XJ1100 Brake lines

[madmax-im]

Holy Moly! I just inquired at cyclebrakes.com about SS lines front and back for my '82 XJ1100. According to them there are 5 lines up front and 2 for the rear!Total cost around $300 So is it necessary to replace all 5 up front?

[kjohnson]

I can think of maybe 4 front and 2 rear flexible lines.

since i got rid of the unilink system, it is 3 front and 1 rear

[DiverRay]

since i got rid of the unilink system, it is 3 front and 1 rear

If you got the "long" banjo bolt for the MC, you could have 2 front, 1 rear for a TOTAL of three lines. The fittings cost as much or more than the line, so that would save even more money!
JAT

[DGXSER]

Can you simply take the banjo from the splitter and move it up to the MC??

[DiverRay]

It SHOULD work, but as I do NOT have an XJ, I cannot be positive. DO replace ALL the crush washers, or anneal them if you want to re-use. Being the brakes system, I always use NEW!

[DGXSER]

Sorry Diverray I threw a point of confusion in, I meant on an XS, non linked system.

Yep brakes is one area where safety MUST be priority.

[TopCatGr58]

Getting hosed over brake lines!

Hey BNE,

Sounds like they were talking about replacing the entire system, including the solid metal hoses that run along the frame!? Well, let me retract that, after reviewing the fiche, I see that there are 3 lines for the front, and 2 for the rear. Part of the problem is that one of the front ones has a regular compression hose fitting coming off the solid frame line first, THEN it goes into a banjo bolt type fitting at the forks for the left caliper. Same kind of straight on fitting for the one line that comes off the rear MC going to the solid line of the frame that goes to the front left caliper. And then the other line for the rear going to the rear caliper!

It could end up being cheaper to UNLINK your system, and then just need 2 long hoses for the front as was mentioned before, and then just one for the rear!
T.C.

[CatatonicBug]

Maybe I'm just a sucker for original restoration, but I would much rather replace exactly what was put on there at the factory. The XJ linked braking system is just like mine on the '81 MNS (but with a bit larger rear MC). It's complicated (and expensive to replace), but I think keeping the setup as close to OEM as possible adds to the beauty of these old bikes. You could always do it in stages, and only replace the front first, then replace the rear lines later.

[trbig]

but I think keeping the setup as close to OEM as possible adds to the beauty of these old bikes.

So replace with rubber lines? lol. Honestly.. with most of the lines covered by sidecovers, tanks, triple trees, front plates, etc... you'd have to look like hell and poke around to ever figure out if a brake line was linked or not. So aesthetics really aren't an issue at all.

There are a couple issues to discuss if you choose to unlink the back brake.. but kind of doubting you want to do that. So I'll save that info for a later time.


Tod

[CatatonicBug]

I wasn't necessarily referring to keeping the rubber lines, but to me, beauty is more than skin deep. I see the advantages of upgrading in technology (like SS lines), but the more I can retain the original setup, the better IMO. I know others prefer to change stuff around and customize, but I prefer the OEM setup. To each his own though.

[madmax-im]

Hey BNE,

Sounds like they were talking about replacing the entire system, including the solid metal hoses that run along the frame!? Well, let me retract that, after reviewing the fiche, I see that there are 3 lines for the front, and 2 for the rear. Part of the problem is that one of the front ones has a regular compression hose fitting coming off the solid frame line first, THEN it goes into a banjo bolt type fitting at the forks for the left caliper. Same kind of straight on fitting for the one line that comes off the rear MC going to the solid line of the frame that goes to the front left caliper. And then the other line for the rear going to the rear caliper!

It could end up being cheaper to UNLINK your system, and then just need 2 long hoses for the front as was mentioned before, and then just one for the rear!
T.C.

Thanks TC..It was my thought to do away with the splitter and unlink the system.The bike is with ossjughead so we will be discussing this...I am not one to shy away from costs of things but close to $300 bucks (not including speedbleeders) has me balking big timeBTW cyclebrakes says there are 5lines up front and 2 out back so I guess they are talking the entire system...I'll be sure to point this thread to Jim

[madmax-im]

You could always do it in stages, and only replace the front first, then replace the rear lines later.

Wish I could but the fact is that One caliper up front and the one in the back are binding up so its all gonna get done at the same time.Bottom line is that I am less concerned with originality than I am with functionality.

[DGXSER]

I wasn't necessarily referring to keeping the rubber lines, but to me, beauty is more than skin deep. I see the advantages of upgrading in technology (like SS lines), but the more I can retain the original setup, the better IMO. I know others prefer to change stuff around and customize, but I prefer the OEM setup. To each his own though.

In general I agree with keeping things original if you have a pretty stock unit that was well maintained. But then again, things like this remind of a true story from my past. We were riding through the city streets of Covington Kentucky in a 1968 Chevy Biscayne station wagon, my mom, dad, and 4 brothers and sister and I. We got onto an old brick road, and my dad says "You know, they used to make roads like this when I was a kid, they don't make 'em like this anymore, you know why?" Since I was about 8-10 at the time making my eldest sibling 12, none of us could guess it, the answer......"Cause their SH*&^Y". Moral of a hopefully funny story, Sometimes change is a good thing!

[Ivan]

It SHOULD work, but as I do NOT have an XJ, I cannot be positive. DO replace ALL the crush washers, or anneal them if you want to re-use. Being the brakes system, I always use NEW!

Second that. Most people don;t know how to anneal brass. The process is the same as tempering steel. Heat to red hot and quench. If you cool brass too slowly, it gets hard. I usually use water to quench, works well for me.

[Ivan]

So replace with rubber lines? lol. Honestly.. with most of the lines covered by sidecovers, tanks, triple trees, front plates, etc... you'd have to look like hell and poke around to ever figure out if a brake line was linked or not. So aesthetics really aren't an issue at all.

There are a couple issues to discuss if you choose to unlink the back brake.. but kind of doubting you want to do that. So I'll save that info for a later time.


Tod

There are such things are rubber shielded hydraulic lines that have the steel braid in side the rubber wear shield. Would give the benefit of the SS lines with the stock look. More than likely they would be considerably less expensive. JAT