Problems with lift kit (ORD) install...

[Giant Rock]

I recently had my local shop install a 4 inch suspension lift kit from Off Road Designs on my 1990 4x4 Suburban. Got all the bells whistles like extended shock mounts and shackles etc. Spent the extra money to have a top of the line kit, was stoked. Since then I've driven about ~400 miles. Last weekend I noticed something odd sticking out underneath the front of the truck...it was the left shock arm that broke. Like WTF? My buddy who really knows his stuff took one look at this and said "they forgot to put in the shock mount sleeves"...turns out he was right. God dang it. He's convinced this is what caused the shock to break. The shop that did the install on the other hand isn't so sure...I showed them pics but haven't taken the Burban back into them yet as I've been waiting on the replacement shock (I really hope the shop reimburses me) to arrive. And since we know one bolt was left out, we have to assume all of them have been...the last pic in the row is the right side front shock mounting point and you can see the bushing is mangled because there is likely no metal sleeve in there. What do you guys think? How big a F-up is this and how pissed would you be? Then I started looking around and found more problems which ill post as the next reply here.

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[Giant Rock]

These are the sleeves i'm talking about, I even have a video I took of all the parts I had that went to the shop and they are there!

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[Giant Rock]

Moving towards the back we noticed that the rear right shock was mounted directory through a hole in the frame (the left side has a mounting point on top of the frame) and the hole had gotten massively worn out causing the metal of the frame to cut through about 90% of the mounting bolt?! WTF and what is the best way to fix this?

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[Giant Rock]

Lastly, we noticed the entire right side Sway Bar Disconnect mechanism had just fallen off...I called ORD and they said they never heard of that happening...cost me $60 for them to send a new one. WTF?!

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[Dutch Rutter]

@Giant Rock they also didn't shave your U bolts down.... looks like the sway bar bracket didn't get tightened at all, nor did it get its keeper pin and worked its way loose. Or it was never installed.

The sleeves for sure need to be in those bushing on the bottom shock mounts. And I'd say it could have added to the shocks snapping like that. I've never seen that happen with just normal driving.

As for those rear upper mounts (that's what'd really have me pissed off) that will need welding to make correct. We're those upper studs tight or were they loose which allowed them to wallow out the frame?

I probably wouldn't let that shop work on my truck again. But I'd definitely let them pay a different shop to correct their mess.

Just my thoughts though..

Edit: How are the top mounts of your front shocks? My 83 has a longer bushing up there to clear the frame and have everything in line for the bottom mount. If that was put in backwards or not correctly at all that could screw some sh!t up.

 

[Grit dog]

Not much time to reply now and lots of questions/suggestions, but if you're intent on making this shop eat the cost of their (obvious) errors, DO NOT fix anything or modify it until you get it resolved.
It's too easy to muddy the waters if you say "well I added the ___ or tightened ____."

Did they do anything right? Maybe got the spring bolts in right at least? I'd check torque on all the important stuff too. If they did that chitty of work, I'd doubt they torqued properly.

What you posted is literally unbelievable if you hadn't posted pictures with it.

 

[bucket]

The rear shock mount needs repaired by welding in large, thick washers on each side of the frame and then bolting the shock in. They had to have known that hole was wallered out when they bolted up the shock.

The sway bar bolt was probably left loose and it worked itself right out.

The broken front shock is likely from the sleeve not being installed. Without it, the shock tabs squeeze right up to the shock and it will bind with suspension travel.

 

[Bextreme04]

Are the bilstein shocks different than every other shock I've ever seen for these trucks??? They all appear to be upside down?!?! They should have an arrow on them that says up. If the front is indeed upside down as it appears to be, that would be why it broke off. It looks like they didn't put the sleeves in any of the shock bushings and also it would appear that they didn't tighten a single bolt.

 

[Bextreme04]

Also, I just realized they put the split washers on the wrong side of the shock bolts.... whichever shop this is, they need to buy you new parts and you need to take it elsewhere. This is 10000000% piss poor mechanic work with no quality control. This level of incompetency is dangerous as hell.

