bleep ty Mechanic or am I wrong? (Port Macquarie)

Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 22:10

ThreadID: 64871 Views:6465 Replies:5 FollowUps:9

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Suspension

There is an unfortunate but realistic fact about purchasing a new 4WD - it won't come fitted with a suspension system designed to carry the kind of load you'll pack for a serious outback trip.

Cruiser Crazy

It got time to replace the suspension on my 60 series as the shocks where leaking and the front leaves looked they where low enough to be used on a race track.
I went to Midcoast 4wd Centre in Port Macquarie.
The gave me a quote for a complete Iron Man suspension kit with foam shocks, new leaves and bushings for $1632.- + $250 in man hours to install it.
I thought that was a good price and for $250 I'm not gonna mess around my self and told them to go ahead. I also asked to overhaul the Swivel housing as the hubs didn't always locked.
This morning I brought the car and in the afternoon I picked it up again. When I picked it up, he told me that he re-aligned it.
Now I know that Iron Man is not the top of the range. I went for a drive and discovered almost emidiatly that the car pulled to the left. Later I pushed one of the wheels on a pile of sand to inspect my new purchase.
I found that the rear leaves didn't looked as new as the ones on the front. I took my key to scrape some paint of and found that the paint just fell off. That suspension leaves have rust is normal, but new leaves with that must rust that small dents appear and that the paint fell off.........
Kinda aggravated, that the car pulled to the left even though it was re-aligned, and a bit to much rust on the leaves, I pulled the car back on road and disengaged the front hubs (I used it to get up the pile of sand) I found that the left hub was stuck and couldn't get unlocked.
My blood was close to boiling point and my hands started to sweat.
I drove back to Midcoast 4WD Centre and asked for an explanation.
They said that the suspension came like that from Iron Man. They might be able to get a new suspension from the warrenty, but where not sure. NOT SURE, I JUST BOUGHT IT 30MINUTES AGO.
Re-alignment, I have to make a new appointment for that, maybe next week. So, till then, I have to destroy my tires to keep it in a straight line.
They did had time to open the front hub to check it. While they pulled it apart, the placed every part on the dusty sandy floor. And they didn't put any new grease back in when they put it back together.

Maybe I see it wrong, but that was the first & the last time I walk into that workshop.

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Reply By: Kroozer - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 22:25

Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 22:25

Disgusting, ring Ironman headquarters mate, tell them your story. They are a great bunch to deal with. They will most certainly go out of there way to help. Thats just typical mechanical service from mechanics who's boss couldnt give a s@#t. Rubs off onto the workers. Some of my mates are mechanics and they take great pride in there work, unlike many other mechaincs around the joint. Local mechanic here is charging $120 an hour plus GST ($132/hour), totally outrageous if you ask me. Worse thing is its the local Toyota Dealer, and there doing my timing belt next week. Better come back plated in gold for that price.

AnswerID: 342961

Follow Up By: haveconvertedcruiser - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 22:38

Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 22:38

I am a mechanic myself working on mainly 4wd and trucks, now if i did some thing like that i would get KICKD, like kroozer said some mechanics take pride in their work and others give us a bad name by ripping people off. We run on word of mouth and return business so no massive hourly rate.
hope you find a better mechanic down that way.
good luck

FollowupID: 610688

Follow Up By: Cruiser Crazy - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 01:53

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 01:53

I have no problem paying for good quality.
If a mechanic charges more then normal, but delivers a good product, I am more then happy to come again.
But don't treat me like an idiot and then try to rip me off.

Anyway, thanks guy, I just had to get this out of my system

FollowupID: 610707

Reply By: Member - lyndon K (SA) - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 22:43

Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 22:43

For his sake i hope you don't own a gun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now is the only time you own
Decide now what you will,
Place faith not in tomorrow
For the clock may then be still

Member
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AnswerID: 342967

Reply By: Member - Mick O (VIC) - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 22:44

Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 22:44

Mate, I'd ring Ironman HQ in Clayton for sure. They will bend over backwards to sort that out for you. I have had two Ironman suspesion kits now (in different vehicles) as well as some of their other gear (winch) and it's been great as has their service.

Here's the link to Ironman Suspension Contact details.

Cheers Mick

''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
Richard Maurice - 1903

Lifetime Member
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AnswerID: 342968

Follow Up By: Cruiser Crazy - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 00:03

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 00:03

Thanks Mick,
Will do first thing in the morning.

FollowupID: 610704

Reply By: Member - Tour Boy (Bororen) - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 09:25

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 09:25

Mate, My BIL is in Port as well and has had nothing but trouble with his ironman setup put in by them as well. But his included a steering linkage that fell off as he went around a roundabout 20 secs after he picked it up. Faulty ironman product and they wouldn't cover the warranty as the new susp hit it and broke it.
Cheers
Dave

Cheers,
Dave
2010 Isuzu FTS800 Expedition camper
2015 Fortuner
Had 72 cruisers in my time

Lifetime Member
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AnswerID: 343006

Reply By: Member - Ian W (NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 18:26

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 18:26

You are real lucky with your post Cruiser Crazy,

It's usually about now that some Smart Alec comes out of the woodwork.

The usual stuff. "Only heard one side of the story". Don't ruin a hard working business man with unsubstantiated aspersions and similar guff.

I'm somewhat surprised you haven't been ripped into after the post about being banned from a caravan park.

Hope you get the vehicle sorted to you satisfaction.

Good luck.

