I'm no stranger to bending hard lines (brake and fuel lines) but over the course of my many years I have needed to bend lines with a tighter radius than the tools I have can handle. I've seen so many lines over the years that look like artwork so... What are your favorite tools for bending tight radius lines and why? Thanks in advance, Andy
As I seem to have a drawer full of hard line kinking tools rather than bending tools my inquiring mind wants to know. On the old galvanized coated tubing from Napa or other parts houses the tube bender I got off the Snap-on truck years ago worked pretty good but with that green coated stuff they have now I haven't had much luck with any tool I have. I've got several rolls of tubing in the garage but haven't had cause to fab up any lines lately to see how it does.
I too am curious. Wondering if there is a cheaper tool than the eastwood 250 dollar one. I do not do lines enough to justify the cost.
What I have been told to fix my kinks on tight bends is to use a pipe to bend them around. Same time I wonder why one would not switch to nicop or nickle/copper lines? I can understand if going for a 100 point restoration & looking for first place in a popular car show. That's just my humble opinion. The nicop is soo much easier to work with, bend it by hand using a mold like a pipe, it should last way longer then steel lines ..... it has the sexy look of copper lines. In my small town, the local stores are no longer carrying steel lines. I bought all the 5/16" available. They will not order any more for my use. If I'm ordering online, I'm ordering nicop ... But my front brakes are completely done & proud of my craftsmanship installing the steel lines. Now I'm doing the rear brakes in nicop & while different material between front & rear would probably be ok .... I know I will end up replacing all the new front brake lines & just wish I switched to nicop earlier.
I have several tubing benders but the one that I have found for the tightest bends is the Imperial Eastman 367FH, it does 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4" lines.
The best one I ever used was many years ago. It was a piece hinged contraption. My company had one for 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8. It rolled the tube (mainly I used it on thick wall SS tubing) over a slot/groves anvil. The upper piece was grooved as well to the form of the tubing size. In the cabinets where we had to do a 90 turn of the tubing, you couldn’t put your finger (no fat finger joke please) in the space of the tubing and the corner. The one I have now is similar, but instead of rolling the tube for a bend, it pushes it between two top pieces. Not as tight as a bend I used to be able to make. I got this one back in the day when Kragen Auto was still around. Was probably less than 20 bucks back then. If I can spot it later, I’ll bend a piece of tubing and take some pics.
I have one for 3/16th stainless brake line I got from Pure Choice and over 40 years of chassis plumbing I've worn out a few. For 3/8th stainless fuel line I have an industrial Imperial manual bender that will throw a full tight 180 degree bend. Those are the 2 I use most.
The one above has right around a 2 inch spread over 90 degrees. It came with another lower piece for 3/8th and??? Tubing. You unbolt the lower, flip it 180 for the two sizes listed. May not be as tight a bend that you want/ looking for but easy to use while under a car.
I use a Snap On pair similar to these for ultra tight bends on steel and stainless. The design allows you to grab the line right behind the fitting and make a very tight bend.
Asked at Strouds auto in Fort Worth why they were to only store selling the good steel line. He told me I guess the others don’t read the order sheets right.
Imperial Eastman, If you want tight bends these are the best. I have a Swagelock for 3/8ths stainless but it was very expensive.
I too have a drawer of tubing manglers. This tool (I believe made by Eastman... mine is a knock-off) is damn good at tight corners, even when hard up against flare nuts. (I borrowed the photo from this thread: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tubing-bender.1138552/). The only drama is that I often put the tool on "back to front"... then it kinks the snot out of the tube. Cheers, Harv
Ridgid tubing benders... 600 Series Heavy-Duty Instrument Benders | RIDGID Tools There's also a less-expensive 400 series if you're not trying to bend heavy-wall stainless steel or titanium lines. Neither style is cheap, it pays to shop used/overstock for these. But if you want the tightest possible bend without worrying about kinks, this is the bender you want. Beware the cheap copies...
When it comes to stainless tube in larger sizes, you’ll want one of these https://imperial-tools.com/products/600-f-worm-gear-tube-bender/ I have made several mandrels in tighter radii than offered in the kit. A must for oil lines etc...
I got snap on and cheap versions of these and they work great if you lube the tool or line first so it slips a little while you bent it . These guys work good for very tight bends in and around fittings and working with line already on the car . Also had good luck with the cheapy spring benders . have also used sockets , extensions , hammer heads and handles mounted in a vice as a mandrel to bend around . whatever works to get the correct bend or angle , but like I said lubing the line so it will slip a bit seems to work best compared to doing it dry. im talking about brake lines you perverts!!! Not don’t get me started on flailing tools !
Mine are Parker. Just a note if you need to make a bend & are caught away from your tool box you can fill the tube with sand, tamp it good & make the bend by hand. The sand will support the tube & keep it from kinking!
...if you make a bend and it kinks a bit, lay it on a hard steel surface, like a vice and tap it back into shape...works most of the time.
https://www.tequipment.net/Robinair/18548/Tubing-Benders/ My go too bender. I have been using the same one for over 30 years and have done 25 or 30 cars with it.
I had a few then found a bunch of benders on the market place for pennies on the dollar, just couldn't pass it up.
This is the correct answer to the original question. Probably the best answer and in reality the only correct answer. Imperial benders in single tubing sizes are the choice of professional instrumentation tubing fitters. I used these benders exclusively for all of the fuel, and brake lines on my 26 RPU. They’re the best benders to give you tight radius clean and smooth bends without damaging the tubing.
The Ridgid single-size benders are the equal of the Imperials IMO and probably easier to find, neither brand will be particularly cheap. The 3/16, 5/16 and 3/8 sizes will do probably 98% of anything automotive we do, with maybe a 1/4 added for some rare cases.
I have sort of a strange bender. Not what I was looking for but was the only thing available when I bought it from a local auto parts store. Something I do not use often, but I'm starting to like it well enough. Main thing is I can mount it in my vice leaving my hands free to locate the tubing. I can get the tube close, with one hand and just snug it up enough to hold it in place. Then using both hands I can position the tubing exactly where I want it. Then I can use my hands to hold the old line over it that I'm trying to duplicate. When satisfied I then can start bending the line with a wrench. It is a cheap tool, it is not very fast. It can be very accurate depending how patient you are. It does work with 4 sizes of tubing. I know a truly experienced person with a standard tubing bender could make a great line very quickly. I kinda like the one I have .... I would not mind having a normal version around also. I would have to look for a model like the one pictured if anything did happen to it.
I've got that same bender as Los_ Control has in my box and have had it for maybe 50 years if not longer. I think I bought it about the same time I bought my Double flare tool off the Snap-on truck. That was the only one I had for years.
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