Is this unreasonable, or am I just being whiny?

[devilsfan]

Here's the background: dropped my truck off on May 31st to have some work done at a local off road shop. The shop said it would take 8-10 days. Today, July 2 - STILL not done.

Work requested: 12" suspension lift, upgrade on gears and brakes, new exhaust, reservoir shocks, wheels and tires, side steps. For $12K.

The lift kit was supposed to arrive the Wednesday I dropped it off. It didn't, nor did it arrive the following Wednesday. I had to badger the owner to call the company and see what the deal was the following week. Oh, the company was backlogged and they hadn't even shipped it yet. Probably Friday. Owner said if they shipped on Friday, it would be at the shop the following Wednesday. The shop said they'd go ahead and get everything else done on the truck that didn't require them to tear it down. That was fine.

Another week goes by. No lift.

I call 2 weeks after the supposed ship date. It JUST came in the previous night. So they're working on it.

Get a call 2 days later. Turns out the lift needs some stock parts my truck didn't have (I already had a 6" lift on it). They need to order it. Ok.

Another week goes by. No update.

Talked to the owner this morning. Parts came in late last week. He's out of town, but "the shop schedule seems pretty light this week so we'll see if we can fit your truck in somewhere."

After a full MONTH after the promised due date, shouldn't my truck be #1 priority? Especially since I'm paying $12K for this work?

Granted, this isn't a HUGE burden (the shop is paying for a loaner, so I'm not out transportation), but I'm getting a little ticked with the delays. They're not entirely the fault of the shop, and I definitely don't want a rush job. I'm also not being a pest - I call once a week to get an update, not daily. But I chose this shop because it has a solid reputation for quality work. 6 weeks seems a little long for the work that's being done, I know it took 4 days for my 6" lift, exhaust and tires (different shop).

So....am I being whiny here, or is the shop taking an unreasonable amount of time on this?

[Humdingah]

Which lift did you order if I may ask? Was the lift kit incomplete or did it not just have all of the 'options' you had requested?

[devilsfan]

It was a 12" Bulletproof. It was complete, but it needed the original steering components, which were removed when the 6" Fabtech was installed 7 years ago.

[Humdingah]

What non-stock components did you have on the front end that needed to be returned to original? :raar:

[devilsfan]

It had a Fabtech steering upgrade. I don't know exactly what parts the shop needed that were OEM.

[guruerror]

I don't think you sound whiny...just frustrated, and that's understandable. It prolly felt good just to vent...

I hope it all works out for you.

[pdxrealtor]

I'd be a little pissed. However I'd of been firm from the get go. Not sure how you've handled it up to now.... In any event ya.... Your truck should be priority number 1 as in overtime full time until done.

[HummerJim]

You're more patient than I am. I would have raised holy hell by now. There's always a negative letter to the BBB and even with just the threat most shops will go out of their way to make you #1.

[Stellar]

I'd be pissed as hell. That's really ridiculous. Gears and brakes should take a day. Lift kit and shocks 2-3 days tops. Wheels and tires, side steps, and exhaust should be about an hour each. If it were me I'd take my parts and business somewhere else, no updates at certain points is poor customer service, you're paying a ****load of money for upgrades, they can at least keep you informed. :beerchug:

[guruerror]

In a previous post/thread I thought you mentioned that the shop you chose was primarily a Jeep shop...if that's the case, they prolly lost a good week's worth of tool time just staring at your rig admiring the sheer awesomeness of its brutish stylings; then they prolly called all their friends and family to come over and take pictures with it, sit in the drivers seat, blow the horn, etc.

Since then, they've no doubt been working day and night to reverse engineer its superior, manly, off-roady stylings and underpinnings for later application on some poser's JK Wrangler.

[devilsfan]

In a previous post/thread I thought you mentioned that the shop you chose was primarily a Jeep shop...if that's the case, they prolly lost a good week's worth of tool time just staring at your rig admiring the sheer awesomeness of its brutish stylings; then they prolly called all their friends and family to come over and take pictures with it, sit in the drivers seat, blow the horn, etc.

