BEWARE!! dealing with CalOffroad

[zerosecta]

Geoff - I'd take you up on your offer only I couldn't do that to you.... These struts are the same length as the Stock Struts and in fact have overall 1mm less travel than the stock strut... Funny how they advertise them as "Long Travel Struts"

Therefore they would not be ideal even for a 2" kit.... They would be awesome as a simple replacement of old worm out struts on a factory standard car though...

I have finally got through to these guys though - Perhaps they have decided to do a little research of their own in the last few days and have agreed yesterday that they will rebuild the struts to 575mm (20mm longer) if I send them back.

So in about the next hour and another $40 later (after having to send the wrong springs back) I will be heading the the post office to send them back and them do a little prayer each night that I get them back as they should be in the first place and in under two weeks.

[geoffmc1]

Zero,

I feel your pain. I do have a slight solution for you though. I'll take the complete pair of struts off your hands for you. I only want 2" so with my choils they will be perfect.

Your call
Geoff

[clarkie383]

Yep go legal and sort them out.
They will only shaft the next guy the same way until they are pulled into line

[Fred63]

I have been reading this with much interest.
The said company was never really on my radar.

My next addition will be suspension.
I really hope you end up with a good outcome.
in the related thread I also hope Andy has a good out come.

good luck guys

Yep, I'd be going for money back or off to court.
Get onto consumer affairs sooner rather than later.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BiLLz0r]

As much as I would love to just strip it all out, It's just a lot of hassle and really not a good outcome.

I'd do this. Give me my money back or you'd be hearing from a lawyer. Give everything back to them, get ya money and go to superior
By the sounds of it, if you keep anything from these guys it'll haunt your car forever.

[zerosecta]

Quick Update - I have got and Original Strut out as well as the so called "Long Travel" Strut from cal.

Messured all three time to be sure and I can tell you the the Stock Strut is on par if not 1mm longer in terms of travel bettwen full open and full closed when compared to the "Long Travel Strut" Cal have sent me.

I am going to phone them shortly and ask if they will exchange it for a longer strut and see how I go there - As much as I would love to just strip it all out, It's just a lot of hassle and really not a good outcome.

[Auscanclan]

Mate,

That is a real bummer! Businesses these days don't understand they are there for the customer, and without the customer they don't exist

I am looking at a suspension soon and will steer clear of the these guys.

Now they have possibly thousands of off roaders who will only deal with them with suspicion?

Hope you get it sorted.

Keep us posted please

Pierre

[kav]

This is the good thing about PP . You can post bad experiences . I'm on an American Cadillac website and you are not allowed to post anything which may be considered disparaging .

[Heath74]

No good at all mate, hope you can get it sorted.

[zerosecta]

Hi Folks,

I am posting this to make you aware of the potential nightmare when\if dealing with the Mob at Caloffroad from my experience and hopefully save you going through the same...

Of course there always more to a story and two sides but this is my side :-)

I did my research (clearly not on the right things) for well over a few months with my well earned money burning a whole in my pocket and in the end it came down to a 3" lift and tossing up between CalOffroad and Superior Engineering.

So I ended up getting lured over to CalOffroad with the website and how they had Custom Made\tuned Bilstiens for my car... And I went the whole hog with Diff Drop, Swaybar extensions, UCA's, Adjustable Panhard Rod, Springs, Shocks\Struts - and they even managed to sell me an extension bracket for the Brake Proportioning valve that my car doesn't even have...

They went on to take the full amount from me on the 27th of January and it was two weeks before I started to see any of the bits. and almost 4 before I received everything after numerous call where I would get told the same thing each time, "Oh yes mate you stuff is just here and it will go out tomorrow"...

So here's the real trouble - I bought a 3" lift Kit. However when installed, the rear barely went up 2" and the front went just over 4"!!!

More concerned about the front this is where I have been focusing my attention for now.

on a test drive it was like a pogo stick with literally next to zero suspension movement and the front strut only 20mm from Topped out when on the ground.

So took it out and found that the spring they sent me was 420mm free height - No other manufacturer has a spring even close to this height for a Prado not to mention that it is a progressive rate spring but when installed onto the strut the top three coils are fully compressed so really not much use anyway.
The other problem identified is that the so called custom built strut for a 3" lift is only 555mm open length and this is basically the same open length of the stock standard Prado Struts.... So even taking the hard\long spring out of the equation, At 3" height the strut is way to close to topping out anyway...

Now all of this wouldn't be so bad if they could just accept the fact that they have clearly got this one wrong and help me get it sorted...

Instead they have continued to insist that there is nothing wrong with the setup and it must be something strange about my car that is the issue - They have agreed to send me 20mm (their idea) springs... According to the guys at Cal there is no such thing as softer or harder springs, only shorter or taller springs...
They also insist that the strut length being no longer open than the stock strut even when lifted 3" is not going to be an issue at all.

So this all ended this afternoon with me trying to have a cival convo with the guy about my concerns when he started at me about whether I was a Shock Engineer and if I should think about moving to Germany to work at Bilstien - then suggesting that I I think some of the other "Australian supplied Crap" (his words) is better, then I should just go ahead and get that.

So I am now left waiting for the replacement springs to arrive and with any luck they get me to the right height and aren't to harsh\hard a ride... But still have the concern that the Strut length is to short and will probably destroy them prematurely due to constant topping out.

There is so much more to this story but anyway.

So there you have - If you already have gear from Cal are happy with it and had a good experience then that's awesome and feel free share... If however you are in the market then I would suggest you tread carefully on this one and remember.