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Aftermarket Steering Column Safety Alert

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by LIFESTYLZ, May 6, 2013.

  1. Yes you are. When I was making parts and brackets, not a day went by I heard how they could pay a buck or two less for a part from some importer. I would remind them, unless you speak Chiniese, you better hope you have no installation questions.

    I lot of people make parts, but unless they also BUILD CARS that those parts get used on, they know nothing of how well they work.

    I wonder if the CEO of Hoffman runs his parts in cars HE builds :rolleyes:
     
  2. shinysideup
    Joined: Sep 1, 2008
    Posts: 1,627

    shinysideup
    BANNED
    from ruskin, fl

    ‘Tilt column internals’ The connection of the two steering shaft sections at the tilt mechanism relies on this poorly-made plastic bush, which has – in brand new condition - fallen completely apart, and left the car without any steering.

    [​IMG]
     
  3. jesse1980
    Joined: Aug 25, 2010
    Posts: 1,355

    jesse1980
    Member

    That's messed up. I can't believe they don't have a quality regulation for shit like that .
     
  4. lilbdfrd
    Joined: Jan 23, 2012
    Posts: 100

    lilbdfrd
    Member

    So I bought a universal steering column from speedway. But I think they get them from a company out of California. Is this one on the unsafe columns?
     
  5. go-twichy
    Joined: Jul 22, 2010
    Posts: 1,648

    go-twichy
    BANNED

    no need to bash all tilt columns now. some of us have long legs and have trouble getting in and out without tilting it up. it's a simple convenience, not a way of measuring how hard core you think you are.
     
  6. captainjunk#2
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 4,420

    captainjunk#2
    Member

    bummer I have one from an ebay auction its probably one of these junk columns , guess its going to be wall art im not going to run it , and wouldn't sell it to anyone else either ,
     
  7. Limey Steve
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 1,523

    Limey Steve
    Alliance Vendor
    from Whittier

    I was made aware of this abortion of a steering column a little while back , as has been said you get what you pay for. Luckily my company LimeWorks Speedshop is recognized as an authorized steering column manufacturer in Australia & New Zealand, I cannot tell you the pride that gives me as a small shop to be seen in such a light. I'd like to thank all our customers & guys that buy our products that we are ourselves proud of. I do all the R&D on our own product on my own builds so we know they are going to work as intended. If there is ever a problem I handle it personally . I have had a bunch of stuff copied but don't let it get me down we just keep moving forward the best we can.The sooner we make the public aware of bad manufacturers & their badly made junk off the market the better off we will all be.
     
    Scumdog and kiwijeff like this.
  8. jazz1
    Joined: Apr 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,534

    jazz1
    Member

    can't imagine one of those $150 aftermarket units being anywhere near as well made as the non traditional tilting s10 column I used in my truck, The quality aftermarket units are over $400 while a tilt column at the pick a part is $35 in my neck of the woods.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2013
  9. oldspert
    Joined: Sep 10, 2006
    Posts: 1,263

    oldspert
    Member
    from Texas

    This needs to be kept at the top.
     
  10. Hotrodmyk
    Joined: Jan 7, 2011
    Posts: 2,302

    Hotrodmyk
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Northwest HAMBers



    Yeah, well stated. I have tilt in mine. It's out of a GMC though.
     
  11. Thanks for the heads up,Im sure more than a few people here can benefit from this.
    But I will just stick to my old skinny non tilt column.Never thought I was "hardcore"
    just didnt care for a fat column,to each his own.BTW China cannot make quality products period.They make crap.After seeing the results of outsourced machine products I am positive we have nothing to worry about quality-wise.
     
  12. You're a dying breed everywhere....

    When it really boils down to it, so many people/families are so crunched for money that Walmart and the such are the only options to make a budget work.

    That doesn't bother me.

    What bothers me is how the wealthy spend in the market, and how American and Canadian employers share their wealth amongst their employees. It's shameful...

    Pay your employees poorly but expect them to reinvest in the economy by purchasing higher priced/higher quality American made stuff...doesn't work that way.:D

    We are part of a world economy and bottom lines rule.
     
  13. ^^^^ Well said !!!!! JW
     
  14. Dave Zapatka
    Joined: Oct 14, 2009
    Posts: 74

    Dave Zapatka
    Member

    Rodger That ! Chiniese shit put me out of the loop .
     
  15. SoCal
    Joined: May 7, 2010
    Posts: 277

    SoCal
    Member

    kiwijeff likes this.
  16. micky69
    Joined: Dec 24, 2010
    Posts: 288

    micky69
    Member
    from Ohio

    That is a great report on findings. It needs to be brodcast about inferior products. Hopefully they will look into the ujoints also. I have heard some stories on them.
     