:perfect10s:

They work on FJs as well, so you are most likely 100% correct. :) For some reason, people don't mess with their H2s down here. 99% I've seen are stock. One other shop in town has done a few H2s, but they also wanted $6K more for the same work, and I've heard complaints about sloppy work on some of their show trucks. So I thought I was doing good by going with the shop with the quality reputation.

Owner gets back into town on Thursday, I will start making a pest of myself then. I don't want to be a doormat, but I also don't want a rush job where parts are forgotten because they're trying to get it out the door under threat of a lawsuit. Or pee on my bumper because I'm being a b*tch. ;)

[H2Much]

Take it somewhere else man, that is BS. You need to think past the job you are having them do now and think about the warranties on the work. If it is taking this long now and the service sucks that bad, just think if anything has to be adjusted after the fact or anything they need to end up warrantying on their work. Just saying, it is not uncommon for mechs to F--- up on Hummers and their work since they never work on them, guaranteed something won't be right when they give it back to you.

Just my two bits and my experience:D

[VegasGuy]

I am curious just what you guys expect the shop to do when the lift mfr failed to ship the lift? Cuss at the lift mfr on the phone, threaten bodily injury, make the lift and parts themselves?

Frankly, I would have told the shop to call me when the lift arrived and they had all the parts to do the job so we could schedule a time to bring it in. I call it planning ahead.

I give the shop credit for providing a loner vehicle the whole time.

[devilsfan]

Frankly, I would have told the shop to call me when the lift arrived and they had all the parts to do the job so we could schedule a time to bring it in. I call it planning ahead.

I give the shop credit for providing a loner vehicle the whole time.

We were out of town on vacation the first week it was in the shop. That's why I dropped it off when I did, put my money down when I did, he got the order in when he did (ie, planning ahead) - I dropped it off on our way down the shore, and it was to be finished when we returned to town. The lift was supposed to be there the day I dropped it off. When I called on our way home, that's the first time I had heard that the kit wasn't even IN yet, the shop owner told me he'd check on tracking. If it wasn't shipped, he'd have no tracking number yet, so I don't know where that was coming from. It sounded, to me, like the box was in transit and was supposed to arrive any day now, so I let it go. At the time, it was a week behind schedule and wasn't a huge deal. I do agree tho - the major delay wasn't his fault. And he did offer to let me come pick the truck up in the meantime, but this was on that Friday and the lift was supposedly coming in the following Wednesday. Not worth it to me to drag 2 little kids out, interrupt hubby's work to find a meetup time at the loaner car place, and a 2 hour round trip just to do it all again a few days later. Of course, it didn't turn out to be "a few days later." Couldn't exactly predict that.

I am extremely grateful for the loaner, but it's not exactly "free" yet. It's through Enterprise, and I'm getting a $200 charge out of my checking account every 2 weeks. It WILL be taken off my final bill for my truck, but in the meantime, I'm still paying.

[VegasGuy]

I completely understand why you dropped it off with a certain degree of expectation of the job going as expected. All I am saying is my frustration would be directed at the mfr, not the shop. Sounds like the shop stepped up to the plate and attempted to make a reasonable effort to resolve the issue.

[devilsfan]

Did get another update today (the owner is at his ILs house, still on vacation but is essentially running the shop from afar). Turns out he has never put a lift on a truck that has already been lifted, and it seems to be one of the reasons we're hitting so many snags. Fabtech cuts into the front diff during installation, Bulletproof doesn't and the modified diff interferes with steering on the new lift. Of course. :) So now work is stalled until he can find a new front diff, which is on backorder with Hummer, so he has a list of 10-15 dealers to call, but they might not want to sell since it's a backorder part. Ay yi yi.

Actually worked out this time, since my schedule this week and next are crappy and I couldn't get out to the shop to pick up the truck anyway.

[twinmill28]

Send Zach a PM and see if he can help locate the diff (he's on this forum). He's kinda resourceful and might be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat.
Good luck with this---but what in the world would make you want to lift the deuce that tall? Other than the obvious that it's really cool, it's pretty impractical, but don't let me slow you down!

