Hello all, I'm asking myself some questions about juice brakes threads ... I need to use thru-frame fittings and an english shop got ones with these dimensions : "Each fitting has -3 AN male threads on one end and 1/8” NPT female threads on the other" I don’t understand what is -3 AN. I know my front rubber lines are Ford ones with a male 7/16-20 on one side, but I cannot measure the female side. Some guys tell that is 3/8-24, is that right ? So, I suppose these english thru-frame fittings are not the good for me !? Thanks for your help ! Thierry (from France)
A An fitting is a aircraft fitting which uses a male and female tapered sealing surface. NPT is a tapered thread fitting . No the female is NOT 3/8-24. NPT is a pipe fitting.
May be best to let folks know what you’re working with. Ie what wheel cylinders (what are they from) and what you have on your hard line for a fitting. I’m ***uming this is for front brakes so you can go from your hard lines through the frame to a flexible line that goes to the wheel cylinder?
Yes, of course ... My front brakes are from a 40 Ford, I got the 2 rubber lines, ordered some years ago as Ford ones and I want to go through the frame to join the rigid line. My rubbber lines fit well on my wheel cylinders, but, as I said, I don’t know what is the female thread on the other side !
My hard line will be made with 4,75mm pipe, the same as on a VW Bug, and I got the tool to make the stamped end, so I can put a fitting which will come in the female end of my rubber line, but I don't know what is the thread ! Or if I want to insert a thru-frame fitting, I can put the same fitting on my hard line !
AN fittings are 37-degree single flared fittings sized in 1/16-inch increments. IE AN-3 is 3/16-inch The easy way to do what you're trying to do is to flare the hardline with a 37-degree flaring tool and, using an AN-3 nut and sleeve, mate the hard line to the AN-3 end of the through-frame fitting. Now you have a bit of a conundrum being that you have a 4.75mm hard line, which is smaller than the required 3/16-inch. On the other end of the fitting, you'll need an adapter to go from the NPT female to the correct male brake fitting to match your hose. Here's a 3/16-inch brake line set up for AN-3. Subs***ute the fitting on the right with your through-frame fitting:
My frame is boxed and I must take the long thru-frame fitting which has not the same ends of yours, so if I connect the rigid line at the male end of the thru-frame fitting, how do I connect the female end of my rubber line at the other end, a female end too !??
The female end of the hose could be for a 3/16 inverted flair hard line. Maybe a picture of that end of the hose would help us out. Phil
Contact the manufacturer/supplier of the hose and find out the size, then it's a simple matter of finding an adapter from that to the NPT female.
The problem is that I ordered these hoses some years ago and don't remember who is the seller, I think it was on ebay. However, here is a pic of the female end, maybe one of you will be able to "recognize" the thread !
That's definitely an inverted flair fitting. The end of the hose would normally be clipped into tabs like these .https://www.amazon.com/Brake-Line-Mount-Tabs-Clips/dp/B075NNZM2X A quick Google search doesn't show any adapters to anything but a hardline, you maybe stuck having to get a new appropriate hose or not go through the frame. Phil
From where I'm looking as I zoom in on the threads in the upper picture the threads look stripped to about the 3rd thread . Take a look
The thru frame fitting is made to use a 3an braided hose usually going to a disc brake caliper. The 1/8 npt is usually fitted with an adapter to either 3/16 or 1/4 hardline or an adapter to an hardline. The hose if spec'd for early Ford juice brakes would have 7/16 threads for 1/4 hardline. Usually mount that kind of hose thru a tab, either above or below the frame; but I have no idea how to get to the VW line size you mention.
Just a recommendation or two is to bench fit everything together before installing and do make sure the components are readily replaceable with convenience wherever you plan to drive the car after completion . Brake systems are a safety system and not to be toyed with using parts that do not make up a complete brake system . If you are in Paris and drive to Nice are they going to have parts available for a quick repair if needed ? You may want to consider plumbing a brake system on the bench first with parts from a tried and true application . These components only ' thread crush ' so many times then start leaking so then how are you going to replace that parts . Using a popular system is safer , reliable , less work and comforting on a downhill mountain road . Yes I would ditch what you have a s**** it all and start over is my sound advice this is a brake system not a milk shake with a straw
I do commend you on your valiant effort . I've been down your road and I know now when to take a deep breathe or two and say , " Ok well let's start over " .
