How would you handle this with a shop?

[chevymitchell]

I dont normally have anyone else work on my stuff, but recently I did, and very much regret it.

I had RSE step sliders on my 2018 JLUR. When I ordered my 2021 392 I ordered the steps. Shortly after taking delivery of the 2021 392, they announced the XR and I decided to order one and hold off on installing any mods until the 2022 came in.

So I have had these step sliders, a Warn winch, and some 1" coil spacers waiting for me to install. I injured my back and had to have surgery, and in an effort to finally get these mods installed and just be done with it, I opted to use a shop.

I am VERY picky about my vehicles. When I picked up the 392 it was waiting in their shop, and I looked it over quickly, paid, and left. When I got it home into my garage I began nit picking the work. Here is what I found wrong...

1. In between the steel bumper and the grill there is a plastic trim piece that goes across both frame rails. It is held in with push pin style fasteners. This piece is removed when installing the winch. Rather than properly remove the trim piece by releasing the pins, they got a trim tool under it, and pried. The trim tool left scratches on the top of both frame rails at the hole where the pin was located. This can be touched up, but it should not have happened.

2. The RSE step sliders have the adhesive backed bump strips that get stuck on the rocker panel, and then the sliders go on. The bump strip acts as a barrier in case of deflection as well as a gasket to keep debris from going between body and slider. These genius' used black sharpie to make marks on my paint to ensure the bump strip was level front to back on the body. The Jeep was returned to me with black sharpie in 3-4 locations on each rocker clearly visible above the bump strip.

3. When they installed the winch, and removed the block off plate on the OEM steel bumper, they reinstalled the hardware and THEN reinstalled the bumper. Doing so the bolts protruding down through the top of the bumper, contacted the pass side of my new Warn zeon 12s platinum and scratched the crap out of it. The damage is not super visible, but if and when I ever switch to a bumper that exposes thew winch more, the damage will be front and center on display. This is easily avoidable by carefully reinstalling the hardware after the bumper is back on.

4. They failed to install the abrasion guard on the winch rope. Awesome...now I get to pull the rope, install the abrasion guard, and then reinstall the rope.

What would you ask for to right this? I already spoke to the owner about # 1 and 2. I mentioned 3 and 4 in a text and received no response. I'm pretty pissed, I could have spent alot less somewhere else and got a similar shitty install. I think they should get me a NEW winch and they can have this scratched up one for one of their builds, and I think they should refund me a portion of what I spent seeing as I now have to fix their crap work.

1. This is no big deal. You can't install a winch and not scratch the frame rails. I don't care how careful you are. It may indicate they didn't use plastic pry tools, but still not a big deal.
2. Sharpie comes off of paint with smallest amount of acetone or nail polish cleaner. Just wipe it off.
3. Again, some of this is just part of the install. It's hard to do this job without the parts contacting each other. Clearly, you have never done this install if you think it's "easily avoidable".
4. This one was likely an oversight and they should install it for you. It will be a pain, but it can certainly be done.

Everything on this list except #4 is not a big deal. Your feelings are really going to be hurt when you get this thing offroad and scratch the sh*t out of everything.

I understand where you're coming from and you're not wrong, but nothing here screams negligence and certainly nothing to be pissed off about. Paint pen, some acetone, and 30 minutes of work and your issues are gone. Ask the shop again. I'm sure they'll be happy to get you happy.

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[aldo98229]

Aren't they little pop up fasteners though? Like those under the hood on the grille/cowl area? I'll have to look when I get a chance.

No, they are different. These clips are recessed into the plastic, making them hard to reach. And are held SUPER tight in the frame perforations.

I have never been able to remove those clips without damaging the clips or the entire plastic cover. It's been the same since JK days.

 

[Hpc3]

No, they are different. These clips are recessed into the plastic, making them hard to reach. And are held SUPER tight against the perforations in the frame.

