Steel Braided Brake Hoses

[ChopStix]

So I wanted to upgrade my brakes on my 85 Chevy Pickup. I call Summit Racing and they sell me a Wilwood steel braided brake hose kit, among other brake parts. The kit comes in and obviously its high quality, but it only has the fronts, no rear brake hose. So I call tech support and they tell me that they do not show a rear brake hose and that I can use the steel hoses up front while using a rubber hose in the rear.

To me this sounds wrong as the stiffness differences between the hose types could possibly cause a brake bias issue. I'm envisioning the fronts locking up well before the rears in an emergency stop. Do you guys have any experience or opinions on this one?

[Frank Lee]

If you're on the brakes hard enough to tell you're either racing or doing it wrong.

[oil pan 4]

Braden steel tend to have less volume increase with pressure increase.
I have them on my firebird and it has the firmest feeling brakes I have ever encountered.

[niky]

What Frank said.

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The only time I've ever actually needed the braided steel lines on my old car was on the track. And even there, all they did was keep my brake fluid from boiling over an extra few laps.

On the street, you will not have any problems at all, as long as you drive nice.

[ChopStix]

Thanks
I suppose I will try them as directed.

[ChopStix]

Most of this is common sense, but its interesting to see/read real world numbers for vehicle stopping distances.

nacto.org/docs/usdg/vehicle_stopping_distance_and_time_upenn

[hamsterpower]

What they said.... And, your front brakes are suppose to lock first to help avoid over-steer and a spinout.

[Vman455]

AutoSpeed - Braided Brake Lines

TL;DR--the difference in hose expansion was 2.1% between old, worn rubber lines and new steel braided, and 1.4% between new rubber hose and steel braided, at pressures more than twice as high as a typical car's brake system can even produce.