Is this unreasonable, or am I just being whiny?

[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.

[[__--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--__]]

Originally Posted by TTLex

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]

Originally Posted by TTLex

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]

Originally Posted by [__--MUD--__]

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]

Originally Posted by MARKCORE

Man I'm getting anxious! haha

This!!^^^

[devilsfan]

Picked it up this morning.

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.

[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! 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.