[devilsfan]

Why lift it? Because I can and I want to.

I originally wanted a 12" lift when I first got the truck, I have always loved lifted trucks and wanted one big-ass monster truck. Hubby said no way, can't get a baby in a carseat in and out of a lift that big. So I compromised with a 6". But every time I was stopped at a light and the truck next to me was bigger, I regretted only getting the 6" lift. And I'm in Texas, so it actually happens quite often.

Kids are 4 and 7 now and know how to climb. So I'm getting a bigger lift. :) I'm not going to be some 80 yr old woman who regrets never having gone for her dream truck when she had the chance. You only live once, I have the funds, so I'm going to make this one heck of a truck. :)

[HummerJim]

Why lift it? Because I can and I want to.

Kids are 4 and 7 now and know how to climb. So I'm getting a bigger lift. :) I'm not going to be some 80 yr old woman who regrets never having gone for her dream truck when she had the chance. You only live once, I have the funds, so I'm going to make this one heck of a truck. :)

Well said!!!! 'Im in my mid 70s and the closer your lifetime gas gauge gets towards the E mark, the more you realize the he** with what others think. If you want it go for it. I think the same way about my H2, I love driving it offroad and in the snow and mud. I drive a manual shift German car for my daily driver and track my Z06 now and then. Life is short and I'm seeing more and more of my friends regret not doing stuff in life that they physically can't do now. I've thought about lifting my H2 many times too as I'm sure most enthusiasts have. GO FOR IT!

[orlasttoy]

1st-world problems :violin: :D

[devilsfan]

Update....visited the shop finally. They managed to locate the part in Michigan, no estimated arrival date yet tho. You can see the new exhaust on the back (Corsa sport) and the lift height, which is insane. Can't wait to see it sitting on the new rims and tires. :)

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/wookiemouse/2012-07-12155122.jpg

[[__--MUD--__]]

Someone has some balls parking another vehicle under that lift... I'd never do it.

[TTLex]

I have a few words of input on this subject....

First off, Ive been modifying vehicles for so long, I pretty much expect the job to take 3x longer than what im told. I had my twin turbo lexus in the hsop for damn near 2 years. I basically had to threaten the guy with physical harm to get the car done. The part that sucks is you have to walk the fine line of keeping on their ass vs pissing them off, because at the end of the day they have your vehicle and your money.

Secondly, I have the Fabtech 6" and have been thinking about going bigger. If im not mistaken all that is modified on the dif is the mounting bracket cut off. Cognito makes a piece that bolts back on to make it mount normally again, at least thats what they told me when I was looking at their 10-12" adjustable lift.

Lastly, my 6" fabtech install took the shop 1 day to complete from start to finish with the alignment and all. I dropped it off on monday at 9am, picked it up on Tuesday at noon. Sound like your shop is BS' on the install.

Good luck with it, im sure it will all work out in the end.

[[__--MUD--__]]

Lastly, my 6" fabtech install took the shop 1 day to complete from start to finish with the alignment and all. I dropped it off on monday at 9am, picked it up on Tuesday at noon. Sound like your shop is BS' on the install.



I had one of the top jeep shops thats been in a ton of mags do my 6" fabtech. They quoted me 10 days in case they had issues. Ended up being about 5 or 6 weeks. They couldn't get the output shaft out of the case. For some reason my rig didn't have a boot on the shaft. They knew a hummer machanic but he only had one night a week. Then after they finally got it out, it kept throwing seals. so they had it for another few weeks.

You never know what your getting into when you start a project like this. My ride as of today has been in the body shop for 16 months. Its a combo of me adding additional **** to the build, and my buddy being a little slow on the work thats over my technical abilities. But that comes down to cost. I'm paying pennies on the dollar to what a regular customer would be charged. If I was paying full retail price, that **** better be done in a timely manner.

One thing I've learned from this situation. Its done in alot of industries. I will never start another project unless I have an agreement as such. Agree on a price (I will cover extra unforseen parts cost, not labor), agree on a set time frame for the project to be completed. I want an absolute worst cast senario on this time frame. If you think its going to take 2 weeks, I'll give you a month. But at the end of the agreeded time frame, if the project isn't done...I'm docking $50-100/day untill its complete. You have to adjust the penalty to the size of the project...but you get the idea. This is not unreasonable. If someone isn't confident enough in their abilities to give me this, then I dont want them working on my ****.

