What happened:

• Took jeep to shop for Teraflex 2.5 coil lift install (based on them explaining to me the number of jeep customers they have).
• Drove it for a week.
• Went back to have .5" rear coil spacers installed to raise rear end (I prefer a slight rake).
• Watched install of said spacers. The mechanic's actions threw up many red flags, which was the catalyst for further research.

What I've learned since then:

• Spring retainer clips for rear shocks not used (no idea where they are now).
• Rear lower bump stops not used (no idea where they are now).
• Front bump stop extensions not used (no idea where they are now).
• New rear sway bar links that were to be used in the rear were installed on the front (there's a 2" difference in length).
• Bolts were not torqued with the vehicles weight on the suspension.

So, I ask (in no specific order):

• Is it safe to drive?
• Is legal action a legitimate option (based on the first question)?
• Is legal action morally required, based on their claim they have many jeep customers? Meaning, how many times with how many customers has this happened with? What other risks are being posed to basically anyone who has gone to them for various reasons?

Please don't get the wrong idea. I'm not looking for money out of this. To me, it's a case of returning the raw steak then wondering who spit on it before it was returned to you. While the nice side of me would like to let them fix the issue, the safe side of me says not to go back. Ever. But...something has to be done.

Thoughts?

 

I would show the manager this list and tell them they have one chance to fix it correctly.

 

Go back to the shop and ask them why the bump stops were not used. Ask them if they flexed out the vehicle to determine if it did not need the bump stop. Have them install the correct sway bar links. Rear go the the front and the new ones go to the back.

This is a pretty simple install that was likely rushed with a new guy doing the work or just someone that does not take the time to do it right.

It should be safe to drive, just don't let the front end fully droop out or you might flip the front swaybar.

 

They didn't test anything. Do I have proof of that? No. But I now know the type of people they are and quality of work they do there. At least I do now. The owner is not a pleasant person as I later found out. I'm in a small town with very few options. They threw the parts on (some of them, anyway) and parked it. I highly doubt they even drove it. They didn't test or torque anything to spec when the rear spacers were put it. I saw that with my own eyes (which lead to my further research).

Anyway, this has certainly been a learning experience. I could have done this myself, and in retrospect, obviously should have. I thought it'd be fun to drop it off one morning and let one place install the new suspension parts and tires, then pick up my new badass jeep. In all fairness, it did look good.

So today I video documented the mistake they made with putting the new sway bar links on the front end instead of the rear, then fixed it. Was a fun project me and my neighbor did today over beer and music. Should have done the entire lift this way.

I'll talk to the shop Monday. I either want my missing parts or the approximate $105 value of them. But, most of all, I want them to train their people. No idea what other things have been done wrong or wrongly installed that could lead to catastrophic failure with a family in the vehicle.

This wasn't a new mechanic. It was their primary one who works on jeeps. That's what concerns me for the safety of other customers.

 

Don't forget about your coil spring retainers. I had a rear spring pop out of the bucket while rock crawling last year. Turned out my retainer had backed off of the bolt. After a few years of driving and wheeling, it finally gave up the ghost and stripped the bolt from the plate. I'm glad though...I had been searching for that rattle forever! They're easy to install, best with it lifted off the ground though.

 

I'm going to confront the shop tomorrow on the missing parts.

In the meantime, I've been trying to loosen the bolts on the track bars and control arms so I can torque them to spec (remember I said the mechanic told me he over-torqued them so they wouldn't have to be checked on). I can't loosen them. Tried every method I know and every method the internet has to offer. Next step is to buy an impact wrench (which I've been wanting to do anyway).

I do have a mechanic I use to work on semi's for the company I work for, so he's another option. If he can repair/rebuild semi's he should have the means to loosen some jeep bolts for me.

 

WD-40 and breaker bar for track bar and control arm bolts. Maybe let the bolts soak in WD-40 for about 30 min. then use a breaker bar... i would think that would work. Yeah man, just have them fix all of their fuk ups. Then find a better mechanic, you can usually talk to several people in your jeep club that they have experience with. Sorry to hear this happened, nothing worse than having shitty work done on your jeep.

 

It's post like these, which makes me happy about my decisions of doing installs myself. I'm by no means a mechanic and personally, I don't like working on vehicles. I'm kind of claustrophobic, and I start feeling uneasy in some of the tight confined spaces when working under my Jeep and I also hate that it seems to take me 10 times longer to do something than a mechanic. Whatever, I do on my Jeep there's ALWAYS that one bolt that is just hard to reach and it takes me forever to get it off/on. However, I do it for the learning experience of getting to know my Jeep, and knowing I'll take the extra time to do things right and while I'm doing an install, I'll clean up and repaint the parts I now have access to when things are apart.

In regards to loosening control arm bolts. Depending on the impact wrench you get, I don't find they're the best option of getting overly tight bots off. Rusted bolts yes, they work pretty well but since it was just installed, that's not the problem you're trying to solve. A good long breaker bar works better and if it's still hard with the breaker bar, head over to home depot/Lowes and pick up some 1 5/8" or 1 3/8" diameter (large enough to slip over the breaker bar) chain link fence pole to use as a pipe. You put 2',3',or 4' of pipe over a breaker bar, you create enough leverage that will make those overly tightened bolts come off like a hot knife through butter. Something is going to give with that much leverage and it won't be your back.


This past Saturday, I drained the trans fluid and changed the trans filter. It took me 6 hours, to finish what would likely take a mechanic an hour at most. Those damn 3 bolts on the trans cover, located directly behind an exhaust pipe were pretty frustrating to deal with. However, I also repainted the trans skid plate and trans cover while I had those things off. Something a mechanic would never do. I also had my claustrophobia kicked into overdrive doing this work. Jacked up the rear axle with jack stands under the rear axle, I'm face to face with the trans cover plate taking off the bolts, making me feel very uncomfortable. I roll onto my side, forgetting I've got my key fob in my pants pocket, and must have hit the panic button on the ground. Holy sh*t!!! Horn is blaring unexpectedly out of nowhere and I jumped so fast out from under my Jeep and felt like my heart was about to explode out of my chest. All in a good days work as a DIYer.

 

I think that's the worst part of this. I'm an avid DIY'er. And at this point in time there's nothing the internet can't answer for you if you don't know how to do it. This time, though, I thought it would be fun to let someone else work with it. Well...I'll be doing my jeep work from now on. Like you, I don't like certain positions under the vehicle.

As for you recommendations about the diy breaker bar, I made a swing set/monkey bar thing for my daughter a few years ago. For the monkey bars I used steel pipe and cut pieces to 30" long. She now has one less monkey bar. I now have a new breaker bar. Still couldn't get the frame side track bar, though.

While sitting here typing, I just thought of something else concerning the "I over-torque everything" comment the mechanic made...my Spidertrax wheel spacers I had them install when they put on the larger tires on my stock Rubicon wheels.

 

So, today I took off work and replaced the rear track bar. After the Teraflex coil lift the rear axle was biased .5" towards the driver side. The shop had torqued everything so much that I couldn't budge the bolts. Was the perfect excuse to buy an impact wrench and all the impact sockets I may ever need. Took the bolts right off. The new bar was a booger bear to get into the axle side relocation bracket but I talked it into going. Timed the frame side part perfectly with my neighbor coming home so he could push on the jeep and line the holes up. Axle is now practically perfectly centered.

I've learned so much lately about the underside of the jeep. Problems force you to solve them. Hard not to feel a sense of pride. Even for the simple stuff.