 

[bucket]

Are the bilstein shocks different than every other shock I've ever seen for these trucks??? They all appear to be upside down?!?! They should have an arrow on them that says up. If the front is indeed upside down as it appears to be, that would be why it broke off. It looks like they didn't put the sleeves in any of the shock bushings and also it would appear that they didn't tighten a single bolt.

I believe they are supposed to mount with the rod on the bottom? The old Edelbrock shocks were like that too.

 

[Dutch Rutter]

Upon another look at these pictures..

That passenger side sway bar bushing was not replaced... to me that screams they never bolted on the new bracket.

I'm also going to side with bucket about that rear upper shock mount being a pre existing problem. That should have been seen.

As for the bilsteins, they are mounted correct. I just put a set on my truck and they specifically say that they can go either way but to be safe always put the logo upright. (Probably more for branding then anything)

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[dvdswan]

If it was an offroad shop that installed the kit I would be contacting them or the corporate office. As @Bextreme04 said. Piss poor work and definitely a safety issue. THEY NEED TO CORRECT YOUR ISSUES TO YOUR SATISFACTION! Think about it, what if your family was in the truck and it caused an accident. Thankfully it didn't.

 

[Frankenchevy]

Are the bilstein shocks different than every other shock I've ever seen for these trucks??? They all appear to be upside down?!?! They should have an arrow on them that says up. If the front is indeed upside down as it appears to be, that would be why it broke off. It looks like they didn't put the sleeves in any of the shock bushings and also it would appear that they didn't tighten a single bolt.

I actually contacted bilstein over this and they said up/down doesn’t make a difference. I put the stanchion side down, because I figured it’d keep the seals happier.

@Giant Rock , I found it annoying that ORD sells these shocks as “custom valved” and ask you very specific questions about your truck, but the bushing sleeves they come with don’t fit the shock bolts. The correct sleeves won’t even fit in the bushings supplied with the shocks.

Overall, my experience with ORD was terrible. One of four of my springs was lost by UPS(not ORDs fault), but the replacement was a full inch longer eye to eye. This is unacceptable for a set of $2000+ leaf springs. Then they attempted to blame the truck. Ridiculous.

I ended up ordering a set of custom Deavers.

 

[bucket]

I actually contacted bilstein over this and they said up/down doesn’t make a difference. I put the stanchion side down, because I figured it’d keep the seals happier.

@Giant Rock , I found it annoying that ORD sells these shocks as “custom valved” and ask you very specific questions about your truck, but the bushing sleeves they come with don’t fit the shock bolts. The correct sleeves won’t even fit in the bushings supplied with the shocks.

Overall, my experience with ORD was terrible. One of four of my springs was lost by UPS(not ORDs fault), but the replacement was a full inch longer eye to eye. This is unacceptable for a set of $2000+ leaf springs. Then they attempted to blame the truck. Ridiculous.

I ended up ordering a set of custom Deavers.

You are probably the only person I've read about that didn't have a good experience with ORD. Did you give those nice fellas a bad attitude? Lol, I'm just kidding of course.

 

[Frankenchevy]

You are probably the only person I've read about that didn't have a good experience with ORD. Did you give those nice fellas a bad attitude? Lol, I'm just kidding of course.

No, I’m not really a spiteful person. I make mistakes, we all do. I admit as soon as I know I’m wrong—sometimes even before I’m certain. But as soon as someone starts deflecting blame, I shut down. I’m the same way with subs. They just won’t ever get my business again and everyone who asks will get my honest opinion.

I don’t do “close enough” with certain things, but I’m trying to learn to.

Maybe their typical customer isn’t measuring the springs eye to eye, or upset that their “custom valved shocks” can’t be installed without ordering extra parts that required a bunch of homework to find. They told me to install the shocks without bushing sleeves, “they’d be fine”…