Inline Tube

[DeadheadNM]

Wanted to bump this thread with my recent Inline Tube experience.

Nearly every part Inline Tube sent for my current Blazer build was incorrect. The parking brake components were for a 3/4t truck. Just discovered the charcoal can lines are for an unknown application and I'll likely clean and reuse my OEM pieces for that.

Rather than put Wes through another round of pain with Inline I personally called to order the brake hoses and explained to the sales guy my issues with the parking brake pieces. Yeah, he sent the correct kit per their catalog for a 4wd 72 Blazer but the kit erroneously calls for 15" long front hoses that by Inline's own catalog are for a mid-70's passenger car and are not the 19" correct hoses for a 72 GM K truck.

My initial email to Daniel Sheppard, salesman with Inline, regarding the erroneous brake hoses went unanswered so I disputed the charge with my credit company. Later Pete with Inline calls me and we go around and around about their error. Pete agreed to send a prepaid mailing slip to return their hoses. I've been credited my money. What kills me is the arrogant unfriendly tone of Pete who on my follow-up call says it's low on his priority list to investigate whether or not Inline has correct front brake hoses for 71-72 K trucks - terrible attitude that probably reflect the poor corporate culture at Inline Tube.

BUYER BEWARE!!!

[Grumpy old man]

I saw their ebay ad for 67 short bed manual brake line complete kit for $155.00 Before ordering thru ebay I called them directly to make sure exactly what the kit contained to make sure I was getting what I wanted and just ordered with them while I had them on the phone ... Well it shows up and all that's in the box was the rear section ,They charged me for the complete kit and when I called to get it straitened out it turned into a screaming argument over the phone , After about 30 minutes they refunded me $55.00 and told me by calling them directly I should expect to pay full retail and the ebay price for the kit was only if I ordered thru ebay

I wouldn't buy anything from them Terrible customer service .

[In The Ten Ring]

I bought a pump to carb stainless steel pre-bent line from them....it leaked horribly at the carb end.

[D.PASSMORE]

My last experience with these guys didn't go very well too. Absolutely no help in figuring out the part selection in there catalog. I just ate the leftovers when I converted my 1970 C30 to discs and 14 Bolt rear end. But, everything fit well after I figured what I needed.

Kinda like, if you buy it from inline, its yours forever.

[B. W.]

BAD x 2

1st TIME: '71 GMC lwb 3/4 4wd - ordered complete brake line set, spec'd D60 rear. the front half was not exact but close enough, the rear 1/2 was no where close to the OE lines, ended up bending my own.

2nd TIME: Tried them again for my parking brake cables - no go. Multiple e-mails & calls & weeks later had to have "custom"" length rear cables made (for a stock truck!)
I had to pay for the new cables. Not going to argue with them, just will not use them again!

WILL NOT BE A THIRD TIME - this ain't baseball, they don't get three strikes!

[midnightrider78]

I used inline tube parts when I did the brakes on my '56 Chevy car. They were close, but not quite. I had to alter the bends slightly on the long piece. Also, the e-brake cable was a little different than original, so I almost ran out of adjustment by the time I got it so it would hold tight.

Consequently, when the long piece of line on my C20 needed replaced, I just bought the line and some fittings and made it myself.

[In The Ten Ring]

Companies should stand by their products and do a refund or exchange easily.

What little bit they'd lose in restocking they'd more than make up for with satisfied customers. A happy customer, treated fairly, will become a lifelong (and free) advocate.

[OL SKOOL]

Thanks for all the info guys.I will bend my own and argue with myself if i get it wrong.I'm happily married so i got that part down pat.

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by OL SKOOL

Thanks for all the info guys.I will bend my own and argue with myself if i get it wrong.I'm happily married so i got that part down pat.

Good choice! I bent my own fuel lines after a lot of advice and encouragement found on this site. TxFirefighter had the most influence on me I think.

Get a bender from ebay and a flaring kit from wherever. I bought a double flare kit from Craftsman, ordered it through the local Sears (which is now closed, very sad).

I used a lot of Poly Armor tubing from the local Napa store. I bought a cutter from amazon I think. Mine is a Rigid.

