Aluminium Brake pipes?

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I was just reading the latest post in a thread about someone who has replaced their rear axle and the subject of aluminium brake pipes came up. I've read other posts about this on the forum from time to time. I've not been aware of coming across brake pipes made from aluminium on any vehicle I've ever worked on and I feel aluminium, even in some of it's harder forms, would not be a very suitable material for these pipes. Both our Panda and the boy's Punto and also the other Pandas we've had in the family have all had steel pipes, some plastic coated, but they all rusted!

So, anyone able to say the with certainty that Fiat doesn't use aluminium brake pipes?

 

[DaveMcT]

I suspect the source of the rumours is me. I had tried a magnet on my pipes but (I guess) not a good enough one, as this morning a magnet clearly showed the pipes are magnetic.

Aluminium is stronger than copper but it corrodes and work hardens quicker than copper so more likely to crack unless treated with kid gloves. Galvanised and plastic-coated zinc plated steel is the easy option which clearly works very well.