'90 W250--'89/91/92 Ramcharger

[Tacoclaw]

Heh, there's a pretty cool story to this and I learned a few things today. The first thing I learned, is that spring shops are a lot like injection pump shops. No matter how much you explain what you want to them the only thing they hear is "I want to put stock stuff back on it." The second thing I learned is that spring shops are a lot like injection pump shops. Once they finally figure out you're not actually wanting stock items put back then they're really not interested in you anymore.

I went to a semi-local spring shop here called S&S Spring. The woman behind the counter was super cool and we had already started checking around for my springs the last time I was in there. She had saved all the info we found and broke it back out this morning and brought the head mechanic over to help out. We looked through the *cough* stock application *cough* book for a bit before I finally got through to them that I was looking for a Parabolic spring that matched my dimensions but gave me 2" of lift. They couldn't find such a thing in the *cough* stock application* book so they started trying to talk me into a 3-leaf pack of normal springs made of a little heavier steel. They were super-cool the whole time, they just didn't have access to these springs and were trying to get me settled with what they had access to.

I told them I'd go weight my Dodge's front end(3500 FWIW Subtract ~500 for the axle and ~250 for the tires and it's right around 27-2800) and see just how light of a capacity we could get away with. On the way back to the scales I called the other big, non-local spring store to see if they handled Parabolic springs. Before I even told him what I was wanting he hit the damn stock application book and said he could get them. Once I got a word in and started explaining what I wanted I could just feel his brain overheating over the phone. He finally just gave me a couple numbers to some off-road shops and said good luck.

I couldn't find the first one, so I called the second one, Mountaineer 4x4. I told him what I was looking for and what my truck was and he said he'd call me back in a bit with what he found. I get back to work at that point and weigh my frontend, and decide that some Waffle House would really hit the spot. Who woulda thunk it'd be so close to that offroad shop. I go cruising in the door about 15 minutes after he said he'd call back and dude hadn't even tried to look. He takes me to the front desk, pulls out 2 books, each about as thick as a book of matches, flips through them, and tells me he can't get anything like them.

At that point I hit up Waffle House and spend my dinner going through every thread about these springs. I finally catch an address to their site and there they are. I almost just hit the add to cart/buy button, but just couldn't do it.

Those cats at S&S were so good to me I went back there and ordered it through them. I don't care what they tack on as extra, after getting completely shunned by every other shop around, it's money well earned in my eyes.

[Mark Nixon]

...Those cats at S&S were so good to me I went back there and ordered it through them. I don't care what they tack on as extra, after getting completely shunned by every other shop around, it's money well earned in my eyes.

They'd deserve the "extra" that they tack on, since they obviously tried to help you. It sounds like she was on the ball and very much interested in CUSTOMER SERVICE.
In truth, S&S as a whole will probably be better off for having worked with you, because they both got business from you and learned something new from doing business with you.

If the parts are what you wanted, make a point of recommending your friends to these folks, as it might make the difference between them being in business in the near future.

Mark.

[Tacoclaw]

Yup, they were very interested in the fact that they've only got the springs listed as in stock for one more year. They said anything that someone else doesn't have in stock is good for them.

Also while I was in there some semi pulled in for an alignment. He said his truck was tracking funny and stuff going down the road. They pulled him on the machine and found his alignment to be fine. Dude started looking around and noticed all his steering joints were dry, so he greased his steering stuff and sent him on his way, no charge. After dealing with them all morning it wasn't that big of a surprise to me, but that truck driver's head almost exploded. If his accent hadn't been so crazy I'm pretty sure I would have heard "thank you" about 1500 times.

You really don't see stuff like that anymore.

[dazedandconfused]

Yeah your springs have seen better days it appears.

[Tacoclaw]

They're really starting to saw through each other too. I woulda got a pic I it but I left my camera a the house and had to take those with the phone.

[Tacoclaw]

Local place must stil have not understood what I was saying because they told me to go ahead and order through the other cats. Oh well, I'm still going to use them whenever I can and recommend the sthi out of them.

New parabolic springs and hardware ordered. Should ship out Monday, $660 shipped from Mooseland.

[Tacoclaw]

Another Saturday down. Once again, my welder didn't show up, so the ultra-bell remains unfinished.

Got a call to come pull someone out last night. I used to pull people out all the time when I had my Tacoma, then I started with the 2wd Rangers and the 1wd Dodge and just stopped trying. My cousin called me last night and I couldn't say no.
She did good, pulled out everyone there, but I stayed for the beer and now my interior looks like someone set off a red clay bomb in it.


Then I took it to work and did some piddling with it. Rechecked the stud torque and ran the valves, found out that my damn manifold gaskets are leaking again, then got bored and did this.





I do believe the ultra-bell will turn out DD Green after all.

[PToombs]

Yayyyyyyyyyy!

[ellis93]

<look its the same color

[oldestof11]

Looking better and better.

[PToombs]

C'mon Ellis, tell us what you really said!

[ellis93]

C'mon Ellis, tell us what you really said!

No first it was just the puker,then the rest.
It doesn't really look bad,definitely looks better than bla black or baby chit tan

[Tacoclaw]

The only response I read was Jon's, so I'll assume the rest was just as positive.

Thanks, guys!!!

[cmann250]

He's got a theme going on and the theme isn't chaos. Nice job of staying comitted to a color Taco.

My theme:



It offends the eyes

[AHineman]

definitely looks better than bla black or baby chit tan

I'm a fan of that color combo myself.