I really get pissed when I spend good money on something and it's wrong, but what really jacks me up is the attitude and the way I get mistreated.

Anyone can make a mistake. It's how they handle it that I give Kudos to or bust their chops.

Sometimes it's the manufactures fault for mispackaging something, as was the case when I ordered some lug nuts. But the company took care of it. Sent me the new stuff and sent a shipping label to return the mispackaged items.

Such was not the case with Classic Tube.

I ordered a 4 flex hose kit over the phone,as they do not have it listed on their website. They told me no problem and the cost was $180. I gave them a credit card # and off they went.

Aprox 15 days latter the kit shows up.

I was doing all the front end work and brake work at the same time.

I installed all the hoses and the last one I put on was the LF. It didn't matter what I did. It just poured at the steel line to flex hose fitting.
Yet I could put the OEM hose back on and no leak.

OK we have a defective part. I call and talk to Tim and ask for a replacement.
Tim says "Your going to need to send the defective one back to me so I can look at it and yes you will have to pay to ship it back." "Strike 1" :(

In the mean time I'm driving the car with the OEM hose on the LF.

Aprox 14 days latter a package shows up. He's my hose, great. I open it up and there is no note and looks like the same hose. Now I remember looking inside the female fitting where the steel line screws into it. There was a shadow in the seat of the machining.

I call and talk to Tim and ask what they found out. He said there was nothing wrong with that hose, but we changed that fitting anyway. Hmmmmm!

I go look at the hose close again. Guess what? That shadow is still in that fitting and they did NOT send any new copper washers. "Strike 2" :(

I didn't have time until a week latter to mess with changing it out. So I go to the auto parts store and get the $4 kit of copper washers in various sizes so I can change the hose out. That Hep Line kit of washers is how most auto parts store have them around here.

I come home and change it out. It LEAKS! "Strike 3" :(

Ok benefit of the drought. Maybe something is wrong with the steel line that goes from the ABS to the flex hose. It's aprox 28in long and has a 3in flex hose molded in it.

So I call Jamie and he sends me a line from a car he was tearing down. $25 spent.

I get the line from Jamie in a timely manner in good condition. :)

Back to the auto parts store for some more copper washers. :(

I change all this out today. The Damn thing leaks at the same spot. "Strike 4" :(

I call Classic Tube and tell them the problem and ask for a new hose. Tom says, "We'll just send you a new fitting."

You lied to me before about the Damn fitting! :(

Now I'm really pissed. I took the steel line and the stainless flex hose to a local shop that builds hyd lines and has all kinds of stuff like this.

Rubber & Specialties Inc
5011 Commerce Park Circle
Pensacola, FL 32505

phone: (850) 478-9778
fax: (850) 478-8616
toll-free: (800) 678-2237

In the past they would not build brakes hoses like this. They do now. I just found out today. He finds me a fitting and sends me on my way for $4.45. He also told me the fitting that was on there was machined to deep.

I brought them home and measured the depth with my vernier caliper.

The bad one measured .420 deep.
The good one measured .330 deep.

I bring it home and install it. No Leak.

But my pedal is extra low now. This is after using my air powered bleeder tool.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/92900-92999/92924.gif

I bled them several times. Due to the system being open so much and running to the store the MC ran dry.

Back to the store for some other fittings. A basicly bench bleed the MC while it's still in the car.

Bleed the whole system again. The pedal is still low. The car has maybe 150mi at the most on all new brakes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Warthog5/Customer%20Boats/100_0500.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Warthog5/Customer%20Boats/100_0503.jpg


I sure do hate to be treated like a piece of crap after I give my money to people.

That just goes to show you that many vendors just don't care! They figure that screwing a few people over won't hurt their over all image. I hate places that do business this way! I would file a claim with the better business burreau so that they will have a strike on their record.


Another subject: Why is your caliper that horrible green color?:p

You never seen EBC Greenstuff pads before turborich? I have used them on all my previous cars...

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/Automotive.html

Just noticed, they are based in my home town in England!

