[az_jerry]

Just wanted to provide an update on my Rancho shocks issue, if anyone is interested.

I ordered Bilstein HD from Shock warehouse and had them installed at the local Nissan dealer. (it is over 100 degrees in my own garage this time of year, so most diy is not going to happen.) The mech said that when he removed the lower bolt, the front shocks just fell to the floor in pieces. They were completely broken. The rears were fine.

I took them back to O'Reilly's auto where I bought them and asked about the 90 day return for any reason. I wanted to return all four. I was one day over. The manager said they don't deal at all with the 90 day issue, I have to go directly to Rancho. So I asked about the warranty on the broken front ones. He said they have a lifetime replacement guarantee. I said I would rather have a refund if possible but would take the replacements. He looked at the shocks and asked if I crashed my vehicle? I said no, I went down a dirt road with some washboard. Me and the wife, two senior citizens out for a country drive.

He started to give me a hard time because I had a copy of my receipt, not original. I scan everything into my computer and printed out an exact full color replica of the receipt. I told him I wasn't going to listen to that nonsense. It was a credit card purchase, they had the record of it in their system, etc. He asked me what shocks I put on to replace these, I told him Bilstein. He said he never heard of them. I said they are pretty well known in the off road community. He said he has two off road vehicles and never heard of Bilstein. So he went ahead and gave me a full refund, not replacement, for the broken shocks.

So. O'Reilly's did OK by me, more than they had to do I guess. Had to put up with a smarmy manager but that is pretty much expected for most returns or warranty claims. (I wish COSTCO would sell shocks, you can return anything there.)

I am still out the install costs so I went to Rancho website to see what they might offer. They do not have an email address for warranty issues, just tech issues. Their phone number is a run around, no option even close to what I needed. So I just wrote them snail mail and included copies of receipts, told them what happened, and asked if I could return the remaining good shocks for a refund, OR get some reimbursement for the install. Can't hurt to ask, though I doubt I will ever hear back. I will probably end up putting the rear shocks on Craigslist.

The Bilstein HD shocks are great. A much better ride. I never did like the ride of the Ranchos from the day I had them installed. I played around with the adjustments and never got what I thought was a good feel out of them. I don't know if they were defective right from the start or what. I tripled checked the part numbers and I know I got the right ones, but never cared for them.

 

[AusteX]

He asked me what shocks I put on to replace these, I told him Bilstein. He said he never heard of them. I said they are pretty well known in the off road community. He said he has two off road vehicles and never heard of Bilstein.

That guy is a complete numbnuts. Dude manages an auto parts store and "claims" to have owned to "off road vehicles" and he's never heard of Bilstein? Has he ever read a car magazine? Does he live on planet Earth? I recognize that Bilstein's aren't huge in the off-road world, but COME ON. What a dip****.

Or he's just a liar.

 

[dirtyjerseyjohnny]

Or you were pronouncing bilstein very wrong

 

[az_jerry]

bill-steen? that's how I said it. Is that correct?

 

[tighthams]

bill-steen? that's how I said it. Is that correct?

bill-stine. Like beer stein. Except that bier stein is pronounced beer shtine. Like Frankenshtine. Some Germans might say bilshtine. In German, ei is always long i. Regardless, he must be the only parts guy on the planet that hasn't heard of Bilsteins. They invented gas presure shock absorbers.