Goodridge SS vs Stock Brake Lines on WRX

[ITWRX4ME]

I installed Goodridge SS lines over the weekend. Does anyone know why the Goodridge line is not fixed in the center bracket but slides through?

The OEM line has a bracket in the middle of the line that bolts to the strut tower. The line does not slide through this bracket. Therefore the amount of line between the caliper and the strut tower doesn't change.

With the Goodridge lines, the line slides freely through the center bracket. It allows a variable length of line between the caliper and strut tower.

I'm asking because, sometime during my test drive after the install, the line moved and came in contact with the inside rim of the right front wheel. It wore away the brading and part of the inner line. Thank God I didn't drive far.

My assumption for this design is that it allows the same line to work in multiple cars. Someone else told me that it is to prevent the line from being pulled when the wheel is turned, but the OE line is fixed so why couldn't the replacement line be fixed as well?

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[xfrickx]

I think I am going to check mine tonight to make sure they are not rubbing!

I noticed too that they slid. I was thinking that if it was a problem I would but zip ties on either side of the mount which it slides through. preventing it from moving.

xfrickx

[ITWRX4ME]

Someone else mentioned the zip tie solution too. Just make sure that you turn the wheel as far as it will go to ensure that the line is extended to the max before applying the ties.

[trhoppe]

I for one am glad that the brackets slide. That means I was able to use the lines with my GC8 coilovers

I used zipties to stabilize them.

-Tom

[Rallytime]

Hmmm, mine have not rubbed once and they have been on there about 10,000 miles. Check to make sure the lines are connected to the brakes properly,,,they should angle out (not in) a bit. That's my only thought.

[ITWRX4ME]

Thanks, Rallytime. Yeah, they angle out(by out, I'm assuming away from the caliper). I think I just left too much slack between the center bracket and the caliper.

[romanom]

Without seeing it and just picturing it in my mind. This doesn't look right. It sounds like the lines are just to plain long. The distance from the strut tower bracket to the caliper should remain constant once set. Assuming stock suspension just use the stock lines to measure how much line too leave free from the caliper to the strut bracket. And then tie it down so the line can only flex not slide. Note: don't pinch the line.

You can ignore the strut bracket altogether and use some other mounting point, but the safe bet it to use the stock points.

The line of course needs to flex as the wheel moves around. But it should not rub or slide against anything. That means it shouldn't slide in the strut bracket, unless there is a good bushing there to protect it.

[ITWRX4ME]

Thanks, Michael.

I agree about the constant distance. The line does slide through a bushing(what I'm calling the center bracket). Now that I think about it, even that seems silly. It's a metal bushing. It's got to eventually wear through the line if the line moves at all.

Hmmm. There's a little yellow vinyl sleeve on the lines that slides freely. It has the Goodridge logo on it. I wonder if it was meant to be inserted into the bushing in the center bracket. I just thought it was a place for them to put their name.

[Rich King]

I've had mine on about 10K miles+ and haven't noticed a problem. Only thing I do notice is that when I drive another car now, they all brake horribly (I upgraded pads too). Anyone notice ABS coming on quicker than it used to?

[ITWRX4ME]

Okay. After looking more closely at how the OEM brake lines are routed and mounted I am convinced that the Goodridge lines are designed to allow for the same lines to be applied to more than one vehicle. This is a cost savings for both Goodridge and the consumer(at least in the short term).

There is no good reason on God's green earth for the brake line to slide freely through a bushing mounted on the strut tower. The OEM's don't.

Sorry for contradicting myself. There is one good reason. To save on initial cost. That way, the same lines can be applied to more than one vehicle.

I know lot's of you have these lines with no problems. My guess is that you've never pulled the lines though the bushing to see if there's wear in there. Let me know if I'm wrong.

I'm sure any engineer would say that a brake line with SS braiding on the outside, passing freely through bushing, will wear. Unless the car never moves. It stands to reason that vibration and suspension movement will eventually wear out the line.

But how hard can it be to create a clamp that could be put on the line at install time and still mounts to the OEM bracket? I could design it in five minutes and I'm not even an engineer.

I'm returning these lines. I sent an email to Cobb to find out if their lines are just rebadged Goodridge lines. The picture on their website looks different than the Goodridge lines I got from Tire Rack.

[romanom]

Originally posted by ITWRX4ME
Okay. After looking more closely at how the OEM brake lines are routed and mounted I am convinced that the Goodridge lines are designed to allow for the same lines to be applied to more than one vehicle. This is a cost savings for both Goodridge and the consumer(at least in the short term).

There is no good reason on God's green earth for the brake line to slide freely through a bushing mounted on the strut tower. The OEM's don't.