I hate bad machined parts.
I would call Tim back and tell him what you found and who helped you.
The bad one measured .420 deep.
The good one measured .330 deep.
Tell him to take some time and make sure his product is to spec. before his ships his parts.

If he has a brain in his skull he will look at what he is shipping before his name is mudd.

Another subject: Why is your caliper that horrible green color?

HeHe Yes as 93' Blue on blue said they are EBC Greenstuff pads. :)

I put them on my '94 F-150 last year and liked them. I did find that the slotted and dimpled rotors made more noise. Kind'a a whirring sound on braking. So I went with the crossdrilled rotors on the MK VIII.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Warthog5/P7191240.jpg


I have found that Rants on forums sometimes have a postive outcome for a company correcting a problem and thus I always make that known as well.

But it can also hit a company in their pocketbook when they are just jerks.

In any case there was a "Power Buy" back a few years ago from this company. I didn't even own a MK VIII back then. So when I saw someone mention it I did a search and some info popped up.

I'm sure this warning will pop up when latter on someone is interested and does a search now.

[QUOTE=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Warthog5/Customer%20Boats/100_0500.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Warthog5/Customer%20Boats/100_0503.jpg
QUOTE] Merry X-Mas ! Paint looks good!

Wow, I had no idea they came green. I thought you painted them. You learn something new everyday.

ford nut/warthog5, which connector are you talking about?
I'm going to be installing a set this week that I got a little while ago, and wanted to possibly check it out first so I don't run into any problems...
Thanks

I installed all the hoses and the last one I put on was the LF. It didn't matter what I did. It just poured at the steel line to flex hose fitting.
Yet I could put the OEM hose back on and no leak.

ford nut/warthog5, which connector are you talking about?
I'm going to be installing a set this week that I got a little while ago, and wanted to possibly check it out first so I don't run into any problems...
Thanks
From his post I would guess its the end that goes to the bracket see his first pic. too deep so it will never seat.

oh, from the sound of your post you made that had those measurements in it, I thought you had fixed/installed them...
I hate bad machined parts.
I would call Tim back and tell him what you found and who helped you.
The bad one measured .420 deep.
The good one measured .330 deep...

are the green stuff pads ceramic? i am looking for some good ceramic pads for the mark front and rear..

are the green stuff pads ceramic? i am looking for some good ceramic pads for the mark front and rear..

No they don't all come in green. I had them on my TC and they were black.

No they don't all come in green. I had them on my TC and they were black.

i dont care about the color, but are they ceramic?

From his post I would guess its the end that goes to the bracket see his first pic. too deep so it will never seat.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Warthog5/Customer%20Boats/MK-8/100_0637.jpg


i dont care about the color, but are they ceramic?

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/greenstuffinfo.html


Greenstuff - 2000 Series - Premium Street Pad
Image and statistical information on EBC Greenstuff Brake Pads
(Read Race Warranty Below)
Write a Review

Read Reviews

Premium street sport pad for cars up to 200bhp. General spirited street driving.
Designed for premium street driving offering better brake effect up to 600°C (1100°F). EBC Greenstuff has a high initial brake effect and gives drivers confidence from first application of the brake pedal. There is no such thing as a NO DUST pad. The very nature of how a brake works requires that some dust be generated to avoid rotor vibration (shimmying). The EBC pad creates less dust and dust is more easily washed off than most. All pads create more dust as they are bedding in especially if rotors are worn. Nominal friction coefficient 0.55. For heavier faster cars and vehicles above 200bhp we strongly recommend Redstuff which DOES offer much less dust.

You may be interested in these.

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/redstuffinfo.html

Redstuff Ceramic - 3000 Series - For Highly Tuned Cars and Fast Street
Redstuff Pad Image
(Read Race Warranty Below)


Superstreet formula for cars above 200bhp and fastest street driving

This material is a Kevlar® fibre based brake compound enhanced with ceramic particles. If you have previously tried EBC redstuff (pre-ceramic compound) this material is light years ahead. It lasts longer, it brakes better and is quieter. Being a hard wearing pad, bed-in times can be as long as 1000 miles and drivers must be patient until the pad takes up the shape of their disc (brake rotor).

