It’s no secret that since the beginning of time consumers of products have been attempting DIY fixes in order to cut down on repair costs. Some succeed while others fail at actually repairing whatever it is they want to fix. More often than not, for those who do fail, the repair costs end up exceeding what they could have been had the product been sent in before it was tinkered with.
Our products are no different. A few times out of the month we will receive a product that has had a “home remedy”, a DIY fix attempt. Well, we’re here to tell you this: “Don’t DIY your own repairs!” The end result might turn into a much more costly mistake.
We will take this customer for instance.
(Depending on your vehicle and model your dampers’ components may or may not look the same.)
For a reason that we were unable to figure out, the customer decided to weld the Bump Stopper to the Piston Rod.
A normal Bump Stopper on a Piston Rod without the welding.
The customer’s original issue may have been fixed. However, that’s where the list of pros to doing it themselves ends.
Here’s what the Ring Nut (top of the shock) will look like under normal conditions.
Here’s how the customer’s Ring Nut ended up looking after the damper parts were welded on and the damper was actually driven on.
Because the Bump Stopper could not be removed in the correct manner to make way for servicing of the damper, the top of the Piston Rod had to be cut off.
This customer was lucky that the damage was limited to that location on the damper only, and that an overhaul was still possible.
But the labor put into the cutting and the cost of the replacement parts that were needed could have been avoided had the customer sent in their damper without the DIY fix that was attempted.
Your DIY fix may not end up as lucky, you may end up damaging the damper beyond any repair.
If you think you can fix an issue that you’re having with your dampers, take a step back and think if the possible extra cost of repairing your “fix” will be worth it.
By the way- if you aren’t sure you have your suspension set up correctly, or you just need to verify the parts of your kit are correct, we ask that you please contact us beforehand and have us assist you with your inquiry. Give us a call at 562-861-9161 or email us at tus_sales@tein.com for assistance.