It's best if you work slowly, using your originals as a guide, and do your bending on a workbench. You will screw up many times, just be patient. Always wear safety glasses when under a vehicle.

[special-K]

While I agree Inline has abrasive customer service, I have nothing but top notch parts come from them. I have always felt they provide a great service toward a quality restoration. The abrasiveness I took as meaning they are more of a business to business operation. This is how I find most businesses my business deals with. They act like they are there for people who know what they need and not to explain anything. The problem is now they are selling to the general public, even Ebay, and customer service is part of that thing that brings all that money in. I hate when I post a complaint about a bad experience and others come on saying they had a great experience. "Well good for you. Consider yourself lucky. All I know is you would be as pissed as I am if the same thing happened to you." So I'm not doing that. Just trying to put some perspective on it. I now know, although I have had nothing but good experiences with them, I have new beneficial info to hopefully help toward assuring my next order goes as well as others. f I don't like his responses to my questions toward assuring a smooth experience, I won't carry the order out!

[1970cstblazer]

Two of the brake lines in their 1972 Blazer kit were totally wrong, and they said they would not offer just those lines. Of course I bought the kit 3 years ago, so they said "you should have test fit them as soon as you received them" which was not an option. Their customer service rep was rude and condescending. So.. I had to order ANOTHER $200 kit just to get the lines I am missing...

[Keith Seymore]

My Inline Tube story is not really mine; belongs to a friend of mine named Denny Kloha.

Denny is the original owner of a '67 GTO with the HO engine. He raced the car back in the day until he twisted the driveshaft and it came up through the floor. He was so disgusted that the car sat for 20 or 25 years in his garage.

So - after all these years Denny decided to restore the car. He is super meticulous and he's also normally pretty soft spoken and reserved.

A couple years ago I was at a show and the Kryta brothers were there with their Inline Tube display. As I walked by John hollered out "hey - Keith - I met someone that says he knew your Dad".

I asked who that might be.

"Some guy, has a 67 GTO, twisted the driveshaft and now he's redoing it" John answered.

"Denny Kloha!" I said confidently.

John then starts telling me about how Denny had called and said Inline Tube gave him a wrong part. The front brake line they sent didn't match the one Denny pulled off the car.

John told Denny that they had used an original owner unrestored car to make the line from and that he was sure it was right. Denny wasn't convinced.

The argument escalated to the point where if they could punch each other out over the phone they would have. They must have agreed to disagree and left it at that.

============

A couple months later I was at the races with my friend Gary Beemer, who is also friends with Denny and his wife Pat.

Over supper that night we were sitting around telling stories (as is our custom) and Gary starts to tell me this same story.

He said he (Gary) and his wife were out to dinner with Denny and his wife when Denny started telling Gary and Carla about this phone call. Denny started getting more and more agitated, and more and more animated, to the point that Gary said other patrons were starting to look over to see what was going on. Gary finally had to get Denny settled down before he had a stroke or heart attack or something.

I thought, at the time, it was pretty funny to hear the same story from two different sources.

===================

A couple months after that I was at the Sloan Summer Fair in Flint, and Denny was there with his GTO. It was probably the first time I had seen him since I was a child and certainly the first time I had seen the car since it was restored.

We had a nice visit, updating each other on how our families were doing when (as you might guess) he started to tell me this same story about his phone conversation with Inline Tube. I couldn't believe it! I let him roll a bit and then finally shared that I had heard it a couple times before.

The only thing I can figure is that maybe Denny's car, built in Pontiac, was misbuilt. It sounds like his front brake line was too long; perhaps the assembler grabbed the wrong line and rather than going back for a different one he simply made it work. I gotta go with Inline Tube on this one.

At any rate, I still think it is hilarious to have heard this same story from three different perspectives.

And Denny now has a perfectly restored '67 Ram Air car with about 10,000 original miles on it.

K

[1970cstblazer]

I received the second Inline Tube kit. Fortunately, the two lines I needed to finish the brake line installation were correct, and installed easily. Still not a happy customer, and won't be recommending ANYTHING they have to offer in this lifetime.