Evidently that 4.75mm tube is the same as 3/16" tube; which would let you use a 7/16x24 x 3/16" tube inverted flare nut to make the connection to the hose. You would still have to find an inverted flare tool to do the line and mount the hose on a tab either above or below the frame.
The easy way would be to not use your rubber hose and switch to those braided stainless hoses with the AN fittings that are frowned upon here.
What makes you thinking that I'm building a traditional style Ford ? I'm ***embling a hot rod, a 32 roadster ! You know, in France, when we make that type of vehicle, we take parts we have ! Parts from USA are more and more expensive because of shipping cost, first, and then because of the taxes recently added by the sellers on ebay ! So I use VW bug hard line because I got one and a lot of new parts, and the OD is pratically the same, 4,75 mm, and 3/16 (4,76 mm) for the US one ! Then, I own the tools to make the specific flaring !
Yes, I forget the thru-frame fitting and will use these little brackets to fix the line on the frame ! And yes, I own the specific tool to make the flared ends !
You have a good plan and money saver so sounds like you have a good parts supply house just make sure your flex hoses are proper threading whatever it is they sell you there are guys here have utilized the Bug approach so just build it up and run your lines I do recommend an adjustable proportioning /metering block for A-1 valving and a nice pedal . That is another component you haven't mentioned so it also has to threaded to the Standard you choose . Are you utilizing one ?
Thanks a lot for this paternal speech but, please, stop to take french people as novices, and, for my side, I know what I'm doing and that's why I use parts available everywhere in France, as, for example, the VW hard lines ! My problem was just to find a US guy who is able to inform me about some fittings threads !
... to add to that you say Hotrod build and Bug brake style so Im thinking your running all 4 drum brakes so if the car is light enough with drums you can use same size lines from and back 3/16 so a need for the valving may not be necessary in the Hotrod world . On a safe car build though I would utilize the valving components and plan on it on my current build even though I'm also wanting to run traditional drums all around I will be doing a lot of highway and mountainous roads so depends you building a grocery getter/ local driver or something more then you need more in your brake system . Food for thought and safety .
I don't think it's the French factor that is driving some of these responses, but the rather amateur question regarding the brake fittings that could be solved with a quick google search. To find the thread size of your hose is fairly simple, but no, one can't tell from a photo on the internet whether a hole is 3/8-inch or 3/4-inch without some sort of reference. Find an Imperial open ended wrench that is closest in size to the OD of the hose fitting and do a google search to find out what size it may be, then go from there. For example, I'll do it for you... https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Brak...xGMtLnlQJk5pZTdfN24_umKfb1_cTCGhoC558QAvD_BwE This is most likely the hose you have. Look at the specs... 7/16-24 IFF Here's another gimme... https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Stra...xUtTe8N3OLA-pTW2y-po2tlBWIcha7VRoCfeAQAvD_BwE That adapter coupled with the info I provided earlier solves your problem and it only took a few seconds worth of internet sleuthing. You got the tools, now get to work!
Yes only a few of us utilize the Bug system over here and it is done with success over here and instead of spending $1200 they have only spent some time and a few dollars and had fun doing it . Yes we are Catalog Krazy over here as I call it my clients I have to slow them down and tell them Hey look we gotta get things that match the car . If you came over here you would go wild at our Car Parts Swap Meets ! Looks like Rich B solved the thread mystery that is great to know now I can build a Bug Brake System and save $$$$$ thank you Elroots33 enjoy your build !
your answer is solid at post number 20 . easy to make the brackets and the ends are easily available from ebay uk if your struggling to find non metric fittings in France. 3/16 pipe is also easily available as is the metric equivalent . Dont bother with the thru frame fittings, they just complicate something that is otherwise cheap and easy to do.. The extra fittings required with the thru frame fittings makes a neat job but adds a lot of costs and lots more joints if you follow it through the entire car . Keep it simple ...
You must understand that in France we exclusively use the millimeters, so, I came to ask to US guys to help me about US dimensions of brake fittings, surely not from a pic, but rather because they surely know it by heart and me not at all !
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