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only1adam12

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Everything posted by only1adam12

  1. only1adam12
    I put about 200 miles on it since getting it back and have noticed a change. I have a much better turning radius now and the only time I notice and cross-tire wear is when turning to full lock. The steering seems to be looser and takes more turns of the steering wheel but at least the tires don't bind like before. Overall, I'm happy with the way it steers and turns into my driveway without killing my tires but don't like the new stance at all. I was told I would only lose about 1" to 1.5" but it looks like I lost 2.5" to 3". I just had a conference call this morning with Fabtech, Southern Comfort, and my dealer to see what my options are to get the truck back to what i paid for. I think all of them are pretty upset with me since they have all gone out of their way to fix the issue but the solution/end result was a lower truck. Since the Gen II lift has been installed there is no going back to the Gen I due to some cutting on the front differential. Bottom line: The steering problem is fixed but I'm in a much (very noticeable) lower truck that isn't what I agreed to pay the extra $$ for. I'm still working with the dealership to see what my options are. The before/after pic is of an identical Black Widow and my truck after the new lift. So noticeable that people are asking what happened to my truck.
  2. only1adam12
    O got the Gen II lift installed but no time to drive it much. I do notice a HUGE difference in ride height. Looks like i lost 2+ inches so not happy at all there. I'm anxious to drive it around and see if the steering is fixed. I'll try to post some before/after pics of the height. From what I was told, once the Gen II kit is installed there is no going back to Gen I due to some trimming on the Diff. If it drives ok I'll prob have to get my height back with some spacers/bigger blocks. Can't believe how much trouble I'm having with all of this. i thought going back to Chevy would be a breeze....
  3. only1adam12
    bmc350, Any updates? My truck is scheduled to go in tomorrow for a lift swap from Gen I to Gen II.thanks
  4. only1adam12
    Good looking truck. Does RMT use Fabtech lifts? I know Rocky Ridge makes their own lifts (which are great) but I'm not up to speed on Vanworks. based on the pics, it looks like you have the aluminum control arms and the bottom shock spacer which is the exact set-up i have from Fabtech (Gen I). I was told the same thing about it being "normal" but we know better. If it's fabtech, i suggest calling/emailing their customer support as i did. If we put enough complaints in their database they may start taking more action to correct the issue. What was the idea behind changing the tires? Were they thinking the width had something to do with it? I'm thinking that my next move is to let Fabtech change mine out to the Gen II. From what I've found, that's a much better lift without all the steering issues.
  5. only1adam12
    bmc350, Can you check to see if you have the coil spring spacer on the top of the shock or at the bottom? If it's at the top then you have the Gen II lift. I'm really curious since Southern Comfort told me that they don't use the Gen II lifts on any of the Black Widow trucks. This may not be true and i'm anxious to find out. Also, If you DO in fact have the Gen I lift without any problems it will help my case a lot with a possible manufacturing problem with my spindles. I'm still trying to find the root-cause of the issue. If you have a Gen II then all of this will just confirm a bad Gen I design. Thanks!
  6. only1adam12
    Also forgot to mention... I dropped my tire pressure to about 40 front and 37 rear. It kinda helps but still not right.
  7. only1adam12
    From what I got, I'm able to convert to the Gen II lift but after the cutting/install i won't be able to go back to a Gen I lift. they are willing to send me all the components to swap to the Gen II lift (free of charge) but I'm trying to figure out the labor charge and warranty specifics. Thinking it will have to be installed by an approved shop to be covered under warranty. I am willing to do it myself to make sure it's done right but don't think that will fly. I'm just getting back from a 2 week vacation and will call them again tomorrow to get the details. I'll keep you posted.
  8. only1adam12
    No sure if anyone has gotten a solution to this problem but I've gone back and forth with Fabtech and they are recommending i change to the Gen II lift. At this point i don't see any other options If I want to get the truck right and keep it for a few years. I'll update once a final decision has been made.
  9. only1adam12
    I'm still working with Fabtech and Southern Comfort to see what we can do to get it figured out. I was doing some research over the weekend and thought of a key issue with lifts. When they design these, they have to account for trucks ranging in all wheelbases. In other words, the same lift is designed to work with a truck having 112" wheelbase and a truck with 147" wheelbase. i noticed that none of the kits ask for truck wheelbase and are compatible with extended cab, crew cab, and quad cab. Since these all have different wheelbases, the required Ackermann angle will be different but the lift design (i'm assuming) is designed to meet somewhere in the middle. Since everyone here is having the same issue with the longer wheelbase, I think we are seeing the effect of increased Ackermann. I'm going to continue to dig around and hopefully come up with a solution soon.
