A Story of Indecision and Frivolous Spending

[Chris]

That's better than a lot of shops I've dealt with.

I agree. I'm not worried about them not fixing it. They're a stand-up shop, and when I had that issue with the re-gear, they fixed it no questions asked and had it done the next day.

So they'll fix it, that's not my concern. I think my main concern is that I wish they had just contacted Blaine in the first place, especially being as this is their first Savvy mid-arm / outboard shock install they've done.

If I was doing something like that for the first time, I'd be seeking as much help as I could get from others who had done it before me.

My other concern is my level of OCD. Unless I know something was done correctly with very good attention to detail, I'm not going to be happy. My wife always gets on my case about my OCD and how everything has to be "perfect" with me.

 

[Mike_H]

My other concern is my level of OCD. Unless I know something was done correctly with very good attention to detail, I'm not going to be happy. My wife always gets on my case about my OCD and how everything has to be "perfect" with me.

And that right there is why I think this project is going to get sold for another one with a 2" lift and 31's!

 

[Chris]

And that right there is why I think this project is going to get sold for another one with a 2" lift and 31's!

It would be cheaper to drive it down to Blaine and have him work on it at that point

 

[cliffish]

It would be cheaper to drive it down to Blaine and have him work on it at that point

I would have done that in the first place....but not being able to just drop in would have driven you nuts....me on the other hand. If I ever lose my mind to build up to this magnitude, would have had it shipped to Blaine from NY and said just put it back on the truck and send it home when you are done.

 

[Chris]

I would have done that in the first place....but not being able to just drop in would have driven you nuts....me on the other hand. If I ever lose my mind to build up to this magnitude, would have had it shipped to Blaine from NY and said just put it back on the truck and send it home when you are done.

To be honest the thought had crossed my mind. Problem is, I budgeted for $5000, and shipping it both ways would have added another 2k to that. Though I suppose I could have just as easily waited a few more months.

Live and learn I guess. I may be entirely jumping the gun here. None of us have seen what it looks like on the ground yet, so far all we know, we might be wrong.

 

[Alex01]

It would be cheaper to drive it down to Blaine and have him work on it at that point

You could make a journey out of it and hit up some trails to test it out on the way back home. The round trip from Salem to LA would nearly double your miles under ownership.

I hope it works out at the current shop. Every time I come back to this thread I have a few pages to catch up on.

 

[mrblaine]

I just got off the phone with Jim (the owner) and mentioned everything we've been talking about here. He said he is aware that the shock mounts may be to low, but he doesn't want to jump to any conclusions until they get weight on it.

He said that if they are indeed to low, they will take them out, order new Poly Performance mounts, and put them in to fix their mistake. He said not to worry about cost, because that would be their mistake, and they would fix it regardless of whether I asked them to or not.

He had mentioned that with the way it's setup now, the shock is about 1" from bottoming out when the wheel is fully stuffed up into the fender.

You'll have to forgive me, as I am not as knowledgable as some of you guys are on this matter, so I may be asking the wrong questions to some degree, as well as not getting all the information.

The limit is rarely if ever the tire hitting the top of the wheel opening at full stuff. I've got a rig now with the upper control arm mounts hitting the bottom of the tub at full stuff (after the crossmember was cut out) and the 37" tires are 4" away from the top of the wheel opening in the rear. They may get some slight trimming for full articulation but not even close to making contact at full stuff.

Before you touch a shock outboard job, you measure the ride height and frame to axle, axle to ground relationship. You use those measurements to determine how much shock shaft you need at ride height so there is not "putting weight on it to find out". You already know before you put the weight on it. Also why I don't own and won't own a lift. Has to be done on the ground to get it right.

 

[mrblaine]

It's certainly possible that we're not seeing it the way it truly is in the pictures.

Very possible.

 

[mrblaine]

My other concern is my level of OCD. Unless I know something was done correctly with very good attention to detail, I'm not going to be happy. My wife always gets on my case about my OCD and how everything has to be "perfect" with me.

Yeah, we'd probably butt heads way too hard over that one. I don't do perfect, I don't even try. I try to do good clean work that is simple and effective. Perfect is for someone else and that ain't me.