I have never been able to remove those clips without damaging the entire plastic cover. It's been the same since JK days.

10-4. I'll have to look at mine... don't recall. Thought they were the two-piece expansion fasteners.

 

[aldo98229]

Yes they are.

No, they are much larger and fit a LOT tighter.

At least they were on my 2018 JL.

 

[Hpc3]

1. This is no big deal. You can't install a winch and not scratch the frame rails. I don't care how careful you are. It may indicate they didn't use plastic pry tools, but still not a big deal.
2. Sharpie comes off of paint with smallest amount of acetone or nail polish cleaner. Just wipe it off.
3. Again, some of this is just part of the install. It's hard to do this job without the parts contacting each other. Clearly, you have never done this install if you think it's "easily avoidable".
4. This one was likely an oversight and they should install it for you. It will be a pain, but it can certainly be done.

Everything on this list except #4 is not a big deal. Your feelings are really going to be hurt when you get this thing offroad and scratch the sh*t out of everything.

I understand where you're coming from and you're not wrong, but nothing here screams negligence and certainly nothing to be pissed off about. Paint pen, some acetone, and 30 minutes of work and your issues are gone. Ask the shop again. I'm sure they'll be happy to get you happy.

Good point on the "use" comment... the minute you use any of this it's going to get scratched anyway. Every time I pull the doors on my JL I have to fix the stupid pins in the drivers harness. A secure-seat plug that misaligns every time it is plugged in... with use comes wear lol.

 

[Kleiss1]

After all that I’d probably respool the wench anyway.

 

[chevymitchell]

After all that I’d probably respool the wench anyway.

That’s a good point.

OP - Did the shop pre-tension the line? If they didn’t, then you need to unspool it, anyway.

 

[RELBUS]

1. This is no big deal. You can't install a winch and not scratch the frame rails. I don't care how careful you are. It may indicate they didn't use plastic pry tools, but still not a big deal.
2. Sharpie comes off of paint with smallest amount of acetone or nail polish cleaner. Just wipe it off.
3. Again, some of this is just part of the install. It's hard to do this job without the parts contacting each other. Clearly, you have never done this install if you think it's "easily avoidable".
4. This one was likely an oversight and they should install it for you. It will be a pain, but it can certainly be done.

Everything on this list except #4 is not a big deal. Your feelings are really going to be hurt when you get this thing offroad and scratch the sh*t out of everything.

I understand where you're coming from and you're not wrong, but nothing here screams negligence and certainly nothing to be pissed off about. Paint pen, some acetone, and 30 minutes of work and your issues are gone. Ask the shop again. I'm sure they'll be happy to get you happy.

AH....maybe easily avoidable wasnt the best way to phrase this. AVOIDABLE, yes absolutely when you are OCD like me. Blue painters tape is your friend! I have done this install before and was able to avoid these issues.

My feelings wont be hurt, cause this may never see offroad. If it does it will be scenic exploratory type wheeling. If there's a chance of scraping it up, I take my TJ. This is my third JLUR and none of them have ever been in 4x4

 

[RELBUS]

That’s a good point.

OP - Did the shop pre-tension the line? If they didn’t, then you need to unspool it, anyway.

Doubt it, figured I'd respool under load next time it leaves the garage and the weather isn't freezing.

You guys are all right. None of these is a huge deal, however if they deny my request to swap my winch - I wont go quietly.

 

[Heimkehr]

Everything on this list except #4 is not a big deal. Your feelings are really going to be hurt when you get this thing offroad and scratch the sh*t out of everything.

I understand where you're coming from and you're not wrong, but nothing here screams negligence and certainly nothing to be pissed off about.

I understand the spirit of your comment, Shawn, but the manner in which the customer's vehicle may or may not used later on, and the consequences of doing so, is solely with their purview to determine.

