More Bad Chinese Metal-Model A Spring Clip Bars

Crap, is that where I went wrong?

 

Thats what gets me, I normally look for ford stuff or vintage parts. I enjoy the hunt like a lot of us do. These U Bolts are the only non Ford stuff I had.

 

i am fortunate that there is a Model A place nearby. He stocks new parts, as well as old used stuff. He says he has to stock both, because some want only new and pre-painted, and some only will take used Ford parts. The used stuff is cheap too, for small stuff like that.

 

I love that image Brian.

I think Scotty is doing a bang up job on this rod. His work is 1st rate.

It's almost incredible that the ONE & ONLY Chinese part he uses turns out to be crap. I can only imagine if this no-good, rotten, Chinese, POS part would have busted @ 70mph on the E-way... YIKES!?!

 

Imagine me on a flight to china..........

 

You guys have me worried now. I need to go over my car and see what stuff I need to replace. I know I have a few of those repro parts on it.

Pete

 

I sold three pair of originals last week, they are always good sellers, even befor the post. Bob

 

I don't understand why anyone would buy these parts today new. There are so many ORIGINALS out there. I must have 100 pairs in my shop and I buy them all the time at swaps. I know a lot of traditional builders around here that won't even pick up a catalog for chassis parts for this very reason, seriously, they won't even buy new rubber motor mounts.

 

I was just shopping for U Bolts, ran across them, and realized I didn't have any. So, since I was ordering those, I grabbed the clips. Now I'm gonna change the U Bolts as well.

 

This is alittle off subject, but my wifes friend was having problems with her dishwasher and she handed me a pair of pliers where those parts you bought were made for a spring hose clamp.
And they snapped like a twig, on a dishwasher spring hose clamp!

 

I was showing a hamber my project 40 with an early Olds engine I just installed in November. We noticed that the front repro rubber Ford mounts were squished like pancakes


I have no idea where to get orig Ford ones that have a steel girdle band that kept them from squishing out like that.

 

I scored a set of NOS Hurst rubber biscuits for my mount. They have the metal cup to keep them from bulging out.

 

On a side note I think I would call these parts places and tell them and show them the pictures if possible. It could save someone's life by having them pulled off the shelf instead of just throwing them in the trash when they break.

 

I was just talking with a hamber if he knew if Hurst mounts came with the rubber parts. I now wonder if Hurst was getting them from Ford way back then. I thought Ford still made stuff like that back then, because they were used on so many Fords through the years.

 

F6garagerat,

I also purchaced parts from one of the same companies that you bought your parts from.
My parts were front springs for a 55 F100. They diden't last over 500 to 1000 miles.
The company is giving me a runnaround for over three weeks.

They say that they are talking with the manufactuter about the failure.

 

Really, it's not completly their fault, they don't make the parts. However, I think they should look a bit closer at the products they sell. They should also stand behind what they sell and take care of you, then square things with the supplier. Word of these failures has surely gotten to them from customers and word of mouth about threads like this one.

 

I think the Chassis Engineering ones have the steel ring? I have some that came with some mounting brackets and was told that's who supplied them.

I bet the original samples met all of Ford's standards. Problem is there is no control over subsequent batches. I have to deal with this sort of thing through my work, and as manufacturing and labour costs are rising over there, the agent will be shopping around to get the lowest possible price. As far as they are then concerned, if it looks like the original, and a magnet sticks to it, then it's good to go.

 

I work for Ford in Prototype, so I looked up Dennis Mondrach - Ford Restoration Parts Licensing Manager's internal company email address and shot him a note with the pictures. He is in a building down the street from me. He called me 10 minutes later and we talked about the parts. Nice guy. He said he is not sure who made them yet but is going to look into it. I am going to get the broken part to him so he has it in hand and can inspect it. He said he also had put in a call to his people at Mac's and Snyder's to get some current stock samples to inspect. So, not sure how much good it will do but it's a start anyway. Still, I'm going to stick with real Ford stuff in the future.

 

This is one eye opening thread for a newbie thats for sure!

Thanks for sharing, I got a lot to learn.

