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Precise1
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I have an issue with an idler arm brace...

 

Hello, I hope you are having a good day. Lets call this email 1000 just for reference.

 

I have an issue with one of your products and hope that you will stand behind your product. Allow me to describe...

 

I have a 2nd hand purchased Calmini idler arm brace for a 95 Pathfinder. It has never been mounted (evidenced by lack of scoring around the bolt holes, front and rear, top and bottom). I suspect I know why...

 

If you face the brace as mounted on the frame from the passenger side, the vertical and horizontal braces are not square, as shown in my first picture (parts and such 020). Yes, the large washer does not belong on the bottom, it is just there to show the the straight idler arm is level. Removing it addresses the vertical shift, but not the canted and lateral shift caused by the lower (horizontal brace) out of square condition.

 

The out of square is plainly shown by the second picture (parts and such 024). This is a precision machinist square applied by me, a machinist. The product I have from you is not perpendicular and will not bolt up. Can I have it replaced for a properly make unit? I will send it to you at my cost for inspection if you wish, but you must either send me a replacement of this unit, or the one I sent to you back to me at your cost.

 

If you send a new, properly fitting unit I will gladly expound upon how Calmini stands behind their work and products. If you do not, I will have to waste my time reworking the product I purchased and will feel obligated to share the less than satisfactory situation with the Nissan sites I belong to.

 

I am NOT trying to blackmail, but just trying to be clear. This is a simple application that should bolt up without issue. This unit does and can not. It is undamaged and has no evidence of mounting, impact or stress fracture anywhere; it was not made correctly.

 

This is obviously not about getting a free $40 part, it is about getting a functionable $40 part.

 

I will call tomorrow about this, referencing email 1000

 

We will see where this goes, but as it is, that brace will not mount up...

 

 

Partsandsuch024.jpg

 

 

 

Partsandsuch020.jpg

 

B

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Good luck on your voyage with it, makes me happer with my high quality pre-owned AC one I got a little while back. Didn't have a single issue and took all of I think 5 minutes with a break.

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I sent them a few emails about 2 weeks ago reguarding Idler arm bushings, I got no response from them. You are probably going to have to call and they will not have any clue about the email. I ending up finding someone making new better designed bushings for the Calmini Idler arm. So I did not follow up the email with a phone call.

 

My guess is you will have a hard time persuading them to replace it since you are not the original purchaser. However I wish all the luck to you.

 

Mark

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Mine went on without a hitch also; 1 piece doesn't make for bad manufacturing.

love my calmini SL and steering.

Hopefully it gets resolved but the only thing that may be an issue is the 2nd hand purchase(even though it is new)

That will be the customer service portion that I don't have experience with as all my stuff fit.

Good Luck and hopefully they fix the issue!

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I have not called yet. I've been too busy the last few days, but hopefully tomorrow. I can reassemble the truck without it for now. I believe that most braces do not have this issue, it's a pretty simple piece to screw up. That's why I was very suprised when it wouldn't mount properly. Hopefully they will recognize the issue.

 

Is there someone you recommend talking to?

 

B

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Calmini service blows and you can't trust a word they say. I had a used steering kit lined up, but it didn't have the pitman arm since the PO used that for his SAS. I called Calmini, told them the deal and they gave me a price on the arm. Great! I paid the guy, got the kit and called Calmini again to order the arm. This time they tell me that they don't sell individual parts and they have no idea who I talked to when I called. This was after they took my credit card info for the arm. I don't know what's up with that company, but be prepared to get the run-around if you are trying to get customer service. In the end I bought another used kit with trashed idler arm bushings just to get the pitman. I am now going to rebuild that kit with bushings from Bandit4x4 and have a local fabrication shop build up a pitman arm from a stock arm.

 

This may not be everyone's experience with them, but I wouldn't take my chances unless they have something you just can't live without.

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I have an issue with an idler arm brace...

 

 

 

We will see where this goes, but as it is, that brace will not mount up...

 

 

Partsandsuch024.jpg

 

 

 

Partsandsuch020.jpg

 

B

 

 

 

I am curious about what they had to say about this. I have Calmini kit and torsion bars on my rig too and I would like to think they would replace an obviously defect unit.

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Having calmini stuff (UCA, Brace and diff skid), I have found their quality is not the best. I had to bore out the holes a tad on my brace to get it to work on my pathy.

 

Good luck with getting it replaced!

Edited by Extreme90path
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Ok, well, I talked to Justin R today and send him essentially the same email. He said he might have to send it to engineering, but will get back to me about it. Ok, the clock has started, lets see what happens...

 

B

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well i hope they send you a new one. i wouldn't bother drilling out the holes and installing that, it would shift around all the time when it gets stressed

 

 

i've had more problems with their heavy duty steering kit's idler arm bushings than i've had with the complete stock steering setup. I would have gotten a CL and IAB from hoohaa if i did it again. calmini offered to fix the idler arm for $250, i pay the shipping and too bad about not having a DD until you get it back, whenever that is. Just give me a set of bushings and a sleeve, and i'll be happy. you can even have your old parts back

Edited by nige
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Yeah Nige, I've followed your problems with the Calmini set up and their version of 'support'. It really sucks in your case, and was part of the reason I went with the HooHaa CL. Cheaper was part of it also though...

 

Yeah, my fix wouldn't be just opening up the holes unless I made offset inserts or something. I haven't thought about it too much yet. If I have to, I'll try to reuse most of it rather than throwing it away. Hell, it's stock if nothing else.

 

Yeah, they look good, but

Cost : $55.00/set or $95/ 2 sets. Shipping and handling $12.00 flat rate insured UPS

 

As a machinist, I can say this seems a little pricy. I haven't cost the material so I won't scream too loud, but as someone who supervised a job shop for years and owned his own shop, that seems expensive. On the other hand, if they withstand years of abuse, they are probably worth it. It'd be handy to have a print of them... :D

 

B

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  • 7 months later...

Well, to wrap all of this up, some people are happy with their Calmini parts and some are not. Unfortunately, I fall into the not category. I never heard a word back from Justin R or an application engineer. I'm not willing to waste any more time with this after two email and a phone call and Calmini doesn't seem to be bothered that their product is defective. After all, it's been paid for, so who cares, right??

 

Over such a silly and simple little matter Calmini has lost a customer permanently, and I recommend to anyone considering their products to proceed cautiously.

 

B

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Well, to wrap all of this up, some people are happy with their Calmini parts and some are not. Unfortunately, I fall into the not category. I never heard a word back from Justin R or an application engineer. I'm not willing to waste any more time with this after two email and a phone call and Calmini doesn't seem to be bothered that their product is defective. After all, it's been paid for, so who cares, right??

 

Over such a silly and simple little matter Calmini has lost a customer permanently, and I recommend to anyone considering their products to proceed cautiously.

 

B

They lost more than A customer, I won't buy from a company that doesn't back their products. Your not the first person I've seen complain so I won't chance becoming one of their statistics.

James

  • Like 2
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