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Comments
I thought I'd actually get to order this one exactly the way I wanted it, but fate would not hear of it. The wife and I really couldn't wait any longer and it all worked out well anyway.
Enjoy!
P.S.: Boo, keep your eyes peeled for another Amber QC trucking through Langhorne!
Anyway...Thanks
Wetwillie----> What aftermarket brand did you end up purchasing and what was the price point on it...Did you try any web retailers or consider more than one brand...This will be my next project...
mouldd---> If you like the Factory look with an aftermarket head unit, Take a look at ALPINE's CDA-D852($350 US) or the CDA-D855($450US)...I installed the 855 in mine, Its a DIN & 1/2 which is the same size as the MOPAR unit so it fits in the factory hole and uses the factory mounting holes withot the need for any trim kits...Has Buil-In CD player, Cool Dancing Lights Display and wireless remote...Also for you guys that have the Steeringwheel Controls, ALPINE sells a kit to allow them to work the ALPIN unit......Check them out at :
CDA-D855--->
http://www.alpine1.com/html/De_n_149_n_n.html
CCA-D852--->
http://www.alpine1.com/html/De_n_150_n_n.html
Enjoy
CHAD
Anyway...Thanks
Wetwillie----> What aftermarket brand did you end up purchasing and what was the price point on it...Did you try any web retailers or consider more than one brand...This will be my next project...
mouldd---> If you like the Factory look with an aftermarket head unit, Take a look at ALPINE's CDA-D852($350 US) or the CDA-D855($450US)...I installed the 855 in mine, Its a DIN & 1/2 which is the same size as the MOPAR unit so it fits in the factory hole and uses the factory mounting holes withot the need for any trim kits...Has Buil-In CD player, Cool Dancing Lights Display and wireless remote...Also for you guys that have the Steeringwheel Controls, ALPINE sells a kit to allow them to work the ALPIN unit......Check them out at :
CDA-D855--->
http://www.alpine1.com/html/De_n_149_n_n.html
CCA-D852--->
http://www.alpine1.com/html/De_n_150_n_n.html
Enjoy
CHAD
http://www.alpine1.com/html/De_n_149_n_n.html
Dont know what happened
CHAD
are not too many of us around. Enjoy!
Bookitty
I live just 55 miles north of Detroit, where we generally get just one or two severe snowstorms in a winter... So, I should be able to handle it with 2WD, right? NOT!
The caveat is that we live down 3 miles of hilly gravel roads... And when the snows do hit, we're the LAST to be plowed out by county trucks. Three days of isolation is no fun!
Anyway... The Westin step bars arrived today... Look pretty sturdy! I'll be starting the install tomorrow. If anyone's interested in progress/cautions, I'll be happy to update.
Enjoy the Quads!!!
Bookitty
2wd/4wd: Yeah, I always used to think 4wd wasn't worth it, and for some it may not be, but I recall some of the reasons why I traded the '95 in. My cousin has some land way up in the hills of central PA. Every time I went there, I'd think, "man, I wish I had 4wd!" It's one of those things that you don't want to do without when you do need it.
footed way of getting around in uncertain terrain and weather. Besides, this area is comprised of hills and we have to use Brownsville road on a daily basis. People love to stop in the snow in the middle of a hill. That way they can get stuck with a dumb look on their face.
Bookitty
If I was still living in CT then I might have bought the 4wd since they took 2-3 days for the plows to reach us in the worst storms. Its all a matter of what you are doing with your car-truck and where you hang your hat.
I recall one of your ancient posts in which you mentioned a "right" and left" on the Westin step bars, and carried a mental notation as I broke the box open and dug into the instructions.
Your dealer was RIGHT in saying that the bars are not marked "left" and "right." What he DIDN'T tell you, however, that Westin very CLEARLY expresses where each bar should be installed in both words and pictures.
To wit:
For those technicians who cannot read, there's a large, pretty color picture on the face of the box showing the "Westin" logo on the step pad facing "out." ... "That's it, Joey... Put away your crayons, get your wrench, and just do like the picture says!!!"
For those who CAN read, the instructions note TWICE that the front leg of each bar (where it's fastened to the mounts) is slightly longer than the rear leg. HOWEVER, I DID note that these instructions were not expressed in braille.
Fact is, Boo, the right/left thing is a no-brainer. Of course, we know that these are highly skilled service techs for whom illustrations and instructions are unnecessary, superfluous steps! Which is also why dealership service manpower productivity/efficiency ratios are so wretched!
