A rebuild of #miRustyJeep...

Went to Holly Oaks ORV park this weekend. I'll say, Meh. Don't think I'd go back. They do have some fun obstacles, Mount magna has the possibility of being really cool. Its a concrete hill they poured to simulate some of the terrain in Moab, but I suspect concrete doesn't have the same coefficient of friction that 'real' slickrock does. They also had some good looking "rock climbing" obstacles, made from concrete. The rest of the park is just sandy and muddy hill climbs. Pretty boring.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to really challenge myself or the jeep this trip. My brakes started acting funny. Well, they've been acting funny, but they were REALLY bad, trying to wheel. Couldn't hold my jeep on any real incline. I'd just roll through them. Gotta figure that out as it really put a damper on my mood. It really kills any confidence you have in the jeep, when you don't have faith you can stop if needed. The brakes feel solid without the engine on (the pedal is really firm) but with the engine running, the pedal travel seems a bit excessive (but not going to the floor) and there isn't ANY stopping power.

The good news is that my trackbar mount repair is holding! Lol
 
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Took a half day today to get my Jeep back road worthy. Cut off all the old, rusty track bar brackets on my axle.

View attachment 288691View attachment 288692

Then I used an old Currie reinforcement bracket that attaches to the axle, by the pumpkin, and a JKS angled bracket. Sliced and diced, cursed at my welder and the weldor, and I have a new, fully welded track bar bracket.

View attachment 288693View attachment 288694

I think I'm gonna call Lincoln though. My gas valve doesn't seem to work at the time when I start. I was getting terrible porosity. Then, all of a sudden, I wasn't. It's very discouraging. I'm not a great weldor, so when things don't go as they should, I get worse trying to figure out what wrong. Then all of a sudden, I'm lying nice, shiny beads.. And a lot of times it's one trigger pull to another.
My newer Miller does the same. The trick is to hit the trigger and run out about an inch or so of wire and clip it back. That brings gas to the nozzle. My old Miller did not do it. This is only on the first use of the day when the bottle has been off though.
 
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Went to Holly Oaks ORV park this weekend. I'll say, Meh. Don't think I'd go back. They do have some fun obstacles, Mount magna has the possibility of being really cool. Its a concrete hill they poured to simulate some of the terrain in Moab, but I suspect concrete doesn't have the same coefficient of friction that 'real' slickrock does. They also had some good looking "rock climbing" obstacles, made from concrete. The rest of the park is just sandy and muddy hill climbs. Pretty boring.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to really challenge myself or the jeep this trip. My brakes started acting funny. Well, they've been acting funny, but they were REALLY bad, trying to wheel. Couldn't hold my jeep on any real incline. I'd just roll through them. Gotta figure that out as it really put a damper on my mood. It really kills any confidence you have in the jeep, when you don't have faith you can stop if needed. The brakes feel solid without the engine on (the pedal is really firm) but with the engine running, the pedal travel seems a bit excessive (but not going to the floor) and there isn't ANY stopping power.

The good news is that my trackbar mount repair is holding! Lol

Vacuum booster have a leak? Or master cylinder? I don't think it's the master if they are firm when the engine is off. But no holding power has me stumped.
 
Update on the BlackMax Shocks. Its a fucking debacle. They won't just give me an RGA for the parts I bought through amazon. They told me I need to deal with Amazon. When I called Amazon, they said the return window has closed, but they would be willing to let me return them, "as a favor" for a 20% restocking fee. Even though I explained to the nice Indian man that they are defective and are to be evaluated under the lifetime warranty. I quite literally told Amazon to Fuck right the fuck off and gave myself a day to cool off.

Called Skyjacker again today. They say their policy is to have a dealer evaluation and issue an RGA...here is a screenshot of the warranty...Notice the first step...

https://skyjacker.com/limited-lifetime-warranty/
1636490260315.png


After going through the ranks to the CS manager...He told me my only real solution is to BUY another set of shocks, directly from them. After I receive them, I need to call back for an RGA, and send my old ones back, for evaluation and "probably" get a refund.

Fuckers....

Right about now, an insurance claim sounds like the easiest way out of this jeep...it has full coverage.
 
Update on the BlackMax Shocks. Its a fucking debacle. They won't just give me an RGA for the parts I bought through amazon. They told me I need to deal with Amazon. When I called Amazon, they said the return window has closed, but they would be willing to let me return them, "as a favor" for a 20% restocking fee. Even though I explained to the nice Indian man that they are defective and are to be evaluated under the lifetime warranty. I quite literally told Amazon to Fuck right the fuck off and gave myself a day to cool off.

