THE OHIO CHAT ROOM!!!

Ted15 · **Posted:** Wed May 13, 2015 2:44 pm

Here we go again.
My jeep started growling at me a day or two ago, a little over the five hundred mile break in period. They told me I had a noise coming from the center, likely the transmission or transfer case. I took it to a reputable transmission shop who just informed me that I have a broken left front axle and the rear diff is making noise. Tranny is ok. I'm done, now I want my money back from 4WD Hardware. It's been the years since I've been able to wheel and I'm not happy about it. :JEEPIN:

He wasn't even supposed to touch the rear end.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed May 13, 2015 3:09 pm

Ted15 wrote:

Here we go again.
My jeep started growling at me a day or two ago, a little over the five hundred mile break in period. They told me I had a noise coming from the center, likely the transmission or transfer case. I took it to a reputable transmission shop who just informed me that I have a broken left front axle and the rear diff is making noise. Tranny is ok. I'm done, now I want my money back from 4WD Hardware. It's been the years since I've been able to wheel and I'm not happy about it. :JEEPIN:

He wasn't even supposed to touch the rear end.

Man that just plain sucks ..............
Do they have a clue at all ? Wonder how many others have had the same issues ?

Ted15 · **Posted:** Wed May 13, 2015 7:49 pm

After the manager clarifying, it's not a broken axle but a torn seal on a brand new axle that I replaced because they cut the seal on the last one :banghead:

They can buy this one.
The rear, well, there wasn't anything wrong with that one yet he pulled the cover anyway and chalked the ring gear. I have a suspicion that the mechanic "adjusted" the backlash the darn grease monkey. Why can't people leave stuff alone. The mechanic in Parma put the rear together after the guy in Columbiana messed it up, twice.
Sing it far and wide from the highest hill, stay away from the "gear specialists" at 4WD Hardware in Columbiana, Ohio. :furious:

offroadohio · **Posted:** Wed May 13, 2015 9:05 pm

Let's start from the beginning.

Why was it taken into 4wdh originally and what was done to it.

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Ted15 · **Posted:** Wed May 13, 2015 9:26 pm

First trip- Detroit trutracs and 4.10 gears
Second trip- warranty rear trutrac
Third trip- warranty rear ring and pinion
Forth trip- went to the Parma store and they did the warranty repair on the rear, haven't had an issue since with the rear but that quieted it down enough to hear the front.
Took it to the Parma store three times only to be turned away. Wrote a nasty email to the corporate headquarters and got a call the next day from Columbiana for a warranty on the front diff.
Fifth trip- warranty front ring and pinion
Sixth trip- they wanted to return the front diff to stock but agreed to installing an elocker
I was told that there was some gear noise but it sounded like it was the transmission of transfer case and that I should have a shop check it out. I noticed that while it was on the rack, they pulled the cover off the rear diff and thre was chalk on the ring gear.
Today I took it to a transmission shop to look at it because there is a new gear sound and it's very loud. After looking at it, driving it and testing it on the rack the noise is the rear diff. I have a feeling they adjusted the backlash and screwed up the rear. That or maybe the rear trutrac failed.
I'm going to change the oil. They may've put limited slip additive in it or synthetic oil. I was told not to use synthetic oil be an eaton engineer. His saga has been going on for over two years and I'm just tire of it. Not to mention, the last time they did the font they cut the cv boot. I replaced that axle and now I found grease all over the fender well, he cut it again. Is it really that much trouble to remove the clevis? C'mon, it's only one bolt.

That's pretty much what happened, so far. I'm kinda thinking I'm a good candidate for a refund. I'd like someone else to do the work next time.

offroadohio · **Posted:** Wed May 13, 2015 9:52 pm

Hmm. That does sound bad. I can't speak for Columbiana but I have known several of the Parma guys for 10 plus years. I wouldn't expect that from them.

I can't in vision them making adjustments to the rear no matter what it requires atleast driveshaft removal at a minimum. Be tough to "sneak" in there.

Anyone checked the front intermediate shaft? My kj stripped 2 of them inside the dif. It sounded like a wheel bearing almost. But traveled thru the driveline. I replacer tcase once based on a dealership suggestion and it was that shaft.

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Ted15 · **Posted:** Wed May 13, 2015 11:34 pm

Not even remotely possible on the axle shaft. I just turned 600 miles since the locker install.
Parma's great, I with Kevin (?) would've done it. That's who did the rear and got it right. I saw the ring gear, it was burred up real bad.
He's adjusted the rear before, bad idea. Once the wear pattern is set there's no adjusting.
I wish I'd gone somewhere else.
I replaced both unit bearings and axle shafts because they told be that had to be where the noise was coming from, and my intermediate shaft was broken. The dealer refused to acknowledge that it was making noise at 10000 miles. I finally just changed it around 40000.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed May 13, 2015 11:38 pm

Someday hopefully someone will get it right for you, has to be frustrating as all ****

Ted15 · **Posted:** Wed May 13, 2015 11:43 pm

tommudd wrote:

Someday hopefully someone will get it right for you, has to be frustrating as all ****

It is. Hopefully, it's as simple as the wrong oil and hopefully the trutrac isn't messed up because of it. Hopefully he didn't adjust the rear backlash. That's more hope than obama ran on for president last time lol.

offroadohio · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2015 11:09 am

The shaft the runs from dif to right side cv shaft inside the aluminum housing has been replaced?

