[rojodiablo]

Evil Paul just broke his Downey coilover last weekend. Before I bitch about Downey specifically, I wanna cry that my 7100 Bils also had a meltdown on my chevy 2 weeks ago. So maybe I am trying their patience a bit. The 7100 are the stiffer valved, 12" travel on a chevy 1500, modded. The Downey coilover had 2-1/2 " of lift on them. They rode well, but I blew the right while out hunting. Not driving hard, by most folks standards. Took them all to bilstien, in Poway. The 7100 just... blew. $80 later, good to go. The coilover is DEAD. Here is what Frenz?? said to me. THE COILOVER HAS SET SCREWS IN THE THREADED COLLAR AT THE TOP OF THE COLLAR. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.THE SET SCREWS WILL DEFORM THE SHOCK BODY, AND THE SHOCK WILL FAIL. And, it did. It is toast. Wed, I'll take it to Downey, and we'll see what Jim wants to do about it. I am guessing he will throw a speil, and cry how people can break all kinds of stuff, bla bla bla. So, we will see. I have a friend who is a machinist, and he is cutting a recess to the "top of the collar" so we can make it the BOTTOM of the collar. We will move the set screws up about 1/8 inch, to clear the snap ring. I have some stuff to deal with that costs more than I hoped for, so I'll be keeping the Downeys for another month. To note. They ride better than stock, PERIOD. If you have them,I highly suggest you flip the threaded collar for safety's sake. the shock stem broke at the machined end which accepts the valving stack. GOTTA LOVE 70's tech on a 2001 truck!!!! :xdevil:

 

[Donahoe]

Hey be nice to Jim.... He Started the Toyota off-road thing....SUre he is living in the 70's but ya gotta repect the founder of all this stuff... He was the first.

Tell him Kreg Donahoe said hi...That will motivate him to help you..LOL

 

[rojodiablo]

Being mean on a thread board is much more productive than being mean to a dealer or builder's face. I think about it every time I have to face a dealer, and bite my lip if I think I am taking it in the shorts. 'Cause sometimes, they will throw you a favor. At least the balljoints and other parts stayed put; this would have been pretty bad had something else let go.

 

[rojodiablo]

All is good... Jim agreed that something went wrong, and since I was as accomodating and polite as I could be, he helped me out with a new shock w/ snapring. I have my sleeves reversed, and I am ready to go. Thanks, Jim!