This is a truly impressive fast road pad for repeated heavy braking.

It emits far less dust than semi-metallic pads and has been proven to stop a passenger car/sedan/sport compact/hot hatch 13 metres quicker than OEM pads from 100mph/160kph. Features EBC Brake-In surface coating which conditions rotor surface and accelerates pad bed-in. Nominal friction coefficient 0.5 with approx. 50% dust reduction compared to other pads.


EDIT: They only list these for a '98 MK VIII.


4 Parts Found
Part # Description
DP21164 EBC Greenstuff Street Sport; Disc Pads; Rear;
DP21168 EBC Greenstuff Street Sport; Disc Pads; Front;
UD598 EBC Ultimax Pad Set; Disc Pads; Front;
UD599 EBC Ultimax Pad Set; Disc Pads; Rear;

All my lines measure .420" to the start of the taper inside. Does this mean I'll run into problems? :(

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Warthog5/Customer%20Boats/MK-8/100_0637.jpg




http://www.ebcbrakes.com/greenstuffinfo.html


Greenstuff - 2000 Series - Premium Street Pad
Image and statistical information on EBC Greenstuff Brake Pads
(Read Race Warranty Below)
Write a Review

Read Reviews

Premium street sport pad for cars up to 200bhp. General spirited street driving.
Designed for premium street driving offering better brake effect up to 600°C (1100°F). EBC Greenstuff has a high initial brake effect and gives drivers confidence from first application of the brake pedal. There is no such thing as a NO DUST pad. The very nature of how a brake works requires that some dust be generated to avoid rotor vibration (shimmying). The EBC pad creates less dust and dust is more easily washed off than most. All pads create more dust as they are bedding in especially if rotors are worn. Nominal friction coefficient 0.55. For heavier faster cars and vehicles above 200bhp we strongly recommend Redstuff which DOES offer much less dust.

You may be interested in these.

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/redstuffinfo.html

Redstuff Ceramic - 3000 Series - For Highly Tuned Cars and Fast Street
Redstuff Pad Image
(Read Race Warranty Below)


Superstreet formula for cars above 200bhp and fastest street driving

This material is a Kevlar® fibre based brake compound enhanced with ceramic particles. If you have previously tried EBC redstuff (pre-ceramic compound) this material is light years ahead. It lasts longer, it brakes better and is quieter. Being a hard wearing pad, bed-in times can be as long as 1000 miles and drivers must be patient until the pad takes up the shape of their disc (brake rotor).

This is a truly impressive fast road pad for repeated heavy braking.

It emits far less dust than semi-metallic pads and has been proven to stop a passenger car/sedan/sport compact/hot hatch 13 metres quicker than OEM pads from 100mph/160kph. Features EBC Brake-In surface coating which conditions rotor surface and accelerates pad bed-in. Nominal friction coefficient 0.5 with approx. 50% dust reduction compared to other pads.


EDIT: They only list these for a '98 MK VIII.


4 Parts Found
Part # Description
DP21164 EBC Greenstuff Street Sport; Disc Pads; Rear;
DP21168 EBC Greenstuff Street Sport; Disc Pads; Front;
UD598 EBC Ultimax Pad Set; Disc Pads; Front;
UD599 EBC Ultimax Pad Set; Disc Pads; Rear;

cool thank you , Red Stuff is what i am looking for according to this

I just went and measured the OEM line and it is .400 to the higest point at the side of the seat.

Will you have problems? I don't know.

When the lines were removed from the car where I could handle them better you could then tell that the nut was tight, but the steel tubing could still move and as you can see with using the ATE Super Blue Brake Fluid it makes it easy to see the leak in the pix.


Red Stuff is what i am looking for according to this

Did you catch my edit?

EDIT: They only list these for a '98 MK VIII.


