Custom Trailing Arm Failure

I hope you had them put summer air in your tires. You know it's time.
Maybe thats the problem WTF.
Get a clue before someone gets hurt! No really!

 

With all my being I hope it works out for you and that he makes it right.
But surly you realize you're giving a multiple time crook another chance to screw you again and possibly worse the next go around. That seems more probable than having your car roll out of there in tip-top condition.

Again I wish you the best outcome on what ever you choose to do.

 

I think you really don't have but two options, as your attorney said. Either let him try and make it right, or start from scratch and have it all done and pay again for dis***embly and new installation.
If I was in the same situation I'd have chosen to let him make it right also. I hope it all works out and you have the nice Buick you hoped you had.

 

Based on your initial description, you already gave him a 2nd chance and he used your ****in driveshaft tunnel as a suspension component! He bent you over the counter on the carbs for ****'s sake. "Ok, maybe this time..." maybe this time you end up a highway casualty statistic. It's time it gets broke off in his ***. JMO.

 

let's say you were driving and all of that **** work let go. and just for the sake of conversation somebody was killed. would you still be a fan of second chances? I really don't think you would. he took the risk of killing you and yours and or another family. and your taking it back.****ing crazy..

 

Since you have decided to bring your car back to him, by all means go in there with a CORRECT DESIGN and SPECIFICATION and a NON-AMBIGUOUS WRITTEN STATEMENT OF THE WORK TO BE DONE, (NEW) PARTS TO BE USED, and TECHNIQUES.

Don't leave it up to chance. You will not get a third try.

 

Take a certified mechanic and/or an engineer with you to inspect ANY work that ******* does on that car before you take it home again!
I'm sure your lawyer will tell you that's within your rights and it's the very best way to make sure the repairs are done well OR to legally verify that it is not.
(Guess which one I think is more likely?)

 

Even if this were a hole-in-the-wall shop, there is simply no excuse for this.

I own and run a hole-in-the-wall shop, and I would not tolerate something like this. I will bend over backwards, even at my own expense, to make sure that my customers are, first safe (as they want to be), and happy with the work that I have performed for them.

That said, I had to fix work done by larger more well-know shops out here too. Not everyone is qualified to work om suspension, or brakes for that matter, but it does not stop some.

If your experience has taught me one thing, it is that I do not charge enough for my work. I would have done it for less, and done it right the first time, other shops would too, I'm sure.

I hope that this works out alright for you.

 

Option 3 , have it repaired and file suit before he goes bankrupt.
His business insurance should cover his ****ups causing lawsuits.
Owners insurance should cover damage to the car. That's arguably damage rendering it un-drivable. Tough call if they cover it and in turn sue the business to recoup

 

X2, if it already has not been said enough.

Do NOT drive this car. It is NOT safe in its current state.

 

Somebody on here has to live close to this guy. Somebody needs to go with him when he goes to pick it up and check it for him to make sure he doesn't leave in a deathtap again. It would be healthy for the shop to see someone who knows something check their work also. And be sure and go by every day and get lots and lots of photos, especially ones with whichever mechanic is doing the work. Also take somebody that knows this stuff with you as many times as possible.

 

Wow I think this may be the shop where that '34 sedan the guy in DC had came from....

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=507249

I hope it gets fixed correctly!

good luck

 

In my opinion the problem with letting the shop 'make it right' is that the problem wasn't just the quality of the basic fabrication, it was the design and layout of the whole thing from the beginning, and any shop owner who'd leave something like that to an underling (much less let the customer ever see a job of that scale without checking it out first) isn't someone who knows how to make it right in the first place.

Just my $0.02.

If you're going to trust them to go ahead (the mind boggles...) then get a complete do***ented contract for the work to be done, including drawings, dimensions, products to be used, etc. Do not trust them to wing it. Then figure on spending six-plus hours a week in there making sure they're working to that plan. There are a very few artists who can pull something off without at least a reasonable plan for what they're doing, but most of us (and certainly these guys) don't fall into that category.