IMPY:
Haven't seen the Mopar mud flaps with a "red" ram logo, but I purchased the same units with a "chrome" ram from the dealership for $21/pair. They're interchangeable from front to rear. They fit both flared and non-flared Dakotas. They utilize existing holes, but some new holes must also be drilled (through the fender liner only. Hope that helps.
ROUNDROCK:
On the door paint problem... Just a suggestion.
When my '95 Ram came off the piggyback, the roof was scraped and creased. The sales manager said they would fix it prior to delivery. They did, and it still looks like new after 5-1/2 years.
Before I took delivery, I drew up a letter of agreement stipulating that if the roof repair ever needed additional work while I owned the vehicle, the dealership would perform the repairs at no charge. It was signed by the General Manager and filed with my other papers on the truck.
Personal opinion: Skip the door replacement, Have the paint repaired, but cover your butt in writing.
That's all folks! Enjoy the Quads!
This is one of the rare occasions where I might actually support going with Mopar as I don't know of any other flaps that don't require some additional drilling.
Paint problem, I'd definitely get them to fix it - replacing the door could cause all kinds of problems down the road.
mounting brackets are different, then perhaps I did not express myself clearly. If not then unhappily, your nightmare has come true once more.
Bookitty
It is not my intention to discourage anyone about this truck but feel it is my obligation to share with all the members my disturbing tale so you can all be aware of this potential problem.
I may be wrong, but based on instructions and illustrations with the step bar kit, I'm still baffled that they can be installed incorrectly without disregarding the instructions.
As soon as the windshield guy finishes with the QC (caught a stone at 900 miles), I'll get out underneath the truck for some test fits... Hope I'm not in for any surprises, but won't rule that out!
Regardless of what sort of engine damage occurred, your dealership should ALREADY have a fresh engine ordered. If not, I would definitely call DC, get the name of the DC area or district service manager, and make some noise.
Please keep us posted on progress... This forum isn't "pollyanna"... It's about both the good and the bad.
Good luck.
ferous
Replaced the tires on my Ram about 10K miles ago... Immediately hit the road for a month in the Keys... Tried to wash the blue off a few times with no luck... Now it's back in the drive for sale, the blue stuff still intact... Tried brushing it with various cleaners... No luck.
Any advice???
In temporary suspension on the step bar install... But spent enough time under the truck to see that the intructions are clear and the installatioin relatively simple.
My guess is that your installer attached the mounts to the body/frame correctly, but then installed the bars on the wrong sides (long leg to the rear)... In that case, the Westin logos would still have read "out," but the rear of the bar would have protruded out about an inch further than the front.
Wish it would stop raining!!!
A TRICK THAT SEEMS TO WORK:
Prior to crawling under the truck, I used my super-duper underbody wash machine... An old oscilating lawn sprinkler... Holes drilled a bit larger... Stick it under the truck for 10 minutes and let it do its thing.
towcrazy, if you do not wish to scrub like a madman, use a product called whestleys bleach white. just spray on, lightly brush and the blue stuff will come off and leave very white lettes behind. Althouth the longer the blue stuff stays on the tires, the harder it is to get off. good luck
By the way... Thanks for the tip on the Westley's stuff... I'll try it!
But then again, i could be wrong...
CHAD
Allen-
Any suggestions or recommendations?
Bookitty
The door works, the paint doesn't; fix the paint.
I have the same 'problem', although much smaller, (3/8 x 3/8 or so of driftwood on the patriot blue and a streak (1 inch by doow width) of PB on the driftwood on the leading edge of the door.
The dealer needs 3 days to repaint.
I would not have them remove/replace the door, who knows what problems that might lead to, (although in theory there should be none).
My concern is that the new paint job may be a slightly different shade and would stand out so I am trying to decide whether to have it repainted or to live with it
Coincidentally my salesman has retired from the car business and returned to his first trade, welding.
I think I'll look him up...
Odd thing happened today. I approached an intersection (4 way stop - 2 lanes in each direction) and their was a Nissan Frontier Crew Cab coming from my right, a Ford explorer Sportrac next to me and a F-150 Supercrew coming from the left. I had the right of way. Of course, I punched it. I moved away from the intersection so fast I was only able to catch a glimpse of the Nissan driver turning his head to watch me pass by.
2. How do I add rubber side-moldings (are they available anywhere?) to the Quad?
(thanks to all Quadders)
-quark
The only competition would be the SuperCrew, if it had a 5.4l engine, but in any event, the Quad is head and shoulders quicker than the rest...