Sorry for contradicting myself. There is one good reason. To save on initial cost. That way, the same lines can be applied to more than one vehicle.

I know lot's of you have these lines with no problems. My guess is that you've never pulled the lines though the bushing to see if there's wear in there. Let me know if I'm wrong.

I'm sure any engineer would say that a brake line with SS braiding on the outside, passing freely through bushing, will wear. Unless the car never moves. It stands to reason that vibration and suspension movement will eventually wear out the line.

But how hard can it be to create a clamp that could be put on the line at install time and still mounts to the OEM bracket? I could design it in five minutes and I'm not even an engineer.

I'm returning these lines. I sent an email to Cobb to find out if their lines are just rebadged Goodridge lines. The picture on their website looks different than the Goodridge lines I got from Tire Rack.

About the bushing, it can be designed to allow no wear, but I wouldn't take the risk that is was designed to "proper" specs.


Look at the Stoptech lines, they have a unique number for the new age US spec WRX.

[ITWRX4ME]

Awww crap. I wish I had read your post before I ordered the new pair from Cobb. That's okay. I'll repost with my impression of Cobb's design(for what it's worth, they did tell me that they are not manufactured by Goodridge).

It seems that Goodridge makes the lines to whatever specs are requested by a distributor.

Also, Grant at Tire Rack told me that the nylon sleeve that has the Goodridge logo on it is supposed to be inserted into the bushing. I looked at that as a possibility last night and it didn't look right. I dunno.

For the record, I'm not here to trash Goodridge or Tire Rack. I went into this knowing the risks of doing the install myself. What I hope will come out of this is a better understanding of the design of SS lines and perhaps clearer installation instructions.

[gtguy]

Mine don't move. I got them from RallyPerformance, and they're perfect. All fittings match up, no problems. The Goodridge vendor-to-vendor variance is weirdness.

Kevin

[jamz]

There are TWO VERSIONS of those Gooderidge lines. One version is more or less fixed in the middle section. It also does not have the little extra metal cylinder coming off the banjo bolt. This version seems towork a lot better. these are the ones I have, got 'em from SubieGal, and it took like two or three months to get them from the UK.

There is another, more easily obtained version that seems to be sold all over parts stores and dealerships, that slides through the middle brtacket and has the little extra metal thing.

RallyPerformance gets a lot of stuff from the UK, so I would not be suprised if those were the better fitting, more "proper" kind.

[Z1 Performance]

I was jsut going tos ay this!! All depends who you get them from.

AFAIk, we hae sold more Goodridge brake lines than any other vendor in the countrym and I ahve never heard a single complaint from a customer saying hey did not fit properly.

BTW, there are 2 kits for the Gc8 and new age model as well..2 different components, 2 different part #'s.

Who did you buy from?

[ITWRX4ME]

Originally posted by Z1 Performance
I was jsut going tos ay this!! All depends who you get them from.

AFAIk, we hae sold more Goodridge brake lines than any other vendor in the countrym and I ahve never heard a single complaint from a customer saying hey did not fit properly.

BTW, there are 2 kits for the Gc8 and new age model as well..2 different components, 2 different part #'s.

Who did you buy from?

The issue isn't really that they don't fit properly. The lines I received for the fronts accomodate the two and four piston calipers. Evidently, for the two piston calipers, you have to grind off a part of the fitting that attaches to the caliper in order to make them attach in the same position as the OEM lines. This was not in the instructions. I didn't know I should grind off this part and subsequently had to turn the fitting 90 degrees in order for it to sit flush agains the caliper. This caused the line to be routed closer to the wheel.

This set came from Tire Rack. I have ordered a front pair from Cobb that *appear* not to need any modification in order to fit.

My other complaint is that the line slides freely through a bushing, mounted to the strut tower, as opposed to being fixed, like the OEM lines. A rep from Tire Rack says that there is a nylon sleeve on the line that must be inserted into the bushing, around the line, to protect it from wear. Again, not in the instructions. I guess a professional might have known all this.

The Cobb lines, according to their rep, do not require this and are fixed within the bushing, if I understood him correctly.

I asked Tire Rack if they would consider a refund but they will only do an exchange for a new set of the same lines. But, as I said, I don't like hacks. I won't use a part that doesn't fit without modification.

Without pictures, it's a little hard to describe the mounting point on the caliper and how the shape of the brake line fitting affects the way it mounts. As soon as I get a digital camera, I'm going to come up with a set of instructions that might help people like me. Installing brake lines should be a fairly straightforward process. People with experience can probably do it in their sleep. First timers like me require detailed instructions. The instructions that came with the brake lines were written for the former.