hawkman199

So, I ordered a set of hood dampers from SoS, and while I was at it, a set of SS brakes lines. $100US, who could go wrong, right?

Well, let me tell ya!

The hood dampers/struts are excellent. Easy fitment, nicely made anodized aluminum brackets. All good.

This weekend, with the nice weather beckoning, I decided to install the brake lines. No problem. Have a garage, all the tools, fresh brake fluid. Jazz on the radio, big mug of coffee.

First wheel went well.

Second wheel, tightening the banjo bolt and snap! The banjo bolt twisted and broke at the fluid holes. WTF? I was using a calibrated dial torque wrench, used for delicate and accurate torque settings. broke at 17 ft/lbs. The manual calls for 25ft/lbs.

Now I start looking a bit closer at these banjo bolts. Notice the brake fluid hole is drilled slightly off-centre. Yikes!

On closer examination, they look kinda cheap, compared to the stock banjo bolts.

I check the length of a bolt I have not used, then pull out the bolt I have successfully installed and check it's length, to see if it has stretched. It hasn't.

But now I do not trust these banjo bolts.

Call up my old buddy, to see if he has any motorcycle banjos, with the same thread pitch. He thinks he has. I drive over, we chat and I get to drive his brand new Tesla. Very fast!

Turns out the banjo bolts he has are the wrong thread pitch.

So we go over to see an old road-race buddy. He has the correct thread pitch and length bolts. Suzuki GSXR parts.

He gives me 4 bolts and aluminum crush washers. Now these are high quality, NOT made in China.

I pull everything off my car and start over.

The GSXR banjo bolts are excellent.

For good measure, I drill them for safety wire.

All parts are installed. Gravity bled. Banjo bolts are safety wired.

Still have to check the connections to the stock Honda solid lines for leakage, as I had a bitch of a time getting a couple of them to seal perfectly.

Anyway, just sayin'. If you buy the SoS lines, deep six the banjo bolts and get some GSXR 750 bolts with aluminum, not copper, washers.

zeroptzero

Man that sucks, I hate when companies substitute cheap ass parts like that on such critical pieces. Good work getting a fix for that, it could have been a crappy situation if you didn't.

I put on some Challenge SS brake lines from GT Motoring, they came with some decent banjos and crush washers, they torqued up fine to 25 ft lbs. DOT approved and all components made in USA. Whenever I torque stuff like that I am always worried about them stripping as the bolts don't look like much.

s2kt3

I got Russell lines, used the stock Banjo bolts, with new washers mint !!! And dot stickers on them !!!

starchland

This is what scares of me away from aftermarket lines :s wonder what sos will have to say

afzan

I got challenge lines from GT motoring, but I reused whatever oem pieces that I could

Reapur

Up front using the Stoptech lines that came with the BBK. In the rear I still have the Russel lines from 2 years ago.

starchland

I just checked its 12 lbs for the banjo bolt. Where did you get 25 from? My gut instinct would tell me 25 on that small bolt is too much

zeroptzero

No the banjo bolt at the caliper is 25 ft lbs., although I agree that it sounds high for a small bolt and I always fear stripping those out, though it's never happened to me.

The upper hose connection to the hard-line is 11-12 ft lbs (but I just do hand-snug without a torque wrench)

myflys2k

There is a place local to me that makes brake lines in house for industrial applications etc. This is the same place where I got my oil cooler lines made.

starchland

oh good point oops