A shop that is presented with prima facia evidence of a reduced standard of care (a fancy way of saying documented sloppiness) is duty bound to respond. Going into radio silence, as the OP stated they've now done, is usually the last thing to occur before blackballing the offending vendor. Being incommunicado in that manner is only mildly worse than defending said sloppiness, doubly so when taken in context with the king's ransom labor rates being charged these days. This is hardly the only thread to illustrate how a business didn't take care to take care.

I agree that the sum total of the OP's claim doesn't rise to negligence, but the offhanded dismissal of his concerns is a bit risible.

 

[chevymitchell]

I understand the spirit of your comment, Shawn, but the manner in which the customer's vehicle may or may not used later on, and the consequences of doing so, is solely with their purview to determine.

A shop that is presented with prima facia evidence of a reduced standard of care (a fancy way of saying documented sloppiness) is duty bound to respond. Going into radio silence, as the OP stated they've now done, is usually the last thing to occur before blackballing the offending vendor. Being incommunicado in that manner is only mildly worse than defending said sloppiness, doubly so when taken in context with the king's ransom labor rates being charged these days. This is hardly the only thread to illustrate how a business didn't take care to take care.

I agree that the sum total of the OP's claim doesn't rise to negligence, but the offhanded dismissal of his concerns is a bit risible.

*prima facie

I wish the OP luck with his purview. Lol.

 

[Heimkehr]

If a spelling error was the worst of it, fair enough.

 

[ZigZag]

The larger winches don't fit easily into the cutout in the stock steel bumper. I am not certain that it is possible to avoid scratching the winch when installing the upper bolts. I don't have the Warn Xeon 12s Platinum, Mine is the Superwinch XS 10000 SR which is about the same size. I trimmed the bumper areas around the opening to make room. But the winch got scratched anyway.

Just saying... Things happen. The shop should at least explain what happened and discuss solutions. Not sure replacing the winch is necessary. But it sounds like your Jeep is a showpiece and not an off-roader. So maybe the unscratched winch is more important to you that it would be to me.

On my winch the rope was preinstalled. So the only way to install the abrasion guard was during tensioning. It wasn't like I could have install the guard before I installed the rope.

 

[RELBUS]

The larger winches don't fit easily into the cutout in the stock steel bumper. I am not certain that it is possible to avoid scratching the winch when installing the upper bolts. I don't have the Warn Xeon 12s Platinum, Mine is the Superwinch XS 10000 SR which is about the same size. I trimmed the bumper areas around the opening to make room. But the winch got scratched anyway.

Just saying... Things happen. The shop should at least explain what happened and discuss solutions. Not sure replacing the winch is necessary. But it sounds like your Jeep is a showpiece and not an off-roader. So maybe the unscratched winch is more important to you that it would be to me.

On my winch the rope was preinstalled. So the only way to install the abrasion guard was during tensioning. It wasn't like I could have install the guard before I installed the rope.

Understand that its tight , and the 12s is a big boy. It is possible though. I can remove and or install the bolts with the winch in place. I wonder if it was their $2500 winch if they could manage to avoid scratching.

Yes, my 392 Jeep is a garage queen. No not necessary. However that damage will bother me every time I see it for as long as I own the Jeep. I didn't supply a damaged winch, and don't expect to live with one due to their incompetence.

Hmm, maybe the rope was preinstalled? I will have to inquire.

 

[Zero_Accel]

Issues 3 and 4 I can see being a problem, and I would talk it over with the shop and see if you guys can come to a resolution. Especially with the new winch being damaged.

2 can be fixed with rubbing alcohol, it's a bit annoying they left the marks in the first place, but it's just easier to wipe the paint down rather than bring it up.

1 is annoying, some Rustoleum touch up paint will help. Also, while this won't 'fix' the issue, if the touch up spots still annoy you, Maximus-3 makes filler trim plates that go in between the bumper that can replace the plastic trim piece you lose when installing a winch.

Makes it look cleaner and will cover up the touch up spots. My old man has a set on his JT with his Warn EVO.

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