Ian

AnswerID: 343101

Follow Up By: Top End Explorer Tours - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 19:11

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 19:11

Ian I was going to let your comment go through to the keeper, but your comments are wrong.

There are a lot of variables that could occur here EG: A disgruntled employee or someone from day labour you now the ones that don't give a rats about the job or anything else.

Perhaps it is a shonky set up, we don't know, but hey lets just give them heaps because the rest are, to me that is very narrow minded.

However the way Cruiser crazy has gone about this is premature to say the least.

Although the job is dodgy,These guys have agreed to fix the problem, so let them fix it, then if it is not fixed or a satisfactory result, then it is time to give them grief, with the right to reply.not just hide behind a keyboard and wreck their business.

I had an issue with Globalstar early last year, now I could have posted a thread and bagged them like everyone else, but I gained a great result from them, A new Iridum phone no charge etc, then I posted the thread with all the details, this being positive it would help other with a similar problem get a result without any humbug.

By the way the guy from Globalstar visits this site from time to time so he would have a right of reply.

I have done business with a guy recently, things have gone a little pear shaped, needless to say we are renegotiating a result, this guy has a large reputation, I am not going to wreck it buy posting it on here before we sort it out, my bet is that I will post something on here that will help not hinder his business.

Lets think before we crucify.

Cheers Steve.

FollowupID: 610852

Follow Up By: Cruiser Crazy - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 20:59

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 20:59

UPDATE

Today I figured out that Midcoast 4WD Centre did not order a complete IronMan Suspension kit.
They only ordered the front leaves, 4 shocks and bushings, as they still had a rear leaves set out back. They told me, that leaves always rust. I agree on that, but then sell them as rusted.

So, even though they charged me for a brand new set. they gave me 60% new and 40% what they had laying around in the back.
Now, if the rear leaves would be in a "as new" condition, for example: the had been stored inside, you wont hear me say a word about it.
But they are not new and not as good as new. They are as good as my old rear set.

I care about my car and the condition it is in as it has to bring me and my better half from A to B safely, so today I went to a tyre shop here in Port Macquarie, to get it aligned.
After they where finished, they told me that the front and rear axle had a 6% offset.
This means that the story that Miscoast 4WD Centre had re-aligned them, is horse poo.

Even though it might have been a disgruntled employee or someone from day labour you now the ones that don't give a rats about the job or anything else, the person responsible for it, is the shop owner. Yet, he was one of the persons who placed the order and placed the parts of my front hubs on the W/S floor.

He did offered me a new rear set after a long long discussion, which will arrive next week.
There might be persons who swear by this company, all I say:
I will never bring my car there again ones this is over, not even for a new window wiper.

Jerome

FollowupID: 610901

Follow Up By: Member - Ian W (NSW) - Thursday, Jan 08, 2009 at 19:24

Thursday, Jan 08, 2009 at 19:24

Steve,
Did you read my post?

Nothing about variables or disgruntled employees.

Exactly what I said.

Jerome has experienced what he perceived to be sub standard service/product. He posted about it.

Others have made posts ins similar contexts and been pilloried.

I say again that Jerome is fortunate not to have been the subject of an attempted public crucifixion as have others.

Again I say that I hope he gets the situation sorted to his satisfaction.

Ian

FollowupID: 611074

Follow Up By: Top End Explorer Tours - Friday, Jan 09, 2009 at 00:08

Friday, Jan 09, 2009 at 00:08

Yes Ian I did read your post, although it is evident you didn't read mine properly.

This thread should have been posted after Cruiser Crazy had had a non result, not before the matter was been resolved.

As I have pointed out, there are many variables, even if this company is at fault, there was no chance of a resolution before the company was trashed.

Secondly Ironman suspension was named as being a shoddy product, when in fact it was not the product that was faulty but the contractor who fitted a substitute product.

Another example is: A travel agent can sell you a tour to obtain a commission, based on what you are told you buy the said tour, as it turns out, you have returned from the tour and you are not satisfied that you received what you paid for.

The tour has been conducted as per the operator's itinerary, but not as the agent promoted, then you come to this forum and bag the operator for the tour you didn't like, the trouble is, it was the agent that sold you the wrong tour that is at fault.

Who ends up with the bad reputation?

My whole point is get a result before you crucify a company, it is simple get the facts first then post a result.

Steve.

FollowupID: 611158

Follow Up By: Richard Kovac - Friday, Jan 09, 2009 at 00:18

Friday, Jan 09, 2009 at 00:18

Ian

I find you can never win on this site, one min. there on your side next there against you.. :-)

not you steve the CP posters

Cheers

Richard

FollowupID: 611161

Follow Up By: Member - Ian W (NSW) - Friday, Jan 09, 2009 at 07:44

Friday, Jan 09, 2009 at 07:44

More than a kernel of truth there Richard,

I think we may be going around in circles. I made an observation about Cruiser Crazy having put up a post without being damned for it. It was not I that posted.

It then seems that an exception has been taken to my observation.

I believe I understand where Steve is coming from as my working background has always been that of Sales and Service with a considerable part of it in the motor trade.

Any one can have a job go wrong, it's part of life, however a savvy operator can seize the opportunity to turn the situation to one above the clients expectations and so win a lifelong client.

I have no opinion either way as to the validity of Cruiser Crazy's complaint. I merely say again that it was interesting to see that the post was not condemned as most similar posts have been in the past.

LOL, Ian

FollowupID: 611176