  10. only1adam12
    I've talked to Armen with Fabtech and several times and had an e-mail chain going for a few weeks and I was told the exact same thing. I had the dealer align it to factory specs, then to Fabtech specs (which made it worse), then back to factory. I knew the problem but no idea what was causing it. When I finally took it to a well known local alignment shop, he could see the problem almost immediately. It's something they don't catch on the $50k+ computerized alignment machines because they never have to turn the wheel and have little to no mechanic experience. Everyone here having the same problem with: 2014+ Chevy/GM, Aluminum suspension, Gen 1 6" Fabtech lift. I'm betting on either a design flaw with Gen 1 lifts or a bad batch of manufactured lifts. The alignment shop measured the distance between the tie rod mount on the spindle and the rim and said there was a 1/4"-3/8" difference between the left and right side. I tried to measure it but couldn't get a good read. I'll try to get a good caliper and check again today. Southern Comfort has been reassuring me that we will get the problem taken care of and is supposed to be talking to the Fabtech manager today. Armen with Fabtech said it's the alignment but everyone here knows there is a bigger issue. The dealer I bought it from has give up and won't return my calls. I'll keep you posted on what I hear from Southern Comfort. It seems like they want to get it fixed as much as I do.
  11. only1adam12
    My front tires (outside) at 12k miles. They have been on the front for the the last ~1500 miles.
  12. only1adam12
    No spacer at the top, Looks like the Gen ! lift with aluminum suspension which is exactly what I have. I also have identical tire wear but more with only 12k mile. The outside tread of my front tires is almost completely shot. From what i understand, the steering arms on the spindles dimensions are different between the left and right side. The mechanic measured the distance between the back of the rim and the point where the tie-rods meet the spindle and said that they are about 1/4" - 3/8" different. When turning, the outside wheel turns about 22 degrees and the inside tire turns 18 degrees. Completely opposite of what it is supposed to do and what I've been complaining about since I bought it. Apparently there is either a design flaw or manufacturing problem on the spindles. Either way, it's going to have to be fixed or i will be spending a ton of $$ on tires and other parts that wear prematurely. Not sure who's paying/doing the work but working on that now. I'm assuming they will also be buying me a new set of tires after everything is fixed. i'm supposed to hear back on Monday after Southern Comfort and the Fabtech manager talk. For now, the truck is aligned with negative cam to try to get the tires to ride on the inside until we can get it fixed. From the pics and description of your post, we probably have a lift/kit with the same problem. Hopefully it will be recognized and corrected. I'll keep you posted
  13. only1adam12
    Gen I lift has the spacers below the strut and Gen II has the spacers on top. I'm wondering if there was a design flaw with the Gen I which caused them to come out with the re-design. I just got mine back from an independent alignment shop (that only does alignments) and was told that the Ackerman angle is way off and it was coming from the aftermarket spindles that Fabtech provided with the lift. I'm having them write up exactly what the problem is and going to see what Fabtech and Souther Comfort will do. I was told that it will never turn correctly unless the spindles are changed. No idea if this comes from the Gen I lift design flaw or was a problem when manufactured. I'll keep you posted on what they say.
  14. only1adam12
    Justin, Any updates since the alignment? the dealer here wants nothing to do with me or the truck. They sold it to me and now are hoping i'll go away. i have an appointment with an independent alignment shop tomorrow and hoping I can get it fixed. My tires are basically shot with ~12k miles. BMC350, Any updates on your issues?
  15. only1adam12
    Also, Do you have the Gen 1 or Gen 2 Fabtech lift? And have you been in contact with Southern Comfort of just the dealer?
