So, my truck is a 71 Chev K20 (for non chev speak that is a longbed 3/4 ton). I bought it in Aug of 04 and I have been getting ready to do a solid rebuild of the whole truck. I installed rear disks last fall, and while I was at it I fabricated a cool rock ring for the beefy Eaton HO52 rear axle.
The next step on the list was to correct the previous owner's mistake of putting on a 4" lift and 35" tires. Together they must have equaled tire rub so he hacked the fenders (very redneck in my opinion) in a way that let mud and water destroy the bottom of the cab, the rockers, and the mounts. The simple correction for this (and it makes the truck's stance much better) is to add a couple of inches of lift.
After much deliberation I decided to go with a 6" all spring lift from Tuff Country. I like the responses I have read from Tuff Country Owners AND Tuff Country is a local company. Well I decided to go with a shop here in Ogden that is pretty high profile. They seem to do good work, but...
When I first went in I outlined what I wanted and they quoted me a mid $600 price. That seemed way low compared to other dealers so I asked all the right questions. The answers?... No shocks weren't included (That will be about a couple hundred extra), no a drop steering arm wasn't included (that will be about a hundred extra), no labor wasn't included (thats a set price and will be a couple hun extra). So, why didn't they tell me that up front? Well I got the cash together (about 6 weeks) and went back in last week to schedule an install. NOW the price was going to be $1300 (up by double the original figure and up 200 over the last figure). Oh, well I need to get it done. They say that they can't get it in for a week, but come in Monday morning at 9:00am and they will start it first thing. It should take about a day, but no more than that.
Well, Monday 9:00am shows up and I walk through the front door. The owner/front desk guy isn't there and the wrenches just walked in ahead of me to start pushing out tires, moving out trucks etc. About 10:00am I leave with my truck still in the parking lot, but with assurences that it will be done by later that afternoon.
Now I am without transportation for a day, but it is all for a good cause because by 6pm I will have a great new suspension on my ride and my project will be on its way. I have things I could have done today, and I took a day off work, but that doesn't matter...until...2:54pm!
My phone rings! Hey, they must be done early!
Hello?
Hey, we have run into a little problem.
Really, what is that?
We don't have the parts to do your suspension.
What?
Well...(insert mumbled excuses about how they got shipped 2 sets of front springs and they knew at 11:00am, but didn't bother to call until there was no time left to solve the problem, and it really isn't their fault since gee who really needs to make sure that all the parts are really there before you begin a project)...
I take a critical day off work to leave my truck with a bunch of loons that can't even check on parts before they have me waste a day. Hell, they can't even start the project until the middle of the day when they "need you to be there by nine am", AND they don't even bother to tell me until it is too late to solve the problem. (There is an easy enough quick fix, new springs up front add-a-leaf in the rear, and come back in for the rears in a couple of days. We will make the warehouse eat $200 for your inconvenience because of their screwup.)
Well, I have learned my lesson again. If you want something done and done right do it yourself. I didn't want to dig into this project like this, but since I can't trust anyone to do their job I have to do it for them.
I really hope I see some of these guys on a trail sometime, stuck and needing help. I will offer them the prompt effective hand that they extended to me. Oh, wait maybe I'll just offer them ONE FINGER on that hand!
Budbeater
The next step on the list was to correct the previous owner's mistake of putting on a 4" lift and 35" tires. Together they must have equaled tire rub so he hacked the fenders (very redneck in my opinion) in a way that let mud and water destroy the bottom of the cab, the rockers, and the mounts. The simple correction for this (and it makes the truck's stance much better) is to add a couple of inches of lift.
After much deliberation I decided to go with a 6" all spring lift from Tuff Country. I like the responses I have read from Tuff Country Owners AND Tuff Country is a local company. Well I decided to go with a shop here in Ogden that is pretty high profile. They seem to do good work, but...
When I first went in I outlined what I wanted and they quoted me a mid $600 price. That seemed way low compared to other dealers so I asked all the right questions. The answers?... No shocks weren't included (That will be about a couple hundred extra), no a drop steering arm wasn't included (that will be about a hundred extra), no labor wasn't included (thats a set price and will be a couple hun extra). So, why didn't they tell me that up front? Well I got the cash together (about 6 weeks) and went back in last week to schedule an install. NOW the price was going to be $1300 (up by double the original figure and up 200 over the last figure). Oh, well I need to get it done. They say that they can't get it in for a week, but come in Monday morning at 9:00am and they will start it first thing. It should take about a day, but no more than that.
Well, Monday 9:00am shows up and I walk through the front door. The owner/front desk guy isn't there and the wrenches just walked in ahead of me to start pushing out tires, moving out trucks etc. About 10:00am I leave with my truck still in the parking lot, but with assurences that it will be done by later that afternoon.
Now I am without transportation for a day, but it is all for a good cause because by 6pm I will have a great new suspension on my ride and my project will be on its way. I have things I could have done today, and I took a day off work, but that doesn't matter...until...2:54pm!
My phone rings! Hey, they must be done early!
Hello?
Hey, we have run into a little problem.
Really, what is that?
We don't have the parts to do your suspension.
What?
Well...(insert mumbled excuses about how they got shipped 2 sets of front springs and they knew at 11:00am, but didn't bother to call until there was no time left to solve the problem, and it really isn't their fault since gee who really needs to make sure that all the parts are really there before you begin a project)...
I take a critical day off work to leave my truck with a bunch of loons that can't even check on parts before they have me waste a day. Hell, they can't even start the project until the middle of the day when they "need you to be there by nine am", AND they don't even bother to tell me until it is too late to solve the problem. (There is an easy enough quick fix, new springs up front add-a-leaf in the rear, and come back in for the rears in a couple of days. We will make the warehouse eat $200 for your inconvenience because of their screwup.)
Well, I have learned my lesson again. If you want something done and done right do it yourself. I didn't want to dig into this project like this, but since I can't trust anyone to do their job I have to do it for them.
I really hope I see some of these guys on a trail sometime, stuck and needing help. I will offer them the prompt effective hand that they extended to me. Oh, wait maybe I'll just offer them ONE FINGER on that hand!
Budbeater
Last edited:
(a little misplaced workplace anger for you)
