).

For AN (37* single flare), there are some $100+ hand tools that claim to handle .035 wall stainless. [Ridgid 41162 377].

$200-$300 for a hydraulic flare tool is a bit much to only do one vehicle.

Yeah I would just stop and see what a shop could do. Ugh compression fittings I dislike them but you have no choice sometimes, yeah a definenant no no for brakes.

I have a Ridgid that claims to handle stainless...maybe 1/4 stainless tubing.

I agree no point in paying 2-3 hundred but look into the viceblock and pin type you might be able to get one at a decent price. As it litterally is used by sticking the pin in the tubing and hitting it with a hammer.

[GreaseDog]

inline tube and classic tube offer prebent stainless lines for most applications.

[Wolley]

Inline tube, i believe sells the tubing raw and tools to make you own. I think that being stainless is not the determining factor in difficulty of flaring, wall thickness is. That being said, i purchased a set of stainless line from then for my truck for around 200.