I finally got around to installing some stainless steel brake lines on my R50 about a month ago. I ran into some minor fitment issues on my "exact" fit stainless steel replacements that I thought would be worth sharing for those looking to put some stainless steel brake lines on their MINI.

I used the WMW stainless steel brake lines. In actuality, these are "Techna-Fit" brand brake lines, based on the sticker on the package. The lines themselves are high quality, DOT-approved, and look to be very nice replacements.

However, there were some things that bugged me on the install, so be careful!

1. All of the rubber grommets that snap to strut towers needed to be adjusted. Here is a view of them in the middle of the OEM line:




It is much easier to adjust these grommets with the line off the car. Compare the location with the line you are removing and you should be close.

CAUTION: If you don't place the grommet in the right spot on the front lines, turning the steering wheel all the way right or left can cause the brake lines to rub on the strut tower! Test for clearance once the front lines are on.

2. The rear lines did not have the rubber protecting sheathing as on the OEM lines that protects from potential rubbing on the parking brake cable. You can see the sheathing on the OEM line:





Check for clearance and/or rubbing near the parking brake line to be sure!

3. On the front lines, the banjo bolt end is round instead of square. This makes tightening, especially on the passenger side pretty tricky, as the line starts to move as you start to put the proper torque on the banjo bolt. The square end on the OEM lines prevents this from happening. Here is the square banjo bolt side of the line on the OEM:





4. On the front lines, the fitting that screws onto the hard line does not fit through the mounting hole all the way - it isn't the correct size. The result is as you tighten the hard line down, the metal clip is compressed more than it should be and slides partially off the mounting location. The OEM looks like this:





Because of these little details, I can't recommend the WMW stainless steel brake lines. The ones that ECS tuning sells appear to more identical to the OEM design in these details based on the images I've seen. There may be others that more closely match the OEM design too - just be sure to study the pictures and compare the lines so you make a good choice.

 

I lived through the braided brake hose fashion in sportsbikes and was amused when one British bike magazine got hold of a brake line tester - basically a test rig that could measure hose expansion with pressure.

They found that about half the braided hoses they tested were not as good as the OEM non-braided hoses - though it might be more accurate to call them internally-braided, since there is no way a rubber hose without braiding can withstand braking pressures.

The best braided hoses were slightly better than OEM but I still think they are primarily a fashion item, even if racers are susceptible to the same fashion.

 

(Reply not really relevant, on reflection!)

 

Id have to disagree with the above, the feel from the stainless lines is worth it in itself.

 

One must consider the longevity of the lines. New "braided" lines, without a doubt, will feel better than tired oem lines. New oem lines, will also feel better than tired oem lines. When new, I imagine the lines all performed similarly, but I'm more curious what happens as they age. In addition, I doubt the test accounted for what happens when everything gets a lot hotter. If you drive aggressively, the lines can reach 100°C, if not hotter.

That being said, I'll take high quality oem lines over cheap "braided" lines anyday.

More important than new lines is consistent brake fluid changes. I try to bleed every year, as I've experienced first hand what happens when brake fluid absorbs moisture. Long story short, losing your brakes is a lot less fun then bleeding them.