Do-It-Yourself High Performance Car Mods

Tube Tools

If you are making fuel lines or brake lines, you will need specialized tools. Although you can cut the tubing with a hacksaw, a tubing cutter will produce a good, clean, perpendicular cut, and do so in considerably less time. This will not only make the tube easier to cut, but it makes installing fittings easier.

Hard tubing typically uses flare-type fittings. These screw-in fittings slip over the tube, and then the end is expanded with a flaring tool. Flaring tools come in several varieties, and it is important to use the right tool for your fittings and the application. Most household water tubing uses a 45-degree single flare. This works well for pipes that sit still, but in high-pressure brake lines, the edge can form cracks that ...