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Brake line from HEL in the UK?

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:12 am
by ProZac
The flexible brake lines on my red car are stuffed, so I hunted ebay a little and bought some out of the UK, from http://www.helperformance.com/. Has anyone else had any experience with them? What has shown up is four very short flexible lines... Dont our cars take either 4 long hoses with a mount in the middle that attached to the strut, or 8 lines, 2 per corner, with a join in each at the strut?

Hmmm, should have just had some made locally. They werent expensive, but just annoying to only get half the parts to do the job!

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:02 am
by TOMSUN
Mal had the same experience with them.

Use the Australian contact. Aaron met the guy directly and should. Be as to point you in the right direction. I organized the last group buy for them. Are a LOT of stuffing around we got there I the end. The finished product is quite good. The aussie guys can do the OEM replacement of 8 lines or a bit cheaper on the full 1-piece lines that have a locating grommet set into the middle of the line.

Note Aaron mentioned the length of one of the rear lines would have been better a fraction longer as it is a little tight

Send the uk lines back and get a refund.

Good luck with it

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 9:27 am
by ProZac
Cheers mate. Bit dissapointing, but dems the breaks I suppose.

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 9:40 am
by Alspos
Redzone

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 10:19 am
by redzone
Yeah I have a local guy that makes adr approved ones for me :beer

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 4:02 pm
by JDSTAZ45
My word they are a clumsy mob even after my stuff up. :roll:

I remember getting front lowers and rear uppers in the package. Even after me complaining, they could not fulfill the order.
I ended up with 10 lines and still could not use them on a street car!

Just get the other 4 lines made up!

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 4:08 pm
by ProZac
They havent replied to any of the four emails I've sent them in the last week and a half... Useless.

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 4:08 pm
by thrash
this brings to light how thankful we should be to tomsun for sorting it all out for the group buy!!

I had some made up for my old car (robert26t, i'm hoping you've taken these off the car before junking it!!) and they cost about 150 a corner - this was a number of years back.

I'm sure you will be able to find a performance brake shop in NZ that will custom make them for you, without the added hassle of Australian ADR - but redzone already has a source, so why not go with him?

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 4:13 pm
by JDSTAZ45
ProZac wrote:They havent replied to any of the four emails I've sent them in the last week and a half... Useless.
A paypal claim should fix that. Wrongly described item! Problem is you'll have to return them back to the UK.
Negative feedback will get them offering a solution!

:beer

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 4:16 pm
by popup
I went with rubber lines in the end, as I heard that you need to be careful with braided ones not being as durable (teflon inner or something). Some of the kits seem to be longer 4 lines without the middle connection on the strut. If they didn't even send these, yeah I'd want to send them back. Phone them up.

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 4:18 pm
by ProZac
I think negative feedback and pay-pal dispute will be the way to go if I havent heard from them in a couple of days. Car isnt going anywhere in a rush anyway, so no hurry.

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:00 pm
by thrash
popup wrote:I went with rubber lines in the end, as I heard that you need to be careful with braided ones not being as durable (teflon inner or something). Some of the kits seem to be longer 4 lines without the middle connection on the strut. If they didn't even send these, yeah I'd want to send them back. Phone them up.
i thought people went braided for MORE durability and feel.....

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:48 pm
by 1320ft
I can put you in contact with the actual Hel Australia guy if you like.

(Not the guy that Peter got in touch with 1st)

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 10:00 pm
by popup
thrash wrote:
popup wrote:I went with rubber lines in the end, as I heard that you need to be careful with braided ones not being as durable (teflon inner or something). Some of the kits seem to be longer 4 lines without the middle connection on the strut. If they didn't even send these, yeah I'd want to send them back. Phone them up.
i thought people went braided for MORE durability and feel.....
I think braided lines don't bulge as much so you get better pedal feel, but are more likely to rupture in a big way. I think most top end sports cars still run rubber lines, so I went with that!

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 11:09 pm
by 1320ft
popup wrote:
thrash wrote:
popup wrote:I went with rubber lines in the end, as I heard that you need to be careful with braided ones not being as durable (teflon inner or something). Some of the kits seem to be longer 4 lines without the middle connection on the strut. If they didn't even send these, yeah I'd want to send them back. Phone them up.
i thought people went braided for MORE durability and feel.....
I think braided lines don't bulge as much so you get better pedal feel, but are more likely to rupture in a big way. I think most top end sports cars still run rubber lines, so I went with that!
Where ever you heard that from is wrong (to a certain extent) a good quality teflon inner hose will outlast any rubber or silicone based hose. And the teflon inner is a single piece and very hard for it to rupture.

I dont really pay alot of attention to euro sports cars, but I can tell you my bosses 2012 Aston Martin DB9 has braided brake lines standard and so does his mates murcielago (sp?)