Wheelers SS Brake Lines

Anybody ever install wheelers off road front and rear stainless steel brake lines? I bought em half off on black Friday and I don't know shit about brakes and they didn't have instructions. They look like an easy install, I just need some direction and pointers maybe.

 

I put a set of the Toytec SS lines on my 2016 and didn't find it too hard to do, but the truck was only a year old and the brake line nuts were not corroded on yet. Access to all of the lines is rather easy just make sure you have the wrenches made for brake lines (five sided contact) so that you don't strip the soft brass nuts. I'm sure the setup is similar on your Gen 1 as my Gen 3. Even my old Tacoma was basically the same setup.

As far as performance, I find the brakes to be a little less mushy and overall more predictable/linear. Not a night and day difference, but enough to notice. Plan to change out the brake fluid as well as it will all leak out. Making sure all the air is out of the lines will probably take longer then actually installing the lines.

 

Yes. Get some flare nut wrenches. Use vice grips on the old rubber lines to hault the flow of brake fluid while changing the lines.

What questions do you have?

 

I've just never done anything with brakes and I'm a bit intimidated lol. I'll likely end up waiting for an opportunity to do them with a friend who has worked on brakes before. I'm not sure I can tackle em alone.

 

The hardest part is bleeding the brakes. It’s really just remove and replace. Get the proper brake tool wrenches as advised above. Have a piece of cardboard ready because it does make a mess as well as a drip pan. Get a bottle or two of brake fluid. Might as well bleed the entire system. A little tip, don’t push the pedal to the floor when bleeding the brakes. Sometimes this can cause master cylinder issues. You want to keep the pedal with in the throw range of normal operation. I just stuck a piece of 2 x 4 under the pedal and have the old lady give me a hand and bleed them the old-school way.

 

I installed the wheelers stainless on my 04 and it is pretty straight forward. They made a big difference on my ride after 175k. Get some PB blaster penetrating oil for the threaded fittings (hard line to rubber line) and the retainer clips which holds those fittings to the vehicle and soak em a few times before you attempt to loosen them. USE the flared nut wrenches only. Before disconnecting the fittings, leave them attached in the retainer where the hard and soft lines come together for added leverage. I don't recall if this retainer is mounted on the control arm or the fender well. Cover your rotors and pads with plastic, once you disconnect the fittings, brake fluid will end up everywhere.

 

I never did anything more than changing pads before I tackled the tundras brakes after purchase. I replaced front lines, rotors, calipers and completely rebuilt the rear drums. I just gave myself tons of time and took plenty of it.

Don’t forget to wipe off brake fluid right away, it’ll eat away at paint.

 

All good tips. Flare nut wrenches are important, and pay attention not to allow any torque on the hard metal lines.