  17. bobbyhstl
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 56

    bobbyhstl
    Member
    from St Louis

    These defective tilt columns are the latest Chinese knock off products from the Hoffman Group. They advertise in many car magazines under the names of Vintage Parts, Helix, Zirgo, Autoloc, Aurora Guages, Trigger, Stellar and American shifter. If you do a google on them you will find many complaints of junk parts and very poor customer service.
    Both SEMA and the NHTSA have been alerted to these very dangerous tilt columns.
     
    Scumdog likes this.
  18. Fenders
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 3,921

    Fenders
    Member

    And yet Street Rodder, and Rod & Custom, continue to accept the Hoffman advertising dollars.
     
  19. bobscogin
    Joined: Feb 8, 2007
    Posts: 1,771

    bobscogin
    Member

    It's not their role to be the arbiters of quality and safety. Hoffman can advertise all they want but eventually will be out of business if they continue to peddle junk.

    Bob
     
  20. bobbyhstl
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 56

    bobbyhstl
    Member
    from St Louis

    The LVVTA has named Helix, Procomp, Wysco and RPC columns as unsafe and dangerous for use. They also have inspected a number of different columns with no ID markings and found them as equally bad. Many times these come boxed wrapped in Chinese newspapers. The Procomp columns appear identical to the Helix brand and are probably made in the same plant with the same parts, except for the marking. Buyers beware.
     
  21. Jeem
    Joined: Sep 12, 2002
    Posts: 5,882

    Jeem
    Alliance Vendor

    Paying more for quality is very relevant, no argument. Conversely, I've made NON tilting, no frill columns in the past that cost next to nothing and will never break in 10 lifetimes....

    Companies like that will only go away if people quit buying from them.
     
  22. coryw
    Joined: Nov 4, 2005
    Posts: 225

    coryw
    Member
    from Omaha, NE

    Reading the pdf that SoCal linked to is an eye opener. The Hoffman stuff being junk isn't surprising but Borgeson and CPP failing their inspections certainly surprised me.
     
  23. Dane
    Joined: May 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,351

    Dane
    Member
    from Soquel, CA

    Keep the info comming, this could be life/death info if the break happens at speed.

    I've had experience at two different companies dealing with Chinese manufacturing practices. It's a culture problem that has no solution any time soon. I was involved with product where a design engineer was sent to the plant and directed the production engineers to follow a specific build plan and told in no way to deviate from the process. As soon as the engineer left the plant went right back to doing it their way.

    An aftermarket shock absorber company I worked at would receive cast and then machined parts from China. The first 100 or so parts would be in spec but time after time the parts would "drift" out of spec. After a visit from a design engineer everything would be fine and then the drift away from spec would occur again.

    The culture there believes the "smart" guy is the one who can make the part the cheapest and fastest. Period. Quality is not part of the equation until there is a problem.

    Buy American, the life you save may be your kid, wife or your own. Same goes for jobs
     
  24. bobbyhstl
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 56

    bobbyhstl
    Member
    from St Louis

    Today's issue of the SEMA e-news has an alert about the problem with off-shore poorly designed and dangerous tilt steering columns.

    www://sema.org/sema-e-news
     
  25. wingman9
    Joined: Dec 30, 2009
    Posts: 804

    wingman9
    Member
    from left coast

    I don't know how big an effort we can see from SEMA. I go to their show every year and Hoffman Group always has the biggest setup in the hotrod part of the show.
     
  26. BigAl1961
    Joined: Dec 22, 2010
    Posts: 116

    BigAl1961
    Member

    I unfotunately installed a Proform column in my 37, and after reading this post became very concerned and contacted the vendor I got it from on ebay this AM with the link to this problem just to give him a heads up about the issue. He couldn't give a shit less and says he has been selling them for years without a complaint!!! How can someone clearly see that an item is potentially deadly continue to endanger the public by knowingly continuing to sell it? I will never do business with this vendor again. I don't know how these guys sleep at night.
     
  27. jcapps
    Joined: Dec 30, 2008
    Posts: 473

    jcapps
    Member
    from SoCal

    This is sad, but in other threads people are raving about Chinese made wiring harnesses. Selling hot rods parts of quality is difficult. Many want cheap, cheap , cheap. I refuse to carry or sell that cheap stuff.
    Its just not that hard to figure out when you are getting something made in China, just look at the price
     
  28. coryw
    Joined: Nov 4, 2005
    Posts: 225

    coryw
    Member
    from Omaha, NE

    I think it is somewhat telling that their alert doesn't mention the Hoffman group, CPP, or Borgeson by name and that to find that info you have to go to the original report.
     
  29. Always wondered why those columns were so much cheaper and its time for all of us when were at swapmeets to inform people about the junk parts being sold.
     
  30. 36 coupe
    Joined: May 5, 2008
    Posts: 93

    36 coupe
    BANNED

    I hope to fuck the Hoffman Group never get into the Aviation industry !
     

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