...or "Episode IV - A New Hope"
Kit arrived four days after I placed the order - most if it anyway. I was
missing the steering stabilizer, the "hardware box", and a few other pieces.
Called T-C and they shipped the missing stuff out Next Day Air, which was
cool (even threw in a T-shirt for my troubles). In total, it weighed in at
215 pounds. Everything is very solid and totally heavy, although the shocks
do look pretty cheap. A nice touch was a booklet of pictures that
identified every custom part. HOWEVER, there are no instructions for the
rear blocks or flipped U-Bolts - "they're being rewritten," I'm told, "the
old ones were too confusing." Goody for me. People couldn't install the
damn thing with the instructions, now they want me to do it with NONE!
Plastered all over the very complete instructions for the Front Lift is a
warning that installation is best left to a "Skilled Mechanic" (which I
ain't), so I wound up taking it to the local Dealer (they were willing to
work a deal on $$). Today will be the THIRD day they're at it. The front
end was an ill-fitting MESS - a few parts were so out of whack that they
came close to hitting moving parts with the truck on the hoist. Would have
rode the front drive shaft when on the ground. So then it was a matter of
do I take it all off and send it back, or let them "tweak" things to make
'em fit - I went with the "tweak" option. I know, I know, but I actually
TRUST this Dealer's shop. We're talkin' the boonies here - Plymouth,
Indiana - and these guys put lifts in all the time, so I'm pretty sure it
will all be OK when they're done - but thanks to the poor design of this
kit, it's gonna cost me!
Speaking of cost, we've got the rear (no instructions, remember?) -
combining blocks, add-a-leaf and flipped U-Bolts in one operation is not
intuitive, and they have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what in
the hell it's all supposed to look like. There is a bag of wedge shims, but
who knows how and when they are supposed to be used?? Are we shooting for a
stock driveline angle? One more positive? More negative? Who knows?
I got a call last Friday that, after selling 60 of these kits, the front
steering relocation bracket failed on some guy while off-roading, so they
are sending me a new, beefed up one Second Day Air, and they will reimburse
me the cost of having the shop swap it in. Also cool. Now if we can talk
about reimbursing me for all of the screwing around that had to be done to
get the damn thing to fit in the first place...
Last Friday the front was finally done. The rear is to go on today, with
some help from the T-C techline. I'm anxious to see it all done, but it's
one of those things now that, since it didn't just "bolt right up" I
question the design - is it going to hold up? hold alignment? cause
steering parts to wear too fast? break on me while I'm shooting down the
highway at 70? or way far from nowhere on some trail? I was really
excited, now I'm really sorry I did this. I should have waited until some
feedback from those 60 buyers came back. I haven't called T-C to gripe yet,
I want to collect all of the horror stories before I do, but I'm curious
about what they will do. They seem to be a pretty good company - I'd like
them to explain why a brand new kit designed specifically for a '99 Dakota
didn't fit.
By the way, the weirdest installation step has to be drilling a hole in the
front diff cover. It gets turned at quite an angle, so they have you drill
a new filler hole in the cover so that you can put in enough juice to cover
the rear seal. They include a Mopar plug to cap the hole.
Assuming there are no more setbacks, tomorrow the new meats go on. The
Wrangler MTs are 33x12.5x15 and are spec'd for 8.5 wheels, but as long as
they don't get aired way down, they should work just fine on the stock rims.
They are Goodyear's most aggressive tire, and rated really excellent in the
last 4-Wheel mag off road tire test I read, but they are still pretty mild
in comparison to Mickey T's. I drive 35 highway miles to work each day, and
I need tread life. I've owned BFGs and they disappear in a blink, Mickey
T's are even worse (had a set of HTs that wore out over one winter) and the
Cepek Fun Countrys I have on the Blazer wear like iron, but are way too
wide. So... winners go Goodyear? We'll see.
Will post the rest of the story (like the mods that were required) after I
get the truck back - if anyone is interested.
Tony Angelo
'99 Solar Yellow Sport, CC, 4X4, Bed Rail/Light Bar, Grill/Brush Guard, 5.5"
Tuff Country Lift and 33" Goodyear MTs on the stock wheels (love that powder
coat!!), Jacobs Pro-Street ignition(you convinced me, Brian D!)
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:14:31 EDT