Brake line discussion

["D. Dardalis" <dardal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

DB, good find!  Is this the dimension used on brake lines?

Also, if I was asked to design a copper brake line, I would make the wall 
thickness larger (either by reducing the ID a bit, and/or by increasing the 
OD, preferably the 2nd).  I am not sure though how this would be compatible 
with the fittings, but I think it would work.  Point is though that lack of 
material strength can be compensated by thicker material.  Also, I would 
probably specify a higher grade copper alloy, and I would try to achieve a 
design factor of at least 2.  Problem is of course, as the pipe gets 
thicker/stronger material, it may get harder to bend.
D^2

At 10:47 PM 6/2/2002 -0700, you wrote:
>My handy dandy McMaster-Carr catalog tells me:
>
>5/16" OD  Copper tubing Max Pressure 1197 PSI
>5/16" OD 304 Stainless Max Pressure 3500 PSI
>
>Unfortunately, the type of steel tubing used on cars isn't listed, but the
>type they do list (carbon steel) is about the same strength as 304
>Stainless.
>
>In service, I calculate that the peak pressure in a panic stop in the brake
>lines of a disk brake car is somewhere in the range of 1200 PSI.
>
>Dick Benjamin