Allow me to rant!

[Low Range]

Hi there guys and gals, New to this site so i am not sure if this is the correct thread or not.

Anyway i have a discussion/rant going on in the modified tech section under the 3-4 inch lift thread that could prove to be of interest to some Northwest owners. Just thought to pass this along and maybe save someone a little ? grief. Stay tuned. I feel like Rodney Dangerfield , pretty disgusted at the moment i will say.

Low Range

 

[Metal Thrasher]

Hi there guys and gals, New to this site so i am not sure if this is the correct thread or not.

Anyway i have a discussion/rant going on in the modified tech section under the 3-4 inch lift thread that could prove to be of interest to some Northwest owners. Just thought to pass this along and maybe save someone a little ? grief. Stay tuned. I feel like Rodney Dangerfield , pretty disgusted at the moment i will say.

Low Range

Respect is earned not given out as charity.

Okay I read the thread and understand your frustration. It sure sounds to me like they gave you the wrong set of springs. Probably swapped yours with the guy in Timbuktu who is now looking at his XJ with the headlights pointing to the sky. It happens and it's a pain for all involved and most likely the person at fault wants nothing to do with it.
Number one thing you need to do is to speak calmly and NICELY with the sourcing chain. If you bought it direct from RE then contact them with pure tranquility and let them know that you have a warranty situation. (Warranty = installed and found to not function properly. Not a new return which gets you past the "we can't take it back because it's been installed hurdle.) If you bought the spings from a middle man then this is their battle but again you need to approach it calm and cool.
I totally understand how frustrated you are and the effort and time you have put in that you will never get back. The trick is to get them to understand that as well in a manner that gets them to want to help.
If you can't keep the frustration out of your voice then you should resort to email, fax or snail mail to communicate with them. Also keep track of who you are speaking with and only move beyond them when you are SURE they can't help you ( accussing them of being incapable ensures they will become road blocks).

If you've been a perfect, totally calm and understanding angel through out your communications with them then you'll have to resort to either selling the springs on ebay or pulling a leaf from the pack and experimenting.... Neither is the answer of choice.

Best of luck.

 

[DrSockMonkey]

attempt to reconnect the passenger side control arm, NO CHECK. For the life of me could not get the other control arm to line up.
- Jay

I had the same problem, But mine was more of a 5" of lift on stock control arms.:nono: Took a Jack and spring compressors to get it buttoned up. Now of course my geometry is all fubar.:twak: But I am working on that.

 

[Avanteone]

OK Jay, I gave you a day to respond.... you had your chance hahaha Do we need to let everybody know that it took longer for the tow truck driver to get unhooked than it did for me to fix it? :gag:

J

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but its my turn. Unfortunately, I have no one to blame but my own dumb a$$ for this one.

So I'm at the McChord AFB hobby shop this AM to change my oil and install some 2" coil spring spacers. Too easy, right? Oil change took all of 15min, check.

Then came the coil spacers. I disconnected the sway bar, shocks, and upper control arms. For whatever reason, my trackbar bolt has a nut instead of the little threaded tab where it mounts to the axle, so I found it impossible to get a wrench in there to remove. Therefore I couldn't get the axle to drop the whole way. Instead, I used some spring compressors to get the spacers in, no sweat. Then it came time to button everything up. Reconnect the shocks, check; reconnect drivers side control arm, check; attempt to reconnect the passenger side control arm, NO CHECK. For the life of me could not get the other control arm to line up. I tried everything; even had the shop operator come help try to pry the dang thing in place; no luck. Called John (Avanteone) and it sounds like the trackbar still being connected is the single point of failure (besides an amateur trying to wrench on his Jeep). Tried every tool in the shop, nothing worked to get the trackbar bolt out. I finally realized I wasn't driving outta there and began working on a contingency plan to get my a$$ home. :flamemad:

So now I get to tow it up to John's to let him sort out the mess. Paid $36 dollars for 6 hours on the lift to fark something up that will probably take John 30min to fix.

So what do you call a n00b who reads a bunch of articles about how easy it is to install coil spacers? That's right, a n00b. :bawl:

Okay, I feel better now.

- Jay

 

[WaXJ_Skier]

reconnect drivers side control arm, check; attempt to reconnect the passenger side control arm, NO CHECK. For the life of me could not get the other control arm to line up. I tried everything; even had the shop operator come help try to pry the dang thing in place; no luck.

I used a hammer and a piece of wood

 

[mud1059]

I had the same problem, But mine was more of a 5" of lift on stock control arms.:nono: Took a Jack and spring compressors to get it buttoned up. Now of course my geometry is all fubar.:twak: But I am working on that.

Your springs are begging to be shot out the front of your rig.

 

[pSYChedXJ]

OK Jay, I gave you a day to respond.... you had your chance hahaha Do we need to let everybody know that it took longer for the tow truck driver to get unhooked than it did for me to fix it? :gag:

J

:tears:

Yeah, I guess I should man up and do the right thing.....