 

After searching several national parts stores to no avail, I found a 6 volt 3 prong flasher (in stock) at my local "Mom & Pop" auto parts store. "Made in Taiwan" of course. But at least I found one.

 

If you look into product liabilities you'll find that every merchant in the commerce chain has exposure to the liabilities. Manufacturer on down to final reseller.
That could end at the supply house that sold it to you or it could end at the hotrod shop who sold it in wilth the build they did for a customer.

Since its being marketed as "officially licensed FORD product" guess who else is in the commerce chain.

Want it off of your ride, don't buy it or bolt it on or buy it from someone who did use it.

You want this crap off the market, push the product liabilities remedy.

Sad thing is, there's nothing to push with except blood, broken bones and dead bodies.

 

You mention both Mac's and Snyders in the opening salvo of this thread. I have ordered a lot of "T" (I admit not "A") parts from Snyder's over the years including suspension pieces and have never had any issues they used to say all their parts were made in the USA which is why I bought there. Have not used them since completing my "T" projects but I think you should be specific as to which one is at fault so as not to slander the other.

 

In the 70s we made these spring clip bars in Taiwan and sold many shipments of them over the years through the early 90s. They were cast of ductile steel and good quality pieces, no returns ever.
The shift of much production in the business over the years since then into China has resulted in changes in material, specifications.

 

My statement from my first post:

"I got these Model A Spring Clip Bars with the U Bolts from Mac's or Snyders about a year ago, which really isn't important because we all know they didn't make them."

Was purposely meant to not slander either of them. I don't think either one is "at fault". Thought that I made that pretty clear. I didn't title the thread "Mac's or Snyder's screwed me" and I think I made it pretty clear that my issue was with the foreign companies making this junk.

 

Man I was runnin those. I should prolly look for an old set..

 

What you apparently are unaware of is that any reseller has a responsibility.

There could be a different manufacturer chosen for and by every product for every reseller.

There could be one single manufacturer and a multitude of importers and resellers.
Maybe there's only one main importer who operates as a clearing house for all resellers.

 

I commend you for trying to get something done about this! Thanks! I have had my pile of new broken offshore crap over the years, I should of done what you have done and let everyone know who I bought this crap from know that the stuff they sold was defective junk. If you are losing customers because of poorly made parts, is the savings in the manufacturing process worth the potential profit loss from losing multiple sales from each customer you lose from selling them sub-standard parts? I'll pay more for American made parts, and try to use original as much as possible. I hope Ford holds the manufacturers of this garbage accountable. I guess when companies that sell this crap start losing customers in droves because of poorly made parts, may'be they will get the message, they just better hope it isn't too late. I wouldn't want the liability of selling this stuff. That could be much more costly than the manufacturing process savings.

 

My point was that I made it clear I wasn't blaming Mac's or Snyder's as I know they didn't make these in the back room. Honestly, I'm wishing I never started this thread at this point. If people would just read everything instead of skimming.

 

I have to disagree, it is important. People reading this post will see that you bought inferior parts - but from who? By listing two different companies you have tarred them both with the same brush as selling inferior parts. Why should Snyder's be implicated because of a bad part from Mac's, or vice verse?
And it IS thier responsibility if they are selling the parts, that most likely they are having made for them to sell. I do feel whoever you actually got these from is "at fault".

People are so quick to blame "China". the truth is the companies that have these parts made are the ones to blame. The Chinese build what they are asked to build - plain and simple. They are very high quality parts made in China and Taiwan everyday. There is also pure crap. Who's fault is this? It is the company who signs off on the cheapest piece of junk they can get without doing any testing or quality assurance. They take a part like that spring clamp, send it to various factories overseas and loo for the lowest bid. They don't specify materials, they don't do any testing, thy don't do quality inspections. So if you are the factory and are asked for the lowest possible bid on a part, a part by the way that you have no idea what it is or what its intended purpose is, you will figure out the way to make it the cheapest to get the contract. This is ENTIRELY the fault of the company that is asking to have the part built. And as long as the consumer keeps buying items based solely on price, this will continue to happen.

It is interesting that you work for Ford and have made contact with the proper department, can't wait to see what becomes of this, or if it just gets swept under the rug.

 

Ok, I'm out.