Was impressed with the non-BS approach the dealership took. Sounded like they really are trying to improve service, which has always been the weak link. Food was excellent, free door prizes, raffle, and lots of good info on how to receive the best treatment from service department. My (5-Star) dealer here in town happens to be one of the dealerships that "problem" vehicles get sent to as a last resort-hence a lot of vehicles sold elsewhere in the state are brought here as a last attempt to please the customer. Lots of beat-up, frustrated customers from out of town end up trying to get their problems remedied before arbitration process starts. Nuff said about that. We got discount coupons, a free appointment for a "detail" of our cars/trucks, and a lifetime discount on parts. You could sense that it wasn't a slam-dunk to keep the 5-star rating. I got the sense it was easy to get the rating, but damn hard to maintain it. DC slams the dealerships if they don't receive replacement parts (under warranty) in a certain time-period, and this was the service manager's biggest lament-(he poured out his troubles over tri-tip, salad, etc. as he sat next to me and the wife.) Lots of other "dings" against the rating-too much to post here. They really rely on those survey forms, but the damn thing about them is that most people get 'em and "grade" the product (vehicle, parts, etc.) instead of the service (attitude, courtesy, attentiveness of service staff, etc.) As a result, the survey results sometimes don't accurately reflect the "treatment" you receive.
My gut feeling is that they will/are slowly going to improve, as a lot of other posters here have commented, it's 5-Star sales staff, but service is lacking......
-quark
-quark (yes, I'm done for tonight)
My favorite is when one of them tries to pull up beside me to show off their new Super/trac/crews and they never 'quite' catch up before I just nonchalantly blow them off (handily), slow down and then turn off as they flash by while I look in the direction of the turn. It must really p/o most of em, as I've had a couple turn parallel to me at the next intersection and try to catch up with me! I even had a guy in a chip & 'propane enhanced' SD-250 Crew Cab try to race me the other night. Amazing.
BTW - have any of you (really) watched the faces of people in the competition when they pull up beside you? I just nod and smile (except for the show-offs I mentioned above); the guys (ALWAYS the driver) looks straight ahead and clenches his jaw, but the women just stare at my truck for blocks. Weird. But hey, the only ones who appear happy are the SuperCrew owners, the others look real (and I mean REALLY) unhappy.
I was also surprised to see an allow rim on the spare, and have the same concern! Obviously a spare-lock is in order. I'm also going to remove mine and paint a couple of coats of latex mask on the front and rear of the wheel... The see how it holds up.
SIDE MOLDINGS:
I'm CERTAIN that you can get a much better deal on aftermarket stuff, but in my initial zeal, I went with the flat black factory moldings they fit to the SLT models: PN 5FX95DX9AA (front) and
PN 5FX96DX99AA (rear). They're the same part #, so it's up to the counter guy to specify "front" and "rear" when he orders from the PDC. If you go the factory route, be prepared to part with about $150 for the set.
Haven't installed mine yet... They'll go on after the Westin step bars. However, when I picked up the moldings, I took a bit of extra time to wander out onto the lot... Shot a couple of digital images of the molding treatment on SLTs and took measurements for front/rear and molding-to-style line spacing, etc. On the install, I'll be laying down "guide tapes" in the form of 3-inch "blue" masking tape (wide stuff holds a straight line MUCH better than, say, 1-inch tape)... Then snug the moldings up against the guide tape for a good, straight line before fully removing the adhesive backing.
SERVICE FIVE-STAR:
Your dealer is obviously quite concerned about developing a good rapport and service relationship with its customers... Owner clinics are a good way of not only maintaining the Five Star rating and getting good survey results, but ALSO a good way to increase repeat business on the front(sales) end of the operation.
I've designed owner clinics in the past as a part of developing dealership service training programs. A modest clinic will typically set the dealer back about $3K - $3.5K The statistics will bear out, however, that resulting service porfits will more than offset the cost of the clinics.
More importantly, owners who attend the clinics are far more likely to purchase their next vehicle from that dealership than those who do not... It's that repetitive sales/service cycle that really makes a strong and profitable dealership operation these days.
Looks like the rain has stopped... Time to get out and wrestle those step bars onto the Quad!
Good day to all!
Truck Bed - I'm sorry to hear your wife2B prefers the bed of the truck while you are driving the truck. I wouldn't even think of my wife riding in the back. Even Sir. Andy's dog gets to ride in the cab. I hate to say it boo, but my money is on the 42 minutes.
As far as liners go, well spray in will offer less slip.