BTW, all the fabtech steering components that come in the lift are only tierods...and those can be used on non lifted trucks. They are feeding you a line of **** on that.

I didn't catch what lift you are getting...but you need to inquire about the brake lines. W/ the 6" fabtech, no extended brake lines were included. Installers usually just disconnected the brackets and hung the lines. You stepping up to 12", you absolutly need extended lines. You will want to order Crown brake lines. http://crownperformance.com/ It is a 6 piece kit for the hummer. They dont list 12" off their site, you will have to call them. You will feel the difference eliminating the rubber lines for the braided stainless steel. Really tightenes up the brakes- lines dont balloon up like the rubber does. You also have wheel sensor wires that will need to be extended. Make sure they just dont remove the lines from the clips and just let the wires hang. That **** needs to be securely attached, even if it means someone needs to spend the 20 minutes to drill and tap some new attachment fittings on the components. Dont settle for zipties!

[devilsfan]

Secondly, I have the Fabtech 6" and have been thinking about going bigger. If im not mistaken all that is modified on the dif is the mounting bracket cut off. Cognito makes a piece that bolts back on to make it mount normally again, at least thats what they told me when I was looking at their 10-12" adjustable lift.

Lastly, my 6" fabtech install took the shop 1 day to complete from start to finish with the alignment and all. I dropped it off on monday at 9am, picked it up on Tuesday at noon. Sound like your shop is BS' on the install.

Good luck with it, im sure it will all work out in the end.

The lift I'm going with is a Bulletproof. They don't make that part for the front diff. I have no idea if the shop is even aware of the Cognito modifier.

My Fabtech install took 2 days (including a new exhaust, rims and tires as well). But that was an install coming from a STOCK truck. The problem they're running into is that not all the stock parts are there - and the Bulletproof instructions are from a stock truck. So basically, they have to knock parts of it back to stock and THEN put on the new lift. If you haven't noticed, Hummer parts aren't quite as easy to come by as they were 5 years ago. ;) This part of the delay I understand, BUT - I know this shop has done both Fabtech and Bulletproof lifts before. The owner KNEW I had a Fabtech on it going in. Shouldn't these parts have been anticipated? Or is that asking too much? He had about a month between the time I put down the deposit/signed the papers and when I dropped the truck off.

This is the last delay at least (fingers crossed). Everything else is done, they just have to reassemble once the new part comes in.

[devilsfan]

']
You never know what your getting into when you start a project like this. My ride as of today has been in the body shop for 16 months. Its a combo of me adding additional **** to the build, and my buddy being a little slow on the work thats over my technical abilities. But that comes down to cost. I'm paying pennies on the dollar to what a regular customer would be charged. If I was paying full retail price, that **** better be done in a timely manner.

One thing I've learned from this situation. Its done in alot of industries. I will never start another project unless I have an agreement as such. Agree on a price (I will cover extra unforseen parts cost, not labor), agree on a set time frame for the project to be completed. I want an absolute worst cast senario on this time frame. If you think its going to take 2 weeks, I'll give you a month. But at the end of the agreeded time frame, if the project isn't done...I'm docking $50-100/day untill its complete. You have to adjust the penalty to the size of the project...but you get the idea. This is not unreasonable. If someone isn't confident enough in their abilities to give me this, then I dont want them working on my ****.

BTW, all the fabtech steering components that come in the lift are only tierods...and those can be used on non lifted trucks. They are feeding you a line of **** on that.

I didn't catch what lift you are getting...but you need to inquire about the brake lines. W/ the 6" fabtech, no extended brake lines were included. Installers usually just disconnected the brackets and hung the lines. You stepping up to 12", you absolutly need extended lines. You will want to order Crown brake lines. http://crownperformance.com/ It is a 6 piece kit for the hummer. They dont list 12" off their site, you will have to call them. You will feel the difference eliminating the rubber lines for the braided stainless steel. Really tightenes up the brakes- lines dont balloon up like the rubber does. You also have wheel sensor wires that will need to be extended. Make sure they just dont remove the lines from the clips and just let the wires hang. That **** needs to be securely attached, even if it means someone needs to spend the 20 minutes to drill and tap some new attachment fittings on the components. Dont settle for zipties!