Called Skyjacker again today. They say their policy is to have a dealer evaluation and issue an RGA...here is a screenshot of the warranty...Notice the first step...

https://skyjacker.com/limited-lifetime-warranty/
View attachment 289454

After going through the ranks to the CS manager...He told me my only real solution is to BUY another set of shocks, directly from them. After I receive them, I need to call back for an RGA, and send my old ones back, for evaluation and "probably" get a refund.

Fuckers....

Right about now, an insurance claim sounds like the easiest way out of this jeep...it has full coverage.

This is one of the things I DISLIKE about buying from Amazon. I went thru a similar situation on a amp for my Harley my ex had bought me for my birthday. Ended up just buying a different brand amp instead and just tossed the other amp.
 
When I called Amazon, they said the return window has closed, but they would be willing to let me return them, "as a favor" for a 20% restocking fee.
Amazon is going to re-stock a defective item? WTH is that Indian thinking?

I've always got my money back from them, even outside the return window.

As for Skyjacker, that's total crap advice from CS. The first step on their own website says call them and get a RAN. I'd be pissed.
 
Amazon is going to re-stock a defective item? WTH is that Indian thinking?

I've always got my money back from them, even outside the return window.

As for Skyjacker, that's total crap advice from CS. The first step on their own website says call them and get a RAN. I'd be pissed.
Trust me.... He knew exactly what I was talking about when I described what was going on. Then told me, "their policy states, blah, blah, blah". When I told him I'm reading his policy, and it says the first call is to them... He redirected me to the CSM.

I'm thinking on a different set of shocks.
 
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Update on the BlackMax Shocks. Its a fucking debacle. They won't just give me an RGA for the parts I bought through amazon. They told me I need to deal with Amazon. When I called Amazon, they said the return window has closed, but they would be willing to let me return them, "as a favor" for a 20% restocking fee. Even though I explained to the nice Indian man that they are defective and are to be evaluated under the lifetime warranty. I quite literally told Amazon to Fuck right the fuck off and gave myself a day to cool off.

Called Skyjacker again today. They say their policy is to have a dealer evaluation and issue an RGA...here is a screenshot of the warranty...Notice the first step...

https://skyjacker.com/limited-lifetime-warranty/
View attachment 289454

After going through the ranks to the CS manager...He told me my only real solution is to BUY another set of shocks, directly from them. After I receive them, I need to call back for an RGA, and send my old ones back, for evaluation and "probably" get a refund.

Fuckers....

Right about now, an insurance claim sounds like the easiest way out of this jeep...it has full coverage.
The easy way is to buy another set of the same shocks on Amazon. When they arrive, return the old ones for a refund and go have fun. Bullshit way to do it but sometimes you have the play the game by their rules.
 
The easy way is to buy another set of the same shocks on Amazon. When they arrive, return the old ones for a refund and go have fun. Bullshit way to do it but sometimes you have the play the game by their rules.

Of late, I am seeing that amazon customer service reps are entirely hit and miss. For the same issue, if one rep did not give me a satisfactory answer, if you try again sometimes you get lucky. There does not seem to be any pattern to this .. I have been wondering if post covid they are having issues with training new people.
 
The easy way is to buy another set of the same shocks on Amazon. When they arrive, return the old ones for a refund and go have fun. Bullshit way to do it but sometimes you have the play the game by their rules.
The only problem with that is the possibility that some other poor schmuck gets my defective shocks.

Other than that, I like the idea...I get to "screw" both companies that are working me over.
 
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The only problem with that is the possibility that some other poor schmuck gets my defective shocks.

Other than that, I like the idea...I get to "screw" both companies that are working me over.

Amazon won't sell them as new shocks - at best "open box" at a reduced price. So whoever is buying them is knowingly taking a gamble.
 
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Return them as defective and they'll likely send it back to the seller or toss it in a giant box of returned items that then get sold off to the highest bidder.
 
The only problem with that is the possibility that some other poor schmuck gets my defective shocks.

Other than that, I like the idea...I get to "screw" both companies that are working me over.
Amazon's customers aren't your problem. That and the best way to get a refund is to send them back as defective which is truthful.
 
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The only problem with that is the possibility that some other poor schmuck gets my defective shocks.

Other than that, I like the idea...I get to "screw" both companies that are working me over.
I've had this exact thing happen to me. I ordered a BedRug off Amazon. When I opened the box it was an original nasty carpet set. They took care of the problem, but I had to wait several days for the replacement to arrive. :mad:
 
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