  16. only1adam12
    i haven't had any issues with noises coming from the tranny/transfer case but mine does jump a little when going from park to drive. Mine just seems like a delay when engaging in gear. I've suspected that the truck is in 4wd by the way it turns even though the switch stays in 2WD. I've put it in grass and power-braked just to make sure and only had the rear tires spin so ruled that out. I'm wondering if mine is going in and out of 4wd without me even knowing. I had a buddy help me on the popping noise and it seemed that one of the upper control arm alignment bolts wasn't tight enough allowing the control arm to pop/move when turning the wheel. I'm assuming the last dealer I brought it to didn't tighten it enough after the alignment. I torqued it up and haven't had any more popping but I'm sure the alignment is out again.... so back to the dealer. I drove my dads 2015 GMC sierra Rock Ridge edition this weekend and it turns/drives great. He has the same tires and 6" Fabtech lift as well but it's the 2nd generation with spacers on the top of the coils. I'm wondering if Fabtech knows about these problems with the first Gen lifts and is trying to cover. My next move is to bring it to an independent shop here and let them align it. If that doesn't fix the turning I will have to look into returning the truck. Can't/won't pay the $$$ for a truck that can't be fixed. Keep me posted on how your truck comes out when the dealer is finished.
  17. only1adam12
    Picked the truck up from the dealer yesterday afternoon and they had done nothing. Pretty sure they took it to lunch, claimed that they couldn't hear the popping, then said that they didn't want to even look at the tire drag while turning issue since they don't deal with Southern Comfort trucks. As I drove away from the service area, the steering popped several times ad continues to do it consistently. There is no possible way they couldn't hear it unless they are deaf. After taking with the Southern Comfort rep (who spoke with the dealership), I'm convinced that they just didn't want to deal with it. I'm stumped at this point. Supposed to hear back today from Southern Comfort on the next steps to take and/or where to bring it. I haven't even had my first oil change and it's falling apart. If nothing gets resolved within the next two weeks I'm going to have to look into lemon law or return options. This is either a defective lift, lemon truck, or just really shitty service. Ironic since the dealership I bought it is called "Service"
  18. only1adam12
    Just to update. I now hear a popping noise coming from the front end when turning at low speeds (>15mph) when turning in either direction. It sounds like slack in either a control arm, ball joint or tie rod end. Thinking it has something to do with the tires binding (my original issue) and now wearing out/putting pressure on other components or they didn't torque the alignment bolts enough after the third alignment. The truck is scheduled to be looked at by a different dealership this time. Only 11k miles and already this much trouble...... Not happy with Chevrolet/GMC. I'll update after I hear what the dealership has to say.
  19. only1adam12
    From what i understand about this particular lift is that the spindle is designed to keep the tie rods close to the same angle as factory by moving up the mount. The kit comes with new tie rod ends that are slightly longer and more robust to adjust any additional reach needed. My initial thoughts were that the bump stops were worn incorrectly causing the inside tire to bump and the outer tire still have room allowing components to flex and tire over-steer. This is what I found on both left and right sides and only the front bumps. The rear bumps have no wear at all. I was told by both Fabtech and several mechanics that this was normal but I have a hard time believing that something with this much wear at only 10k miles is normal. It also shows how the wear is inconsistent and rubs on the corner instead of the flat surface. My thought is: If turned fully left, the inner (left) tire will stop at the bump on the rear of the a-arm. the outer (right) tire will stop at the bump on the front of the a-arm. So if the front a-arm bump is worn, even 1/8", the the steering/suspension components will flex until the bump is reached resulting in the miss-alignment and oversteer of the outer tire. Any thoughts on this? Also, anyone else with the same problem have aluminum suspension or do we see this with both aluminum and steel?
  20. only1adam12
    I have gone back and forth with the dealership, fabTech, and Southern Comfort (who installed the lift) and still no resolution. I have a lot of friends in the mechanic field and they are scratching their heads as well. It seems to be an issue with either the 2014/2015 Silverados or the Fabtech lift design for these trucks. I have the Gen 1 lift which is the spacer on the bottom of the shock instead of a top coil spring spacer. My dad has the GMC rock ridge version (2015) and shows similar outer tire wear but not the excessive skid when turning. His truck is the Gen 2 Fabtech which makes me wonder if they know about a design flaw in the Gen 1's. All-in-all, no solution. I have found that putting the front tire pressure up to about 50psi helps but causes the ride to be a little rougher than I would like. It looks like I'll be rotating these tires about every 5k-6k miles just to save some tread. I like the truck but worried that the tires won't last and it's going to be more of a headache than I care for especially after the cost of the truck. I see front suspension components wearing out a lot faster than normal but only time will tell. I hate that others are having the same issue but glad I'm not the only one fighting the battle. If anyone finds a solution please let me know and I'll keep digging on my end. I have gone back and forth with the dealership, fabTech, and Southern Comfort (who installed the lift) and still no resolution. I have a lot of friends in the mechanic field and they are scratching their heads as well. It seems to be an issue with either the 2014/2015 Silverados or the Fabtech lift design for these trucks. I have the Gen 1 lift which is the spacer on the bottom of the shock instead of a top coil spring spacer. My dad has the GMC rock ridge version (2015) and shows similar outer tire wear but not the excessive skid when turning. His truck is the Gen 2 Fabtech which makes me wonder if they know about a design flaw in the Gen 1's. All-in-all, no solution. I have found that putting the front tire pressure up to about 50psi helps but causes the ride to be a little rougher than I would like. It looks like I'll be rotating these tires about every 5k-6k miles just to save some tread. I like the truck but worried that the tires won't last and it's going to be more of a headache than I care for especially after the cost of the truck. I see front suspension components wearing out a lot faster than normal but only time will tell. I hate that others are having the same issue but glad I'm not the only one fighting the battle. If anyone finds a solution please let me know and I'll keep digging on my end.