So I waited for the tow truck for about an hour, took ~ 30 min to get it hooked up to tow, made the 20 min drive up to Auburn, another ~15 min to get it off the tow truck and into the shop. Paid the guy the $60 bucks that my insurance company wouldn't cover.

Literally, if I had blinked, I would have missed the "repair." Jason didn't even stop eating his breakfast as he manned the prybar while eating a muffin as John leisurely looked at me smiling (as if to say, "I don't even need to look at this to fix it!") as he tap-tap-taaaaaappied that UCA bolt riiiiiiiight in.

At least we had a good laugh about it. Errr, make that "at least John and Jason had a good laugh at me about it."

Thanks again, John. I owe you yet again. :cheers:

- Jay

 

[88xjchief]

Since this is a spot to rant. Yesterday I started my new job. As I was pulling in a 2007 Silverado I cliped the wall with the backend. It put a huge gash in it and its goin to cost $1700. Luckily I wont have to pay.

 

[IXNAYXJ]

Thanks again, John. I owe you yet again.

-----Matt-----

 

[WaXJ_Skier]

So yeah The last week the Jeep has been pissy as all hell. Starting last thursaday my heater valve blew up on me on my way home from work. Durring my lifting project this weekend one of the bolts holding in a rear leaf decided it didn't want to come out, it to a torch, sawzall and a grinder to convince it otherwise. Finally today when I was heading down to Ben's to do some fender trimming, the whole electrical system decided to shut down and we had to use a tow strap to get me the last ~1-2 miles to his house. Turns out problem #1 caused some accelerated corrosion on the battery cables and I had to replace those today. I haven't made it to the gym in a week due to constantly having to do work or go get parts for the jeep.

 

[SpazMoid]

So yeah The last week the Jeep has been pissy as all hell. Starting last thursaday my heater valve blew up on me on my way home from work. Durring my lifting project this weekend one of the bolts holding in a rear leaf decided it didn't want to come out, it to a torch, sawzall and a grinder to convince it otherwise. Finally today when I was heading down to Ben's to do some fender trimming, the whole electrical system decided to shut down and we had to use a tow strap to get me the last ~1-2 miles to his house. Turns out problem #1 caused some accelerated corrosion on the battery cables and I had to replace those today. I haven't made it to the gym in a week due to constantly having to do work or go get parts for the jeep.

I could have subsituted your Gym thing with making you walk to Schucks...LMFAO it's only like 7miles round-trip.

Yes, I do admit this sucked, but it was lucky that you were only 1 mile from my house. With an easy tow home, and a ride to schucks, now you have 2 brand new cables, and this wont' be an issue any longer. Plus you got your fenders trimmed and ready for those 32"s. Good deal. I believe we finished under 2 hours, so not bad.

 

[WaXJ_Skier]

I could have subsituted your Gym thing with making you walk to Schucks...LMFAO it's only like 7miles round-trip.

Yes, I do admit this sucked, but it was lucky that you were only 1 mile from my house. With an easy tow home, and a ride to schucks, now you have 2 brand new cables, and this wont' be an issue any longer. Plus you got your fenders trimmed and ready for those 32"s. Good deal. I believe we finished under 2 hours, so not bad.

I agree the jeep is better off now because of it. Right now I feel as though the Jeep is wearing the pants in this realationship and I'm not liking it.

 

[mud1059]

Right now I feel as though the Jeep is wearing the pants in this realationship and I'm not liking it.

Welcome to Jeep ownership. This is why the smart ones don't wheel their daily drivers.


- Not saying I'm smart just saying it's a smart way to go.

 

[WaXJ_Skier]

Welcome to Jeep ownership. This is why the smart ones don't wheel their daily drivers.


- Not saying I'm smart just saying it's a smart way to go.

I agree if the funding was there I wouldn't be DDing the Jeep but whatever.

 

[JBweld]

Welcome to Jeep ownership. This is why the smart ones don't wheel their daily drivers.

Meh. I'm still driving mine every day. It's no stocker either. Sometimes the Jeep adds drama. Just try to be prepared for it (and always have your cell phone with you).

 

[Avanteone]

Meh. I'm still driving mine every day. It's no stocker either. Sometimes the Jeep adds drama. Just try to be prepared for it (and always have your cell phone with you).

I've driven my jeep every day this week :yelclap:

Gotta get a few miles on the gears before we go to Moab.

 

[WaXJ_Skier]

While I was @ work last night my roomate, her sister, and a bunch of her sister's friends stole all the beer out of my room.

 

[TRSCobra]

While I was @ work last night my roomate, her sister, and a bunch of her sister's friends stole all the beer out of my room.

You have a female roomate?

 

[Blkxjkrawler]

You have a female roomate?

Duh, Sorority sister.

 

[WaXJ_Skier]

You have a female roomate?

in about a week I'm going to have two