barronj
Bronco Guru
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2009
- Messages
- 1,859
I paid a pretty good amount ($400 shipped) for a 76 box from a guy in my state (TX), and it showed up with a fresh coat of black paint on it. My truck ('68) had a '73 box on it that leaked a small amount, but I wanted the fewer turns to lock, and no more leaks.
I put his box on, and it leaked everywhere; I thought it was coming out of the snout (where the steering shaft hooks up) but it might have also been coming out of the bottom. Furious, I asked him WTH?, and he said "worked fine when I pulled it off!"... total bs, and I'm pist, but I can get through it.
Let me stop the story and say that if you're looking to get your box rebuilt, just send it to West Texas Offroad & don't screw around with anything else. It's worth it.
What I did, instead: I ordered the rebuild kit with both bearings from Tom's for $65, then I took the box & the kit to a mechanic that I was referred to, 45 minutes south of me. The mechanic quoted 2.5 hours at $75/hour, which we negotiated down to 2 hours. At this juncture, I'm better off having sent it to WTO, since $150 + $65 + my time = greater effort and expenditure than just mailing it off to WTO to rebuild for $140 + the ride both ways.
THEN, the mechanic tells me that the main shaft is too boogered to ever seal correctly, and that this box is junk. HOLY F_CK am I steamed at this point. I still have to drive 1.5hours round trip to get my box back, and give the mechanic beers for being cool about the time invested in tearing it down.
I'm somewhat torn on what to do. I can send the '73 box to WTO & have them do the quick steering conversion & rebuild it (and they said they would shave a little off if I sent them the TBP seal/bearing kit) for $290.
-or-
I can send them both boxes & get one back, and I'm under the impression that the charges would be minimal.
However, I really want to send this box back to the seller & demand my money back. I have already demanded my money back, and told him that I was sending his box back. I don't mind filing on the seller in small claims court if he stalls me out, out of principal. Driving to Dallas would suck for $400, and it would cost me $100 to file against him, but I have to take tenants to court with some regularity, so the procedural part of it is like taking a puppy out to pee, for me.
Please talk me off the ledge. The weather is nice, and I've been without the bronco for a few weeks now. Which road should I take?
I put his box on, and it leaked everywhere; I thought it was coming out of the snout (where the steering shaft hooks up) but it might have also been coming out of the bottom. Furious, I asked him WTH?, and he said "worked fine when I pulled it off!"... total bs, and I'm pist, but I can get through it.
Let me stop the story and say that if you're looking to get your box rebuilt, just send it to West Texas Offroad & don't screw around with anything else. It's worth it.
What I did, instead: I ordered the rebuild kit with both bearings from Tom's for $65, then I took the box & the kit to a mechanic that I was referred to, 45 minutes south of me. The mechanic quoted 2.5 hours at $75/hour, which we negotiated down to 2 hours. At this juncture, I'm better off having sent it to WTO, since $150 + $65 + my time = greater effort and expenditure than just mailing it off to WTO to rebuild for $140 + the ride both ways.
THEN, the mechanic tells me that the main shaft is too boogered to ever seal correctly, and that this box is junk. HOLY F_CK am I steamed at this point. I still have to drive 1.5hours round trip to get my box back, and give the mechanic beers for being cool about the time invested in tearing it down.
I'm somewhat torn on what to do. I can send the '73 box to WTO & have them do the quick steering conversion & rebuild it (and they said they would shave a little off if I sent them the TBP seal/bearing kit) for $290.
-or-
I can send them both boxes & get one back, and I'm under the impression that the charges would be minimal.
However, I really want to send this box back to the seller & demand my money back. I have already demanded my money back, and told him that I was sending his box back. I don't mind filing on the seller in small claims court if he stalls me out, out of principal. Driving to Dallas would suck for $400, and it would cost me $100 to file against him, but I have to take tenants to court with some regularity, so the procedural part of it is like taking a puppy out to pee, for me.
Please talk me off the ledge. The weather is nice, and I've been without the bronco for a few weeks now. Which road should I take?
