63 Fuel and Brake Line Question

[Jason S.]

Many of you may have seen the posts I've had about 1963 drum brakes.
What has caused me to want to go back through the entire brake system and get everything in good shape was a pin hole fluid leak in the front-to-rear brake line (which overall looked virgin).

With that said.......are the only two choices I have to replace the front-to-rear line:
1) Lift the body so that a complete one-piece line can be clipped back on top of the frame rail, or
2) Use a 2-piece line that can get "manipulated" or snaked up on top of the rail. which is then pieced back together with a union?

I ask because I know a similar predicament can be faced with replacing a fuel line on a '63 - but in that case a "workaround" to avoid lifting the body is to use a '66/'67 fuel line that has different routing that doesn't require lifting the body.

Is there another model year of mid-year that has a brake line routing that doesn't require the body to be lifted - similar to my fuel line story? Or are the two choices I mentioned basically it?

Will removing the sill cladding help at all in snaking a 1-piece line up in there?

[Edward J.]

Re: 63 Fuel and Brake Line Question

Jason, I did this for a friend that has a 63 I was able cut line and re-flare ends the line and install a union and tuck the line back up. 63 frame and body are so close and not really enough room to slide the line in one piece without a splice. Some say to remove the rocker panel, but tried did not work.