How to approach a shop

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I have a little issue with a 4wheel shop in my town.  The shop has done work on a couple of friends truck.  One guy had a complete solid axle conversion and the other just a change of steering box.  Heres the details of problems with each.Solid axle conversion      was ifs rig so alot of fabication done.Booger welding on everything.....The rocksliders were welded to the frame which is normal thing for 4wheelers but its was welded withe booger welds.   The tubes arent welded shut.  And everything was just welded here and there, incomplete welds.  I can see into the tubes.   I'm scared to wheel with this guy.  I dont feel like fixing the rig for hours on the trail and also he may get hurt.Steering box.The guy had a toyota ifs steering box put in for cross over steering.  The unit requires bracing to be installed on the frame.  Here is the picture of the bracing.The plates are sandwiched between the frame and then a weld is placed around the tubes since they stick thru the plate.  Also the plates are welded to the frame to spread the load from the steering box.  I really wish I would have taken pictures of how bad the work was.   They left a 1/4" gap between the frame and one of plates.  The plate was half *** welded due to the gap.  I really dont know how his frame didnt crack from the box, there was really no stress relief for the frame.  The plate is even predrilled to allow the tubes thru.  A freaking monkey could do this work.  We spent 6 hours fixing this problem so the plates were placed on the frame.  I'm not saying I'm the best welder and not even close but I could weld better with my 100 dollar HF welder then what was on there.  We didnt use the HF welder but a lincoln 140.  I really do believe these guys deserve money back for this **** work but they had no clue what bad or good welding looked like till I showed them a decent weld.    The steering box guy I doubt will get money back since we didnt take any before pics but we have yet to fix the other one.How would you approach this shop?
Reply:I wouldn't.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Unless they've done your work, its up to the friends of yours to put in a complaint as soon as they get their work back from the shop.  Only thing you can/should do is pass around how terrible it is by word of mouth.
Reply:Hey duc,I can only offer a suggestion and some thought for you to consider. If the work wasn't done on your vehicle, you're out of the picture. If it's a friend, I would suggest to them retaining a lawyer, have a dealer write up a damage report, and file suit for damages. Unless someone initiates an action, nothing can be done to put a stop to shabby, unsafe work. There are many outfits like this in the auto modification/custom work arena and those who produce garbage have to be stopped before someone gets killed or maimed.....DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Too late now. Once you start working on it how are you going to prove who did what work. Having  aftermarket parts installed is a buyer beware deal. It's hard to get the courts to do anything for you. It's like buying a racecar, you doing it knowing that there are risk involved and you're willing to take them. When shopping for a shop doing this kind of work ask them if they have any customers who's had the same type of job done. Ask if it would be possible to meet with them and look at the finished job.Once again if you have problems with the job don't try to fix it yourself until you've shown the problems to the shop and documented the problems on film, not digital camera.Last edited by tresi; 04-29-2007 at 11:13 AM.
Reply:[QUOTE=tresi]Too late now. Once you start working on it how are you going to prove who did what work. As Zap likes to say...."you're it!!" The best thing to do is as Supe said... make sure everyone else knows about the poor quality from these places! Also, maybe it's an opening for you to pick up some work!-----john
Reply:chalk it up to a lesson learned.DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:I would agree with what has been said.....Though I have to add.....(For future reference)The first thing a lawyer is going to ask for is all the documentation on what work was to be done, how the work was to be done,and possibly the quality of work that was to be done.If someone doesn't have anything in writing.....There's nothing a lawyer can do.Patrick
Reply:Originally Posted by ducI have a little issue with a 4wheel shop in my town.  The shop has done work on a couple of friends truck.  One guy had a complete solid axle conversion and the other just a change of steering box.  Heres the details of problems with each.Solid axle conversion      was ifs rig so alot of fabication done.Booger welding on everything.....The rocksliders were welded to the frame which is normal thing for 4wheelers but its was welded withe booger welds.   The tubes arent welded shut.  And everything was just welded here and there, incomplete welds.  I can see into the tubes.   I'm scared to wheel with this guy.  I dont feel like fixing the rig for hours on the trail and also he may get hurt.Steering box.The guy had a toyota ifs steering box put in for cross over steering.  The unit requires bracing to be installed on the frame.  Here is the picture of the bracing.The plates are sandwiched between the frame and then a weld is placed around the tubes since they stick thru the plate.  Also the plates are welded to the frame to spread the load from the steering box.  I really wish I would have taken pictures of how bad the work was.   They left a 1/4" gap between the frame and one of plates.  The plate was half *** welded due to the gap.  I really dont know how his frame didnt crack from the box, there was really no stress relief for the frame.  The plate is even predrilled to allow the tubes thru.  A freaking monkey could do this work.  We spent 6 hours fixing this problem so the plates were placed on the frame.  I'm not saying I'm the best welder and not even close but I could weld better with my 100 dollar HF welder then what was on there.  We didnt use the HF welder but a lincoln 140.  I really do believe these guys deserve money back for this **** work but they had no clue what bad or good welding looked like till I showed them a decent weld.    The steering box guy I doubt will get money back since we didnt take any before pics but we have yet to fix the other one.How would you approach this shop?
Reply:Got to agree with Rojo, preaty don't mean squat. If your buddy is really upset with this shop, and provided they are licensed in your town. Go talk with the Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau, too many complaints and the city will take a good look at them when it comes time to renew their business license.
Reply:You're it when something breaks. You touched it last. Unfortunate, but that's the way it is.Darn near impossible to  go back later and get any restitution. If you don't inspect the work at the time, you pretty much lose the opportunity. Lesson to learn: Take pics before, during, and after the work. First, so you can show the work off. Second, so you have a record of the existing condition. Third, so you have a record of the condition after you were done. A tape and a straightedge are good friends in this, as you get weld sizes, show distortion, positions, etc. Now, another option for YOU, if you can do a better job, is go to the shop and show them. See if you can make some money on this.