Pinto Car Club of America

OK, well, maybe that's not what they are called, but hear me out. Was working on my car tonite (finally warmed up, was glad to get after it), and messing with the %^$**&^* passenger inner fender removal (What fun), I noticed something.

The passenger front brake line goes over the crossmember, and as it goes up the side of the subframe, there is a "spring" or "coil" around the brake line. I noticed this also on my back axle.

QUESTION: WHAT are these "springs/coils" for? Are they there so the line does not rub against something? Or, to deflect rocks? Anyone?

Chris

as your supennsion moves  the line has to move as well it keeps the line riged enough not to kink but flexable enough to move.

I was wondering this myself when my friend and me were working on his Jeep. It had the coiled wire around the master cylinder lines that run down to the proportioning valve. Now, the cylinder is mounted on the firewall, the proportioning valve on the frame beneath the floor pan. Once the tub (body of the car) is secured to the frame, both remain stationary against the suspension, meaning both of them would move together in unison if the car were to hit a bump or even a curb.  I couldn't understand why the master brake cylinder lines would be reinforcement in this case.

Are you talking about the wire wraped tightly around the steel brake lines in some locations?  I have assumed it was there so the steel lines could be bent with out crimping the tube.  When I did a short stint as a plumber's helper, we had a set variuos size springs that were slid over tubing to create crimp free bends (the spring was removed after making the bend).  The wire wrap could just be there for physical protection too, not sure.