69 rear caliper brake lines

[Greg L.]

I just dig out a brake line kit that I bought from Paragon a while back and I now see that the rear caliper brake lines don't have any armor spiral wrap on them. Mine originaly had the wrap and I've seen lots others with it too but just to be sure before I chuck these in the garbage...did all 69s have this armor spiral wrap or just some? I can't see why these repops wouldn't have the armor on them since I've seen other repops that do.

[Joe L.]

Re: 69 rear caliper brake lines

I just dig out a brake line kit that I bought from Paragon a while back and I now see that the rear caliper brake lines don't have any armor spiral wrap on them. Mine originaly had the wrap and I've seen lots others with it too but just to be sure before I chuck these in the garbage...did all 69s have this armor spiral wrap or just some? I can't see why these repops wouldn't have the armor on them since I've seen other repops that do.

Greg-----


The caliper brake lines on my original owner 1969 DID NOT originally have spiral armor. I'm 100% positive about that. It has spiral armor lines on it now, though.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 69 rear caliper brake lines

....did all 69s have this armor spiral wrap or just some?

Greg -- it's generally accepted that just the '65 and 66 cars had rear caliper brake lines WITH armor, although I can't find where it's mentioned in the '65 TIM&JG.

No idea why it was eliminated, but a collector for salt corrosion is my guess. Even Noland Adams Vol 2 '65 section shows a prototype '65 BB rear caliper/ suspension zone photo, and NO armor is on the line.

[Greg L.]

Re: 69 rear caliper brake lines

Well thanks guys but that certainly makes me wonder now. Would it be possible that both armored and non-armored tudes got used in 69 and other years for that matter?

The reason I ask is because two of my reference books(Vette Vues Fact Book & 1969 Stingray Guidebook) both show armored tubes. I also have a few pics that I have collect and they show armored tubes as well so I just assumed that the armored version was the norm. Could it be that only the BB cars got the armored tubes because of the rear sway bar?

[Joe L.]

Re: 69 rear caliper brake lines

Well thanks guys but that certainly makes me wonder now. Would it be possible that both armored and non-armored tudes got used in 69 and other years for that matter?

The reason I ask is because two of my reference books(Vette Vues Fact Book & 1969 Stingray Guidebook) both show armored tubes. I also have a few pics that I have collect and they show armored tubes as well so I just assumed that the armored version was the norm. Could it be that only the BB cars got the armored tubes because of the rear sway bar?

Greg-----

It's possible. There WAS a difference between the rear caliper brake lines for 65-74 Corvettes with small block and with big block. The small block lines were GM #3879235, left, and 3879236, right. The big block lines were GM #3879239, left, and 3879240, right. None of these pieces was ever available in SERVICE and I cannot say in what way they differed. However, the spiral armor is one very good possibility. I can't see any reason why the lines would have needed to be otherwise configured differently for small block and big block.