C4 Fabrication
New member
Hi this is Caleb, owner of C4. I am very sorry to hear about the issues with the swing arm adjustment. I would also like to apologize for not getting back to your email. I did see the email in the inbox and I was trying to consider the best course of action to fix the issue and I left the message as "read" and completely forgot to get back to you. So the lack of email response is my fault.
It sounds like you have had your rear bumper for a while so it was most likely within the first batch of them that we built. We had a couple others that had the same issue. What happens is that the bearings in the pivot point have a certain amount of play that needs to be compensated for when assembling the bumper. We adjust the arm up higher than it needs to be knowing that it will settle and line up to the latch afterwards. Within the first batch of these bumpers we had a few that did not get setup high enough from the start and it caused this exact issue to happen. Its not a case of a bent or twisted mounting bracket or a lack of gussets on the pivot mount bracket. I have been using this exact same setup on my personal 4runner for almost two years now and we have had zero issues with the pivot bracket and its strength. This is 100% a setup issue from the start.
As for the latch mechanism, we received a few from a bad batch that came from the supplier that makes the latches. The roll pin was not properly rounded at the ends which allowed the pin to fall out of some of the latches. This same issue happened with a couple other manufacturers that use these latches in similar applications. Some of those shops had to send back 100's at a time of these latches to get replaced with the ones that have the better roll pin installed. We will gladly send you a replacement latch, but that's an easy fix. The real problem is the gate not lining up with the catch plate. At this point the only solution will unfortunately require a fab shop. I think some material could be sanded off the top of the latch catch and some material could also be removed from inside the opening where the latch bolts on to allow the gate to close without having to lift it. I would like to speak with you directly over the phone or through email to figure out the best solution that will work for you. Of course we will gladly cover any expenses incurred during the repair or replacement process. Could you please PM me your full name so I can look it up in our email system and get back to you?
Again I am very sorry for this issue and we will do whatever we need to get it resolved.
Wow you are good at putting people/companies on blast using false information! Im not sure which "issues" you are referring to with the front bumper high clearance cut. That product hasn't been released yet so there could literally be no issues with it.
The ladder situation has already been addressed and a solution has been put into affect. I'm not sure where you are getting (currently on version three) from. We have only ever had one version of this product that has fit extremely well since we released it. Out of the 100's of these ladders we have sold there has only been 10 so far out of the one small batch that had the issue with the top plate not fitting correctly. That issue stemmed from us making a slight bend adjustment to the top plate to ensure that it stuck itself down to the hatch as best as possible. That small batch of parts got slightly over bent which resulted in the top plate issue.
Typically I do not spend much time or energy responding to these types of comments but I guess you caught me on a day where I feel the need to defend my company and all of the people within it that work their asses off to produce what we consider to be the highest quality products in this specific industry. We strive to make every product the best one it can be, but mistakes do happen since we employ real people who assemble, weld and finish every product by hand right here in the US.
Its unfortunate that certain people feel the need to attack a company right away for having a few flaws that have already been addressed and that have solutions in process. We pride ourselves in taking care of our customers and doing everything possible to make sure we resolve a product issue with them should it arise.
Mistakes do happen and its unfortunate, but situations like this help us reevaluate our QC and implement new ways to improve each product. I feel that we do the best we possibly can along the way to accommodate the customer if a product issue arises.
Yes that is the same thing that happened to us. One of the batches of handles we got from the supplier had a few improperly installed roll pins.
