Brake line confusion - R53 upgrade to R56 (R53 JCW)

[Sin MINI]

I have a late model 2006 R53 (not late enough however to get the JCW brakes fitted as stock ). Decided to upgrade my front brakes and found the most cost effective solution was to get cast-off R56 brakes since they are the same as the R53 JCW brakes. Found used front calipers with the stock rubber brake line and heat shields, barely-used rotors, new pads, and a set of braided lines (4...Figure if I'm gonna have to bleed my brakes, might as well do all four corners). Went on on a short vacation and dropped my car off at my mechanic with the parts. Here's where the upgrade went south.

Mechanic called and said the brakes lines don't fit with the new calipers. They work with the stock brakes (all four corners), but not the R56 calipers. One pair of the lines has banjo fittings for the caliper end but the R56 calipers do not take a banjo fitting; the rubber lines are threaded on both ends (pictures below). I have to ask my mechanic again, but I thought he also said that the rubber lines didn't fit my car either...that part doesn't make sense to me as it appears to be identical to the non-banjo fitting on the braided lines.

If anyone has any ideas I'm listening. If anyone has pictures or web links that show what I really need (if in fact these are not correct) I would be grateful.

PS: Found a tutorial on Pelican that implies banjo fittings on all four stock R53 brakes. Is that true? If so, then it looks to me that these lines should be correct, assuming that the short lines are for the front.

Thanks!

Caliper with rubber line twisted around so free end is visible


Lines. Two short ones do NOT have the banjo fittings; two longer ones do. I don't know which are for the front or for the back (the rubbers lines aren't the same length as either of the braided pair)

[Konstantinos]

Well.. I might not do this after all then... I thought it was a simple plug and play

[LowCountry S]

I know when I did it I had to order r56 front lines for the upgrade; I got all four braided lines from Detroit Tuned- they sell it as a "kit" (you pick which you have) for the upgrade with the correct steel lines for all four corners.........

linkage http://www.detroittuned.com/detroit-...l-brake-lines/


there's a how-to on MA (I believe) in which he upgrades all the caliper bushings to brass, so it's "better than JCW" or something like that; you may want to check it out since you are in there, parts are pretty cheap

[Sin MINI]

Turns to the front lines in fact need to be for an R56, the ones I got are for an R53. They were provided with the rotors and just didn't check close enough.

[glnr13]

hey Sin MINI, i originally bought those from chad at detroit tuned. Maybe he'll accept a swap?

[Sin MINI]

He already shipped the replacements

I'll offer them to someone in my club.

[glnr13]

glad it got squared away