600 miles on the ring gear has nothing to do with the shaft I'm talking about. I had twisted mine in a stock kj in the snow

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Ted15 · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2015 1:35 pm

My point was that he just had both axles out, he would've noticed if it were broken. I know that noise well, I replaced it awhile ago. The noise is definitely coming from the rear, no question. I could hear it through the wall in the waiting area while they tested it..

offroadohio · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2015 2:04 pm

So a "bad" tech will notice something he isn't looking for? The same guy who supposedly cut your shafts correct?

Very well may be the rear just suggesting a possible cuase to the front end noise issue.

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Ted15 · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2015 4:18 pm

The noise in the front went away with the new locker install. I thought this was over but now I have a new noise in the rear. I'm very frustrated with this whole mess. I hear what you're saying about the front. It's in good shape, I had it out when I replaced the unit bearing and put some grease on the splines. BTW, they old me the noise had to be a bad wheel bearing so I replaced both of them and the other half shaft. I haven't even had it wheeling for over two years because I'm afraid of getting stranded on the trail with a broken axle. Then being told I took it off road and broke it so they wouldn't warranty it. I've missed two ECS because of this so far, not to mention the hundreds of dollars and wasted vacation days, rental cars and shear frustration.
I like the Parms store and tried to have them do the locker on the front but they wouldn't return my calls. I really don't think they wanted to mess with it. The guy at the counter told me he couldn't find the locker replacement in the computer.
I'll still buy stuff from them, their customer service is great but I won't let them touch my vehicle again.

offroadohio · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2015 5:23 pm

I had all of the above issues with a 2" lifted 07 with stock gears and no lockers. So I feel your pain and it's why I parted ways with chrysler. I know this is a jeep forum but it's sad my kia has been more reliable than my kj ever was

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Ted15 · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2015 5:39 pm

I'm changing the rear diff oil now. There were some metal pieces in the oil, like grinding debris. Not a lot but enough to raise an eyebrow setting that the oil was fresh 600 miles ago. Hopefully it's not trashed, the gears look good though.

Ted15 · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2015 1:41 pm

My call to the corporate office landed back in Columbiana. It seems that 4WD Hardware and 4 Wheel Parts aren't completely connected. I was only able to get a very partial refund and as soon as another shop touches the rear axle, the warranty on the front well be voided. This is a company I'll no longer be doing business with. :furious:

Gear specialists, yea right. Time to go to a real mechanic.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2015 2:01 pm

Ted15 wrote:

My call to the corporate office landed back in Columbiana. It seems that 4WD Hardware and 4 Wheel Parts aren't completely connected. I was only able to get a very partial refund and as soon as another shop touches the rear axle, the warranty on the front well be voided. This is a company I'll no longer be doing business with. :furious:

Gear specialists, yea right. Time to go to a real mechanic.

Dang you would think after knowing all of the issues you have been through they would bend over backwards to make sure it was done right.
They are sister companies owned by the same company. Which interesting enough has huge warehouses serving not only those two businesses but also several others you wouldn't expect.

Ted15 · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2015 2:11 pm

I know right, I was transferred to the warranty dept a little while ago when I called corporate to complain about resolution. The guy told me that they're on their own with that store and that he can't see their invoices. He also offered to connect me to them, wtf. Their phones are connected but their invoices aren't? I'll continue to get the run around with them,I think. Oh, and no offer on the axle, denied. That's another hundred fifty bucks or so flushed because a "gear specialist" took a shortcut.
With the money I've had to put into this jeep for the same, over and over, I could've had the rest of it done long ago. I might even have to cancel out trip to southern Ohio, definitely not going to Bantam.

offroadohio · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2015 4:50 pm

They are all owned by transamerican wholesale. I'm really suprised Parma touched it all. If you buy tires from walmart you don't return them to Sam's club. Though they are owned by same company. Same situation here

So in that respect I think Parma store went beyond thier duties. But does sound like over all you got a bad deal.

I may be wrong but I don't think they can void the fronts warrenty if someone messes with the rear. They'd have to prove it messed up the front. But you woukd have to sue to get it repaired most likely

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Ted15 · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2015 5:15 pm

I don't have anything bad to say about their customer service, it was great. I don't know what went wrong, but it went wrong a lot and I'm just tired of dealing with it. I don't appreciate the fact that my cv boot was cut and they won't do anything about it. There's a chance that I lost a bearing (hopefully) I'll specify TRW bearings this time.

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