  21. only1adam12
    I've never see this type of wear before but also have never had an aluminum suspension. I've been in the material/mechanical/design field for quite some time and know that anything designed to have this type of wear is improper. I contacted Fabtech about the issue but they are telling me "it's normal". Hard to believe since as the truck has less than 10k miles. If it's worn this much now, what will it look like after 60k miles? Seems like a either a design flaw or a result of the original problem I started this post with. Still waiting to hear back from the dealer on how they are going to correct my steering issue and if this is a cause or result.
  22. only1adam12
    Looking at the pic, It is aluminum. the steel components are usually painted black. like someone said previously, use a magnet to tell. I have a 2015 LTZ, Z71 and it had aluminum. I bought the truck with a 6" Fabtech lift which uses the original aluminum control arms. I have 9k miles on it and seeing significant wear in the front steering bump-stops. Having trouble with my outer tire over-steering and think this may be the root cause. Fabtech says it's normal but i''ve never seen something like this be "normal" especially after only 9k miles. Anyway, hope this helps..
  23. only1adam12
    I haven't had much time to inspect all elements but assuming the tie rod angles aren't changed much since the new Fabtech spindle compensates for the height. With a 6" lift, I don't expect the truck to perform like factory and don't mind the loss in turning radius but do expect it to turn properly and not destroy my tires after 20k miles. I highly doubt these bump-stops should be worn to this extent especially with only 9k miles. Seems like they held the wheel at full lock and ran over speed bumps (A LOT) in both directions. I also did some simple geometry to see how much the outer wheel will turn after losing 1/4" of the aluminum bump. Based on what I assumed the dimensions are, the front of the wheel will turn an extra 1/4" or ~1.1 degree compared to no wear on the stop. Might not sound like much but really is when there are 35" tires on it. This seems to be the exact problem I'm having but Fabtech seems to think the wear is totally normal. Most of the techs I showed the wear to haven't seen this before but mainly work on/lift trucks with steel suspension. My biggest questions now are is "is this wear normal"? and "is it the reason my outer tire is over-steerng"? Also, "why isn't the inner (rear of lower control arm) steering bump worn at all"? At this point I'm still scratching my head on why no one knows what the cause of the problem is. I've been in contact with the dealer techs, lift techs, lift designers/manufacturer, and the company that installed it. Everyone looks at it and says "That's not right" but then when they can't come up with a solution they say "well, maybe it's normal". If it can't be fixed I'll have to start looking into returning the truck (even though i really don't want to) but can't/won't pay for something that isn't working properly. Apologize for the rant but this is getting very frustrating...
  24. only1adam12
    Correct, I bought it on New Year's Eve and did get a carfax. Everything looked clear and even showed the first round or normal maintenance performed. It only has about 9k miles and does it turning in either direction. I brought it to another tech today and he is stumped as well. Said that he's never seen a bump stop wear that much but he normally deals with steel suspension and this truck has aluminum.
  25. only1adam12
    Just went and inspected the front suspension and found this (pic). Extreme and uneven wear on the front of the lower a-arm where the spindle has been rubbing. First, Isn't the steering bump-stop on the rear of the spindle? Even if this is (another) bump-stop on the front of the spindle, why is it so worn with only 9k miles on the truck? Fabtech claims that this is normal but really doesn't seem normal. If it is, what will be left at 50-60k miles? It's the same wear on both sides and I have the problem when turning either direction. Coincidence? I'm thinking this is either a cause or result of the issue I'm having. Any ideas?
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