 

I understand the strategy of giving him an opportunity to make it right so you look good in the eyes of the court but if you go this way you need to have an specified and agreed outcome BEFORE he starts work. You need to know what you are going to get and hold him to it. Pay another reputable mechanic or ch***is builder to represent you during your inspections of the work.
Pete

 

since this is still here i reread from the begining, and seems like the owner 'spat' designed and put the trailing arms on. And drove it around, and rearend was banging, and moving around. correct me if I,m wrong. He even admitted that he 'might have designed it 'wrong' What the shop did was put that plate thing in there. actually what I see is that the 'trailing arm mounts' on the rear axle is what broke. Yea the shop shouldv stopped everything there --- but???

 

wow thats to bad hope ya get it all worked out..id be smacking someone around

 

Jesus! If I EVER let something that looked like that out of MY shop, I'd hope that the owner would sue me for everything!

We don't do alot of suspension fab..more musclecar repair and resto, but that's freaking RIDICULOUS!!!!

When my techs screw up a part or install the wrong part, I expect them to cover it....you find out REAL quick who the techs who take pride in their work are, who are thorough, and who are the ones to send out the door.....

If we screw up, we make it right...thats the bottom line..but I have NEVER seen such an abomination as that!!

 

Agreed . Many more questions than answers here !

 

To put all the concerns to rest- I was honest in my first post. I designed the rear setup and we had a rear steer issue. I ***umed I was WAY outta my league and decided to take it to Mardinly Enterprises. I told him " Here's what I did - showed him the clamps, pics of the progress, drawings, posts from teambuick, etc. Said I had no business under there and he ***ured me that everything would be taken care of. Patted me on the back "nice try, we'll take it from here." They KEPT my design. They did not put that plate on right away. The car finally went out of the shop door and not even home yet there was SERIOUS banging before mile 3. I went under the car with my Dad and we saw that the trailing arms had been indian burned. Twisted beyond all recognition. Welcome back rear steer. It re-entered the shop at that point.

4 days later it came out with the trailing arms boxed and grade 8 bolts everywhere.

Rear steer back within a week- taken back in with complaints of hard shifting and rear steer.

THIS was when the plate was welded on. Upon further investigation this week- ITs not just a plate- it's a "bump stop" if you will. a very, very ineffective bump stop. The shock mounts are in the wrong place in my opinion as well.

I have a call into Precision Ch***is in Limerick and will keep you all in the loop. Just didn't want anyone to think I was trying to blame my poor "backyard butcher" job on a professional. Thanks again for all your input. Enjoy the rapture.

 

If you don't know enough to NOT let someone do that ****, you'll most likely learn the very hard and expensive way.

 

Good judjment, comes from experiance, and alot of that comes from bad judjment

 

Why post that?

 

Seems a little abusive, doesn't it?

 

it wasn't cool.

 

Most shops, especially the large ones, might be good at replacing parts but few people are qualified or capable of designing and installing suspensions. Most shops capable of doing it are small because it is hard to find help and one guy can't properly oversee a lot of people.

I know some people who can design suspensions as far as where to connect to get the geometry correct but have no clue as to the link strength that will be needed and can't stick two pieces of metal together.

I know expert welders who can stick anything together but can't figure out how to properly brace or truss a project. The ones who like straight line welds but don't realize that they create stress points.

There are television shows about engineering disasters and we've all seen bad designs that failed. Trying to design your own suspension is risky. Copying a tried and true design is wise, but you have to use all of it.

 

Is this the place that did that job?

http://www.mardinly.com/autoandtruckrepair.html

The add says they are a certified state inspection facility. WTF

 

Yes.

 

This whole thing is wierd,and we only have one side of the story.

 

I wonder if they are the same guys that set up Obama's ride.

http://blog.chron.com/newswatch/2011/05/video-watch-obama’s-car-get-stuck-at-us-emb***y-in-ireland/

 

Remember this easy rule looks like **** works like **** !!!