I'm trying to identify if SCCA classing allows stainless steel brake lines.

In Stock allowances, it says:
13.6.A The make and material of brake linings may be changed.
13.6.B Substitution of clutch and brake hydraulic lines with solid metal or braided metal is allowed on all cars manufactured before model year 1992.

And in Street Touring, it says:
14.6.B Alternate DOT approved flexible brake lines.

From stock allowances, it appears they don't care about material in the first one, but only allow braided metal on pre-1992 cars. And in STS, it appears that any flexible brake lines are fine, so long as they are DOT approved, but I don't know if stainless steel brake lines are considered flexible or not. It may just be that I'm not familiar with the terminology for brake lines - can anyone clarify things for me?
-N

For reference: Stock rules and Street Touring rules from Moutons.org

 

"Make and material of brake linings may be changed" -- this means you can use any brake pads or shoes that are otherwise "drop-in" replacements for your car.

My understanding is that the allowance for metal lines was a standard part of the Stock rules prior to 1992, and that 13.6.B is just a "grandfather clause"...

Braided metal brake lines are flexible and legal in STS. I think the meaning of the STS allowance is that the portion of the brake line which is flexible in the stock configuration may be replaced with any alternate DOT approved line, but that the portion of the brake line which is not flexible (typically anything "inside" the wheel well) may not be replaced.

 

So braided stainless steel cables are still considered flexible lines then? That's what I was mostly unclear on, since I could imagine rubber being considered flexible and steel being considered solid - even though both can obviously move. I'm a geek, so I keep wondering if it's terminology like floppy discs and hard disks or something where the distinction isn't clear to people who didn't use computers 20 years ago.
-N

 

Braided lines ARE flexible. They are ruling out hard lines like the ones that run down the frame. You can't run hard lines with suspensions. The lines would kink or break.

Rubber = Flexible
Braided Steal = Flexible
Bent tubing lines = NOT Flexible

Hope this helps.

 

Yeah, braided lines are flexible. I'm pretty sure they're just distinguishing between the "hard" lines which run from the master cylinder / ABS controller out to the wheel wells and the flexible lines which extend out to the calipers.

The flexible lines only need to flex enough to reach from the hard brake line to the caliper (at all angles of suspension travel) without kinking or stretching.

 

Thanks for the clarification then everyone... glad to have some more terminology down...

I guess this sort of belongs in brake technology now rather than motorsports, if mods care to move it.
-N

 

SS (braided) brake lines are legal on stock class cars before 1992 models. If you have a 1991 whatever, you can put stainless lines from the tubing to the caliper. It falls back to the rule of if it doesn't say you can do it, than you can't. I don't see a huge performance enhancement, but the SEB deems '91 back can have them, and '92 on cannot.

An arguement could be made for a safety issue? Age old answer, write the SEB to change the stock class rule to allow any year car to change flexible lines to unrestricted material.

STS=>see above.