Cost is one of the reasons I went with this shop (in addition to reputation). With the quote they gave me, and based on the best internet prices I found for parts alone, labor came out to be around $1500 for EVERYTHING. That's $8K less overall than the other shop in town. I see no reason to dock them based on circumstances that they can't control and honestly, they're pretty frustrated with the entire deal as well (my truck has been occupying a lift and screwing up other projects they had on tap). They're as ready to get it done and out of there as I am. They didn't plan ahead on some parts that probably should have been ordered, but what's done is done at this point. I'm covering the cost of the extra parts but not labor. And they're out about $2K as it is from the rental car - if not more. This thing has turned out to be a no-win for anyone until it's done.

Had a Fabtech steering upgrade in addition to the basic lift.

No worry about the brakes, I'm having the entire system upgraded. I will inspect it once it's done, tho - thanks for the tips on the lines.

[MARKCORE]

What wheels and tires did you go with this time?

[devilsfan]

42" Pit Bull Rockers on 20" Ultra Predators. A bit of bling, but I think it will look good.

[[__--MUD--__]]

OK hold on here-

If your only paying $1500 in labor, you got it cheap. Thats a good price for putting a lift on a stock truck. Taking an already lifted truck and switching that to a different mfg lift- should of been around $2000. You know its going to be a cluster ****, no documentation is going to match up.

Yea, seriously I wouldn't be bitching at those prices. If they are putting gears in your truck also in that labor price- You can't get anyone to do gear install for under $1000. I dont what brake upgrade your talking about... Aftermarket rotors, new calipers? The more I look at your post, the cheaper everything seems to be. I'd like to see individual breakdown...You really got a screaming deal on all this ****.

Your looking at this the wrong way. You said for $12,000 It should.... You have $10,500 in parts that you probably got pricing for off the internet and got them to price match. If theres 2G or 3G of profit there, id be suprised. Your only paying $1500 in labor. I'd be bringing pizza and ice cream every day to that shop. These guys are already in the hole working at their own expense now.

I purposly stopped tracking what I have pissed ;) away on my rig. But I'm sure I have 20 grand in the upgrades your getting in this build.

[pdxrealtor]

Good price or not the time frame you mentioned in relation to time quoted is not right. I stand by : ID BE PISSED

[MARKCORE]

Any update?

[devilsfan]

Heh....nope. :)

Shop called last Wednesday, the truck is assembled, on the ground and driveable, at least. They took it over to the alignment shop that afternoon for alignment, balance and truing. Haven't heard a word since.

Owner had to let one of his guys go because he wasn't happy with his work, so now he's also understaffed. *sigh*

I had mentioned this was an "early" birthday gift to myself. My birthday is August 27th. It may not be early after all!

Will post pics once I get the truck back.

[MARKCORE]

Man I'm getting anxious! haha

[tyler1bo]

Man I'm getting anxious! haha

This!!^^^

[devilsfan]

Picked it up this morning. :jump:

Just a teaser pic for now, I have some better ones but they're on my camera, so I'll upload them tonight to the photos forum. That's hubby's stock Tahoe in front of it.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/wookiemouse/219889_4347222837171_104954794_o.jpg

[tyler1bo]

That's ridiculous!!! LOVE

[pdxrealtor]

Your truck is disgusting.....

That Tahoe looks like the size of a vw bug.

[guruerror]

Fukin' awe-we-some! Looks like David and Goliath. Nice job!

[MARKCORE]

HOLY CHIT!!!! I think I'd sleep in it for the next few days! :D Love it!!!! Happy Birthday to YOU!:)

[devilsfan]

LOL Mark!!! I tried to talk hubby into letting me park it in the living room so I could look at it all the time, it was a no-go. :(