Bitching about different types of brake flares

Rather than taking out my anger on my truck, I thought I'd write a hate-filled post for people to troll, laugh at, and empathize with.

I have the "Tacoma World fever" - meaning I am doing every silly and stupid upgrade to my truck imaginable. I like working on the truck, but I hate it when I spend so many weekends working on the damn thing that I don't actually get to drive it. Its been on jack stands in my driveway for five weeks! First the rear suspension, then the front suspension, then new lower control arms and upper control arms, and now the brakes... why not? Safety first, or fifth in my case. My wife is about kill me because its now labor day and we have only been camping/wheeling once this summer.

The very last thing I had to do this weekend was install extended brake lines and my new power stop brake calipers/pads/rotors. I tried to do it last weekend, but every hard line on the f**king truck broke, and it was a total mess. You would think bubble flare right? So, I'm all setup to do bubble flares and then proceed to waste my whole Saturday night and Sunday morning wondering why my brand new hard lines keep leaking at my brand new woven steel extended flex lines... because they are inverted flares! Should have checked the fitting first ya big idiot! I need bubble flares for my calipers, inverted flares for my flex lines, and something to take my anger out on. Once Amazon sends me my most recent order, I will be the proud owner of a single flare tool for other lines on the truck, a double flare tool, and bubble flare tool, in addition to an assortment of various fittings for each.

Am I going to actually spend three weekends working on f**king brakes? Yes, yes I am. If someone wants to drive to Denver and take away my keys, I wouldn't argue. Clearly I have lost my privileges to work on the Tacoma.

For anyone attempting to do this project. The lines are 3/16" or 4.75mm (same thing) for 2nd gen. I used 12 total fittings to connect all the little pieces of hard line. Two to connect the main line to the small line that connects to the flex line, two to connect the flex line to the hard line at either end, and one more to connect to the caliper. Multiply by two sides of the truck, and account for over tightening and stripping a couple, and you arrive at 12. Check your fittings first and some maybe inverted/double flares and same maybe bubble flares.

 

I was in Denver from Aug 17-Aug 20, I would have gladly taken your keys, would have been alot more fun driving your truck in the mountains than the Lexus NX we rented, lol! Working on the brakes on these trucks sucks balls, I feel your pain!

 

Did I mention the truck is on jack stands and without functional brakes? HAHAHAHA. That would have been wild on i-70. I just got over the frustration of working on Chevys, and here I am with a Tacoma on jack stands for month in my driveway... clearly its me and not the trucks.

 

I was joking brother, I know it was on jack stands I feel you, my Tacoma was taken apart for almost a year basically.

Yah, I-70 sucks, but east bound into Denver ain't to bad if you think ahead and buy express pass hahahahah!

 

Great thead.

Humorous, honest, humble, and provides useful information.

Well done, OP

 

After a night off from the truck, I'm in a good mood again. Ready for another week of truck work at weird hours of the night. To ensure some degree of success, maybe I need to make a sacrificial offering to the repair gods.

 

Grateful for a break from questions that have owners manual answers along with the incessant lift/wheel/tire/mpg threads

Well. She may have a point.

First step of recovery is admission of the problem

Truth.

Now @broke_down, we'll stand by for the rest of the story. Anxious to hear how the bleeding process goes. Especially if the ABS gets air in it.

 

Parts will be in on Tuesday/Wednesday. I have learned to have no expectations, hope, excitement, or any emotion that would enhance the feeling of failure if something doesn't go correctly. A little blind confidence, with a dash of delusional arrogance, is all I need.

 

This is what you needed. Sometimes you just need to walk away for a while. Remember it is not your trucks fault, it is the idiot who designed it that is at fault. Also remember that any mistakes along the way will make you a better mechanic. I bet you will never flare another brake line without checking to see what kind of flare it is. Good luck with the rest of your project.

 

Do you think new brake lines will help restore my mpg even though I have a 10" lift and 40" tiers? Teeeheehee. I'm joking, and couldn't resist a little teasing. There is a lot of glamor talk about looks and "what size tiers are you running?". I wouldn't mind it as much if people talked about the actual changes in suspension geometry and how it effects the truck. A little engineering chat and advice is hard to come by. I'll keep you posted.

 

Tons of info like that on here, just have to look in the right places!

I'll agree with @Biscuits

Best of luck and hope you and the family get out on an adventure soon!

 

Yes. Because now you won't be running with dragging brakes.

Those tend to hurt MPG.

 

Its done. New lines are on, no leaks... yet. Time will tell.

 

Congrats bro! It's Milla' Time!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YABojATz2c4#

 

I forgot to add to a tasty tid-bit. I broke the nipple on the inverted flare tool by trying to make the initial bubble too big. My wife was at work with her car, so I had her parents come get me and drive me around Denver until I found an Autozone that sold a complete kit. Total junk show.