Don't buy BDS!

[xjtrailrider]

One of my wheelin buddies put a BDS trac bar on his ZJ, the jeep has only been midly wheeled on stock trails as he has no protection yet. He noticed the other day that his steering wheel was cocked sideways after hitting a chug hole on a country road. The trac bar bent! BDS is giving him the run around about getting a new bar, making it difficult on him. They want him to purchase the new bar and then he has to send his bar back to get a refund. BS! They should just send him the bar based on the pics, their stuff is junk! He went with a Rustys TB and its a much better design. this ZJ is owned by a responsible 45 year old adult who takes care of his stuff. The guys at BDS treated him poorly. I wouldn't buy anything else from them after the way Donny was treated.

Here are some pics;
BDS bar

The Rustys bar. We had to use the BDS axle end bushing due the fact that he had to drill the TB bracket for the larger bolt for the BDS. Rusty's uses the stock bolt which is now too small for the drilled out hole. We made it work out though by using the BDS bushings/sleeve/bolt with the Rustys bar.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

that bushing end on the bent bar is threaded WAY too far out of the bar. it's not meant to be used like that. you are putting all the stress on the threaded part instead of the bar. it's not really thier fault if you use something in a way it wasn't intended to be used. :dunno:

 

[xjtrailrider]

that bushing end on the bent bar is threaded WAY too far out of the bar. it's not meant to be used like that. you are putting all the stress on the threaded part instead of the bar. it's not really thier fault if you use something in a way it wasn't intended to be used. :dunno:

When he ordered the bar from BDS he told them he had a 4" lift, that is the bar they sent him. Its a poor design, the threaded rod is welded into the bar and not replaceable, the threaded rod is not of a high grade steel either. I agree the there is some thread showing there but they shouldn't have sent him something that wouldn't work and then not stand behind it. My friend is new at the modded jeep thing and wasn't aware that it should not have threaded out that far.

The directions for the bar even say that it will work for a 4" lift

 

[ECKSJAY]

What the fuck is a 'chug hole'?

 

[crazyjim]

Good luck with that Rusty's bar, at least the BDS one stayed TOGETHER.

 

[xjjeepthing]

I will take my BDS over Rusty's anyday of the week. Looks to me that the bar was adjusted out way to far.

 

[RCman]

This is the first I've ever heard of a bad report on BDS.
Sending back the old one first is pretty common.
I honestly don't see any issue here.

 

[Hammered]

I have the same track bar. Mine doesnt have any where near that many threads exposed. But I only have 3.5 inches at the moment.

the trackbar itself is fine its just the johnny joint thats F'd. I would think they'd give out a new one... but who am I to say. Maybe get one from somwhere else? So you arent getting a whole new trackbar?

 

[88manche]

I have a Rusty's track bar on my MJ. Works fine.

 

[xjtrailrider]

What the f is a 'chug hole'?

Pot hole

 

[ECKSJAY]

Pot hole

Speak English then. :wave:

 

[C85D4x4]

They want him to purchase the new bar and then he has to send his bar back to get a refund.

You do know if you break the rustys crap that you will probably not get any type of refund or the same as you were going to get with with BDS.

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

Good luck with that Rusty's bar, at least the BDS one stayed TOGETHER.

My thoughts exactly. I don't have any personal experience with their trac-bars, but I have used other BDS products before and know several others who do and have no complaints.

It does look like it's adjusted out an awful lot.

 

[xjtrailrider]

You do know if you break the rustys crap that you will probably not get any type of refund or the same as you were going to get with with BDS.

OK its not my Jeep, I agree that Rustys can sometimes be a bit questionable but I know a few people who have had no issues with their stuff. I don't own anything made by rustys myself so I have no opinion on them.

 

[WB9YZU]

I agree. Failure caused by installer. Way too much thread showing. You are lucky it didn't just break.

Rusty's trackbars have a simular failure, for a simular reason, but on the top end.


Must have been one hell of a "chug hole".

 

[xjtrailrider]

I agree. Failure caused by installer. Way too much thread showing. You are lucky it didn't just break.

Rusty's trackbars have a simular failure, for a simular reason, but on the top end.


Must have been one hell of a "chug hole".

I blame BDS for selling him the wrong track bar. Like i said in a earlier post, he is a noob to the modded jeep thing.

 

[WB9YZU]

I blame BDS for selling him the wrong track bar. Like i said in a earlier post, he is a noob to the modded jeep thing.

And unfortunately, it is still the installers repsonsibility to examine the part and to verify that it's right.

I'm not dissagreeing with you that it's the wrong part, or that the BDS rep treated your friend badly, I was not there. The pictures tell the story of why the failure happened.

No vendor is perfect. If everybody wrote a rant each time a customer/vendor experience went sour, the Forum would be full of complaints from the unsatisfied customers of all the vendors.

 

[98classic]

I think the whole point of this thread is to question the BDS warranty. They have a "no hassle" or "no questions asked" warranty on their products. Whether or not it was Donny's fault for having it too far adjusted, or BDS's fault for sending the wrong one to begin with, they should stand up to their "no hassle warranty". To me at least, that means they should automatiaclly send out a new piece when something fails. He should not have to purchase a new one and then wait for a refund from the original one.

 

[Hammered]

Agreed.

 

[R_jeep]

how should they (bds) verify they are not being scammed? receipts? warranty card on file?