 

[Chris]

Yeah, we'd probably butt heads way too hard over that one. I don't do perfect, I don't even try. I try to do good clean work that is simple and effective. Perfect is for someone else and that ain't me.

Well I can tell you that from the work I’ve seen that you did on that orange one, that is my definition of a damn good job! If that’s the kind of work you do, then color me impressed.

 

[mrblaine]

Well I can tell you that from the work I’ve seen that you did on that orange one, that is my definition of a damn good job! If that’s the kind of work you do, then color me impressed.

And I truly appreciate that. It just isn't perfect and I didn't try to make it so.

 

[toximus]

I've got a rig now with the upper control arm mounts hitting the bottom of the tub at full stuff (after the crossmember was cut out) and the 37" tires are 4" away from the top of the wheel opening in the rear.

Is this a RJ60 without lowering the truss?

 

[mrblaine]

Is this a RJ60 without lowering the truss?

It is and we lowered the truss.

 

[jjvw]

....

He had mentioned that with the way it's setup now, the shock is about 1" from bottoming out when the wheel is fully stuffed up into the fender.
....

I am having trouble reconciling this statement compared to the pictures with the way mine came together. The three don't line up with any of the others.

 

[Chris]

I am having trouble reconciling this statement compared to the pictures with the way mine came together. The three don't line up with any of the others.

Well, let’s hope they have it figured out. If not, they’ll be putting in new mounts

 

[Starrs]

I have to give @Chris credit. He is putting it all out there and he is welcoming this open forum to practically beat him and his current build that a reputable shop is performing for him. No it may not be the creator of this midarm lift that is doing the work, but there may be more than 1 way to tackle this project. At first it was comical to jab and throw some digs, but it’s coming across now that many of you are doubting the work that this shop is doing, and chris has already put it out there that he is throwing down 5k of his hard earned dollars on this. Sure it may not be the way all the other midarms were done, but have some faith for his sake that this will work out. He’s been a champ about this whole thing, and I’m positive he just wants it to be done. If it’s not right when it gets on the ground the shop will fix it. There’s more than 1 way to do things, maybe this shop has a different perspective. I dunno just my 0.2

 

[Chris]

The rear shock is 3/8" from bottom out in the rear at full bump. They found this by cycling the suspension while it was on the lift, and with the fork lift as well.

These are some photos he sent me today. They're still working on it and figuring things out.

 

[jjvw]

... No it may not be the creator of this midarm lift that is doing the work, but there may be more than 1 way to tackle this project. At first it was comical to jab and throw some digs, but it’s coming across now that many of you are doubting the work that this shop is doing, and chris has already put it out there that he is throwing down 5k of his hard earned dollars on this. Sure it may not be the way all the other midarms were done, but have some faith for his sake that this will work out. ...

Without offering judgement on the way one shop or another installs the kit and accomplishes an outboard, I'll say that there are a limited variety of ways to put these pieces together and still have them work to their combined full potentials. If you know what you are looking at, there are certain tells that can let us know how well something is or isn't adding up.

I have a decent grasp of what I am seeing here, and I truly hope it adds up the way it should.

 

[Starrs]

Without offering judgement on the way one shop or another installs the kit and accomplishes an outboard, I'll say that there are a limited variety of ways to put these pieces together and still have them work to their combined full potentials. If you know what you are looking at, there are certain tells that can let us know how well something is or isn't adding up.

I have a decent grasp of what I am seeing here, and I truly hope it adds up the way it should.

Your in education or something right? I’m a nurse, and I have no idea how to do any of this stuff. I’m not a mechanic in the least lol, but I understand you have a grasp of what your talking about. I know you did your lift, and I’m sure you did it right...your way. All I’m saying is his shop is going this route and if something doesn’t work they will make it work.

 

[jjvw]

Your in education or something right? I’m a nurse, and I have no idea how to do any of this stuff. I know you did your lift, and I’m sure you did it right...your way. All I’m saying is his shop is going this route and if something doesn’t work they will make it work.

I did mine. And I know who and what I studied, and how I arrived at where I have. Aesthetic decisions aside, certain things only fit together in so many ways. There is a fair and good reason the heights of the upper mounts raised some eyebrows.

I'm an art handler, btw.