[SUB][/SUB]Its called good customer service specially if he is a repeat customer at that perticular shop.

 

To defend the installer, if the brakes didn't go out until two days later, this wasn't something that most would have caught on installation. A leak that bad would be felt immediately. The way brakes work, if fluids are coming out at that rate, you're going to have complete travel to the floor. Whatever gave way, did so after it left the shop and likely while the op was on the road. A leak like that would have been obvious in his driveway or garage. The video is a little blurry, but I don't see anything that the installer or the vehicle's owner would see that was obvious enough to throw up red flags until the brake fluid started spewing. It's a scary thought. :(

Really glad you're ok and you stayed calm enough to think to use the e-brake!

 

Sir

We do apologize for the issue with their brake line. Unfortunately they are in sealed packages and we cannot open them to verify them without loosing the certifications. David at Northridge did contact us immediately with your video and we immediately provided them with your information and findings to get you taken care of ASAP. They did tell us they were next daying you a replacement line.

We are glad everything turned out ok for you and no one was hurt. We are surprised such a leak was not found when the lines were blead though. That seems like it would have left a major puddle on the floor.

Again, we apologize for the issue.

RK

 

The leak seemed to have gotten much worse by the time I took this video (7 days after install). I was putting 1-2oz of fluid in a day to be able to get around town until the shop could get a new line. Since this has become such a topic here is a timeline:

10/5 - Pick up car
10/9 - Brakes fail in the morning going to work. (so it was 4 days after install not 2)
10/10 - Take to shop that evening for inspection, line is tight. Once pressure is applied, fluid leaks from bottom of the crimping
10/11&12 - Take this video and send to Northridge. They respond it is being taken care of.

10/16 - No further communication, and and no brake line in the mail? There must have a breakdown in communication as the last email I had received was just a generic email that it was being taken care of, but did not specify one had been sent out or anything. As of yesterday I did not receive a replacement in the mail so the address must have been mis-communicated as well.



I appreciate this. Like i stated above, there must have been a breakdown in communication. As for the overall kit, the quality is excellent, and the ride is even better then stock.


Again, this thread was created to make people aware that this happened, and to be extra cautious with brake lines in recently ordered kits incase it is a batch/QC issue.

 

We have had 4 emails back and forth.

3rd on said please get me a picture and video and once I provide that crown will get you a breakline out asap.

you sent a video.

My reply - I'm on it

..

You will have your line today

Sorry if my emails were not clear.

 

Agreed, that's why I responded. Either that or a big puddle in 2013Sport's garage or driveway after the install. Crown makes the lines for high end kits like Rock Krawler and Metal Cloak and this is the first time I've ever heard of something like this happening. I'm guessing the line was just good enough to hold for a few days and on the fourth day, the defect reared it's ugly head. AFAIK, Crown pressure tests each line before shipping. It's a one in a million thing.

2013Sport, sounds like you've got a great shop local to you!

 

Is RK including the proper 2013-2014 Crown lines with their kits yet, or are they still using Crown's older version regardless of vehicle model year?

I had to get with Crown directly in order to exchange mine before installing them...

 

This seems to be just a faulty part. I've been running Crowns on my rig for over two years now and several wheeling trips without issue. As much product as they produce and ship out, it's obvious that at least one will fail. Sucks it happened to you, but glad you didn't get hurt and got it taken care of. Doesn't necessarily mean that people need to be extremely careful with Crown lines, although I do understand and appreciate your concern.

 

About four years on my Crown lines. My only complaints are:

1) No indication that they are not four identical lines. I've seen several times where folks have gotten fronts and rears backwards, damaging the front lines after a few days (not like OP's problem, however). Eventually this could lead to loss of brakes.

2) The plastic (Kevlar?) shielding around the lines has broken and cracked. I've covered it up in F-4 tape.

As for OP, it seems only one line was improperly manufactured, thus leaving half of the normal brakes still working (never seen a vehicle from the last five or six decades that this wasn't this case). So, while it's worth pointing out, it does seem a fluke.

 

OP.
Might be worth sending the line that leaked back to Crown so they can do a post mortem inspection on it to determine the cause of the failure.

Crip sounds logical but it could be any number of other things. Man, machine or material.

The only way for them to correctly id the probelm is to measure all the tolerances and confirm all the materials meet thier specifications.