4 Parts Found
Part # Description
DP21164 EBC Greenstuff Street Sport; Disc Pads; Rear;
DP21168 EBC Greenstuff Street Sport; Disc Pads; Front;
UD598 EBC Ultimax Pad Set; Disc Pads; Front;
UD599 EBC Ultimax Pad Set; Disc Pads; Rear;

They did NOT list the Red pads as to being available for our MK VIII's.

IE: Redstuff Ceramic - 3000 Series

I plugged it in for a year model, 1998. But I believe they are all the same?

Yep, I went back and plugged in 1993 and it came up with the same numbers. No Red.

So if the steel tube wiggles (up-down I'd imagine) in the fitting (the piece with the black cover over it at the top of your pic,) then I may run into leaks?

Sorry, I missed the edit time in my above post...

In your pic above, if the steel tube (the piece with the black cover over it) wiggles (I'd imagine up-down,) then I might run into leaks?

Thanks for the tips into what to look for, this could save a bunch of time as I can do the lines first and if I do have play in them, I can call them up before I change everything else... :)

10-4 :)

This is a pix of that steel line just to give you some other pixs to look at.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Warthog5/Customer%20Boats/MK-8/100_0638.jpg

Steel line into OEM flex hose that the bracket has been cut for replacement of the flex hose.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Warthog5/Customer%20Boats/MK-8/100_0633.jpg


Another close up of the problem fitting. Sorry it's blurry. :(


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Warthog5/Customer%20Boats/100_0495.jpg

Perfect, thank you for the help :)

Keep us posted on the outcome, Icarus. I'm going to hold off on ordering a set until you do, as I want to make sure there is not a whole bad batch that I'm about to buy.

EDIT: Please :)

Will do. :)
I may not get to this install till the weekend now though, it depends if the rain stays away and I can find a place to redrill the rotors to our Lincoln pattern...

warthog5, did you run into any problems with the front banjo bolts being to long? I got the right ones for the calipers, but they are to long. Even on the oem caliper the factory bolt is too long for the fitting.
Any pics on the end that attached to the caliper?
Thanks :)

I got them on with no leaks :)

Thanks for the help guys!

Icarus, glad to see you got yours on with no issues as i plan to order these next month or so. Also warthog5, i'm glad you made this post, as your experience had me thinking very hard about where to spend my hard earned money ;)

Icarus, glad to see you got yours on with no issues as i plan to order these next month or so. Also warthog5, i'm glad you made this post, as your experience had me thinking very hard about where to spend my hard earned money ;)

+1 It may not be nutil next year but these were on my list of things to do so thanks for scoop on whats up with these.

warthog5, did you run into any problems with the front banjo bolts being to long? I got the right ones for the calipers, but they are to long. Even on the oem caliper the factory bolt is too long for the fitting.
Any pics on the end that attached to the caliper?
Thanks :)

Sorry it took me so long to see this thread again and update guys.

No problems with the Banjo fitting or bolt on mine.

It is a little scary when using a standard 1/2in drive torque wrench to torque the banjo bolt. [35ftlbs] It seems like you have so much mechanical advantage that you could wring it off. But that is the proper torque.

Sorry no pixs of them.

The next time I have it on stands with the wheels off, I plan to do some measuring.

I have found some sites that have all the components listed separate and I believe that these can all be bought cheaper than the $180 I had to pay thru Classic Tube. Never mind the freaking aggravation and Piss poor service. :mad:

The Banjo fitting from Classic Tube is straight and it really should be offset to have a better fit.

http://www.jegs.com/images/photos/700/799/799-640411.gif

Yes, an offset/curved one like your pic would have been perfect...

warthog5, did you run into any problems with the front banjo bolts being to long? I got the right ones for the calipers, but they are to long. Even on the oem caliper the factory bolt is too long for the fitting.
Any pics on the end that attached to the caliper?
Thanks :)

I got them on with no leaks :)

Thanks for the help guys!

Taking the plunge. What was the issue/resolution with your banjo bolts being too long?

I called them up and told them the problem and they sent me some of the right ones... :)