Quote:
Originally Posted by Free Candy Inside
So always been a fan of how the quality of PB stuff looked but another member on here bought their front end to bag his 61 which was torsion bar. The PB front end didn't fit well at all on his. Bag mounts were off. He didn't know he had to get CPP drop spindles so that was an unexpected cost. Some of the hardware and things they sent weren't right. The lower control arms had to be reemed out so the bag would bolt up right. Even the top bag plate had to be modified so a fitting could clear it and thread into the bag. Another thing we decided we didn't like about their front end was the amount you had to notch the front frame rail for the rack to clear. In the event of a slight front end collision that frame would fold up instantly. Once again it wasn't my truck but from what I heard it seemed like they were more interested in knowing how to fix the next one they make than to correct the one they sent him. His truck was super clean and all the problems were not his truck related, their parts not lining up right.
With that being said I am still shocked to this day. Had I spent that much $ I would have been furious. The stuff looks killer and I think it'll ride great but in my opinion it should have been able to been put together by 10yr old at that cost. Not trying to bash them cause it looks like they really but time and effort into their parts and a lot of people run their stuff so they obviously are doing something correct.
I'm personally running a factory crossmember out of an 84 that's been pancaked 1.5" and Michigan Metal Work upper and lower arms. Control arms were $900. Couple hundred for some steering stuff and it lays door after being channeled 4". I'm also running factory spindles. My panel rides and handles great and gets over 11" of travel in the front for about 1/4 of the cost.
If you are looking for a production front end you might also look into gsimfab.com at their new c10 front end. Looks pretty killer and no frame notching for a steering rack from the pics I've seen.
Btw I'm not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned. Just thought I would share my thoughts.
|
Free Candy Inside-
We always appreciate feedback, and never shy away from comments... even when they are not positive.
I would like to provide some info in response to your comments:
"The PB front end didn't fit well at all on his"
Anybody that has a 60-62 chassis knows it's different than the rest. The frame dimensions are similar enough that a factory x-member will bolt up with a few holes to be drilled and reamed. Our Dropmember is no different. There are components that are specific to it in order to make it work and be adapted to a 60-62 chassis. However, just like installing a later model factory x-member there are some holes that need to be drilled and in a couple areas elongated.
"Bag mounts were off"
Not sure what this would be referring to, as we have yet to receive similar feedback from any of the 60-62 kits that have been sold. If in fact any of our parts do not fit as intended we ALWAYS go the extra mile to correct the concern quickly.
"He didn't know he had to get CPP drop spindles so that was an unexpected cost"
Unexpected costs are never a fun thing... however, we plaster the information everywhere that drop spindles are recommended with all our Dropmember kits.
"Some of the hardware and things they sent weren't right"
This should never have been the case, however, we have had some struggles in the past in our shipping/packaging department and we have had to work through our fair share if incorrect parts/hardware. We have always made sure to correct any missing or incorrect hardware/parts issues promptly. The good news is that we have really worked hard at correcting this issue by implementing new procedures and finding the right guys to do the job. I believe that our current percentage of packaging/shipping errors is well below industry standard.
"The lower control arms had to be reemed out so the bag would bolt up right"
This is another one that we never this type of feedback on. Never once have I heard of anybody needing to modify the bag mounting position on the lower control arm UNLESS they are running a bag other than the Dominator 2600 that we recommend.
"Another thing we decided we didn't like about their front end was the amount you had to notch the front frame rail for the rack to clear. In the event of a slight front end collision that frame would fold up instantly"
I am not a crash test specialist and have no expertise in this area, so I cannot give any scientific data on this. What I can tell you is that the notch will diminish the strength of the frame. To say that it will "fold up instantly" would be a stretch. We have thousands of these kits sold and on the road... all of which have a c-notch for the rack and pinion. No issues or concerns. Some could argue the c-notch to be a benefit in regards to absorbing impact. My own personal opinion is indifferent.
"The stuff looks killer and I think it'll ride great but in my opinion it should have been able to been put together by 10yr old at that cost. Not trying to bash them cause it looks like they really but time and effort into their parts and a lot of people run their stuff so they obviously are doing something correct"
Thanks for the compliments. We work really hard to put out a quality product and back it up on the customer service side. There's a lot that goes into it and it's a lot of work. We take pride in what we do, and always do our best. We aren't perfect all the time... but make sure we go the extra mile to correct it when something isn't right. We constantly receive positive feedback regarding the ride quality and function of our kits. We have been building them for over ten years and have a ton of experience specializing in the C10 suspension.
Price point is determined by a cost analysis on what the parts cost to produce (it's a pretty complex formula). We don't want to build parts to break even.... we actually need to make a little money to keep things rolling.
The 60-62 is a little more of an involved install, so I don't think I would feel comfortable recommending that a 10 year old install it.... not even a 12 year old. Maybe a 14 year old with adult supervision of course!
The good news for the 60-62 guys is that we are working on a more specific and complete system for both front and rear (up to this point we only have a handful of rear parts and not a complete kit). We are constantly innovating and evolving our product line.
Free Candy inside, as mentioned we appreciate and encourage all feedback good and bad. It is what helps us continue to make improvements. I feel bad if your buddy wasn't 100% satisfied. We are always a key stroke away if there are ever any questions or concerns.
Nate