I want to make sure that this gets out to as many of you Probe/MX-6 owners out there as possible. I've had the Goodridge SS brake lines on my 96 PGT for nearly 2 years now with no complaints. That is until last Wednesday. I can't express strongly enough how lucky I was to come out of this one without damage to either myself or my car.
I had to make a sudden stop since a car traveling ahead of me stopped very suddenly due to a stalled vehicle blocking the lane ahead. I think this person was attempting to get one lane over to avoid stopping behind the vehicle and found out at the last minute that she could not and consequently slammed on the brakes...but that's not the important part of this story. I then slammed on my brakes. As I was approaching her vehicle and watching the vehicle behind me attempting to stop, I decided that it was necessary to turn into the curb lining the side of our lane in order to avoid being rear-ended. I did so at the very last second and hit the curb at a slight angle and no more than 5-10mph. The curb had a gradual incline and easily accepted my maneuver without causing my car any harm. We all then waited for traffic to clear in the nearby lane and then proceeded to get around the stalled vehicle. I touched my brakes lightly and realized that the line pressure was low if not non-existent...darn ABS I figured. I waited a couple seconds and same result. I then realized that I had no brakes! I slowly made my way to the nearby gas station and peeked underneath the car. To my amazement (actually I expected it at that point), brake fluid was leaking from the rear of the car.
I wasn't far from home (a mile or so), so I drove slowly and used the parking brake as my only means of braking. When I arrived home, I pulled the driver side rear wheel to find my Goodridge line leaking. The braid had opened up and the hose was split down it's axis approximately 1/2"!! These are DOT approved lines!
It's important to note that I have no mods to the brake system other than the lines, upgraded pads, and upgraded rotors. I will be drafting a letter to Goodridge to alert them of this issue. In the meantime, please reconsider purchasing these hoses. I've since ordered a set of factory replacement hoses.
I'm an engineer for a major automotive company and deal with major hose suppliers as part of my current position. I will be contacting at least one of them for their analysis before I return the hose to Goodridge. I can already tell from my experience that the hose did fail due to pressurization and shows no evidence of chaffing.
Read and heed!
Andy
I had to make a sudden stop since a car traveling ahead of me stopped very suddenly due to a stalled vehicle blocking the lane ahead. I think this person was attempting to get one lane over to avoid stopping behind the vehicle and found out at the last minute that she could not and consequently slammed on the brakes...but that's not the important part of this story. I then slammed on my brakes. As I was approaching her vehicle and watching the vehicle behind me attempting to stop, I decided that it was necessary to turn into the curb lining the side of our lane in order to avoid being rear-ended. I did so at the very last second and hit the curb at a slight angle and no more than 5-10mph. The curb had a gradual incline and easily accepted my maneuver without causing my car any harm. We all then waited for traffic to clear in the nearby lane and then proceeded to get around the stalled vehicle. I touched my brakes lightly and realized that the line pressure was low if not non-existent...darn ABS I figured. I waited a couple seconds and same result. I then realized that I had no brakes! I slowly made my way to the nearby gas station and peeked underneath the car. To my amazement (actually I expected it at that point), brake fluid was leaking from the rear of the car.
I wasn't far from home (a mile or so), so I drove slowly and used the parking brake as my only means of braking. When I arrived home, I pulled the driver side rear wheel to find my Goodridge line leaking. The braid had opened up and the hose was split down it's axis approximately 1/2"!! These are DOT approved lines!
It's important to note that I have no mods to the brake system other than the lines, upgraded pads, and upgraded rotors. I will be drafting a letter to Goodridge to alert them of this issue. In the meantime, please reconsider purchasing these hoses. I've since ordered a set of factory replacement hoses.
I'm an engineer for a major automotive company and deal with major hose suppliers as part of my current position. I will be contacting at least one of them for their analysis before I return the hose to Goodridge. I can already tell from my experience that the hose did fail due to pressurization and shows no evidence of chaffing.
Read and heed!
Andy
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