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This job takes about 20 minutes of actual work (once you have the car off the ground and wheels off). This is pretty easy but requires attention. If you are not comfortable or competent with working on your brakes, leave it to a professional!
YOU MUST BLEED YOUR BRAKE SYSTEM AFTER INSTALLING NEW BRAKE LINES!
DO NOT GET BRAKE FLUID ANYWHERE NEAR PAINTED SURFACES - This stuff will take paint off at least as well as paint thinner!
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Note:
- Your front wheels must be off the ground to change brake lines. See Getting car up on jack stands DIY.
- I assume that your car is already up on a lift or on jack stands and the wheels are off.
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Step 1: Getting the required items together
This job requires:
- StopTech or Similar SS Brake Lines
- A lift or some other method of getting the front wheels off the ground.
- 14mm Flare Wrench (some time in 2003 BMW switched from lines with 14mm fittings on both ends of the OEM lines to using a 17mm fitting at the top of the line and 14mm at the bottom - if you have an 03 car your may also need a 17mm flare wrench).
- 11mm Open Wrench
- Wire Cutters
- Drain Pan
- A BMW M3 (E46).
- About 20 minutes of free time.
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StopTech SS Lines |
Step 2: Lets Start On the Passenger Side
- First locate the things you are going to be taking off - follow the brake line from the caliper to its entry point on the wheel well and note the bracket to which the line is attached at the strut.
- Locate your drain pan under where the top of the line is attached (part going into the wheel well) (see image).
- Using the 14mm flare wrench get a hold of the bolt at the top of the brake line and use your 11mm open wrench to loosen the line coupling (see image).
- You should only need to loosen the coupler a turn or two with the wrench, it should unscrew the rest of the way by hand.
- Once the coupler starts to unscrew, brake fluid will start to spill - keep the caps that came with your brake lines handy and cap off the metal line coming out of the wheel well off as fast as you can.
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Top of Brake Line
Top Connection Off - Cap On |
Step 3: Release the Line From the Bracket
- A short and simple step - there is a bracket attached to the back of the strut that the brake line is attached to.
- The brake line goes through the bracket via a rubber grommet.
- Simply push the grommet toward the inside of the wheel well to pop it and the line out of the bracket.
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Brake Line In Bracket
Brake Line Released From Bracket |
Step 4: Removing the Line From the Caliper
- Now that the top of the line and the center have been released follow the line down to the caliper.
- The nut section of the line is about an inch or so up from where the line goes into the caliper.
- Use your 14mm flare wrench to loosen the line and then use your hands to turn the line the rest of the way out (you have to turn the line as a whole to get it out of the caliper)
- Set the line aside. Keep in mind that it still has some brake fluid in it so be careful with it around the car.
- Don't worry about the opening in the caliper, fluid will not drip from there.
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Bottom End of Brake Line
Caliper with Line Out
StopTech vs. OEM Line |
Step 5: Installing the Bottom End of the New Brake Line
- Take the threaded end of the line and screw it in the opening in the caliper. You'll have to turn the line itself to screw it in.
- Tighten it down with your 14mm flare wrench.
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New Line Attached at the Caliper |
Step 6: Reattaching to the Bracket
- There is an extra step to reattaching the line to the bracket.
- You have to secure the new grommet with a wire tie (provided with your lines).
- Push the grommet up or down to the correct position to drop into the bracket and push the grommet into the OEM opening (same one as where the OEM line went) in the bracket.
- Run a wire tie around the bracket (under the line on one side and over the line on the other) and snug it down - down pull it really hard as that will deform the grommet too much. The wire tie is simply there to keep the grommet from popping out and not to really hold the line itself.
- Use your wire cutters or snips to trim off the excess wire tie end.
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Line in Bracket with Wire Tie |
Step 7: Attaching the Top of the Brake Line
- This can get a little messy.
- Remove the rubber cap you used to block the metal brake line.
- Insert the new brake line in from below the metal bracket and turn the coupler into the line by hand.
- Once you have it snugged down by hand use the 14mm flare wrench to hold the top of the line and the 11mm to tighten the coupler into the line.
- You're Done! Now go do the other side - AND REMEMBER TO BLEED THE SYSTEM ONCE ALL THE LINES ARE IN!
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Attaching Top of Brake Line |
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