Seattle Area Maintenance and Meet

[Ehahn84]

Do you need someone to show you or help you? When are you planning on doing it. I only ask because last person I "help" I ended up doing the whole thing.

I understand where you're coming from. Helping aka doing it all sucks. I need some help...never done it before. I'm pretty good with tools and such. Just replaced my radiator, sway bushings, end links, timing belt and all that stuff. Just kind of intimidated and would like a helping hand not someone to do it for me.

 

[99Runnr]

I understand where you're coming from. Helping aka doing it all sucks. I need some help...never done it before. I'm pretty good with tools and such. Just replaced my radiator, sway bushings, end links, timing belt and all that stuff. Just kind of intimidated and would like a helping hand not someone to do it for me.

If you did a timing belt, this isn't a big deal.

I can give you a hand, if Toyta89 comes as well he can see my sliders in question. Air tools aren't necessary for this job, they help as always but there isn't many fasteners. Just make sure you have a decent 14mm box wrench on hand for the front upper mounting nuts.

My truck needed some persuasion like most of these do now. Your standard wrench didn't cut it and almost stripped the nut. If you look in there you'll see, 2 of them are accessible by a ratchet, but the front-most nut doesn't have any space. So I can bring my extended 14mm wrench I purchased for the job. Made removing that nut/torquing much easier.

 

[Badmotorfinger]

A reciprocating saw is good to have for cutting the rear shock shafts so you don't have to try to remove those top bolts.

I would have so much more done to my truck if I knew a good place to have work done around here. I live in an apartment so I've been driving out to Tinkham road and doing work alone in the mountains. Installed my lift out in the woods by myself. Sucks.

 

[busmup808]

Are there any other places to get sliders local other than xofab or badland bumpers.
I wanted to go with badland bumpers but after emails and phone calls seems like they or either too busy focusing on their other business that makes more money or dont want my money.

Cody @ badland did all my armor and had great customer service. I drove to him 3 weeks in a row to get my armor done. Front bumper, rear tire carrier, and sliders last. I installed the front and rear bumpers myself and he welded the sliders for me

 

[dwmckeehen]

Are there any other places to get sliders local other than xofab or badland bumpers.
I wanted to go with badland bumpers but after emails and phone calls seems like they or either too busy focusing on their other business that makes more money or dont want my money.

I can't recommend Mule Expidition Outfitters in Issaquah strongly enough for any mod work you have. These guys do awesome work, whether it is installing other company's products or doing custom work for you. They did our lift and installed our bull bar a few months ago. We are going back in a couple weeks to get our dual battery system and winch installed.

They are super knowlegeable, and they take their time to get to know you, what you want to do and then they make good, solid recommendations. I began the conversation with a list of components I thought I wanted for our dual battery system and winch, but after talking back and forth with the owner, have settled on much better components for our needs.

They are all awesome, fun people there, and their prices for gear and mechanic time is good. Check out their Facebook page, you will get an idea of what they can do.

 

[A.Wilson013]

Are there any other places to get sliders local other than xofab or badland bumpers.
I wanted to go with badland bumpers but after emails and phone calls seems like they or either too busy focusing on their other business that makes more money or dont want my money.

My experience with Badlands was less than ideal, but you simply CANNOT beat their labor rates unless you DIY. Because of that, they're slammed.

I think you basically have to call them and tell them what to do, and when to do it.

Call them up, ask them how much for sliders, tell them you want, and need them to give you a date to come by.

I can't recommend Mule Expidition Outfitters in Issaquah strongly enough for any mod work you have...

...prices for gear and mechanic time is good.

I really like the folks at Mule and they've really hooked me up with some great deals in the past. Great people, cool shop.

That said, their shop rates and custom fab rates are NOT good- in fact they're, in my opinion, outrageous at over $100/hr. (I don't remember if it was $115 or $125)

Tor charges closer to $90, and Badlands is $60.

While Mule does do some great work, I feel it'd be an exageration to say they're on par with Tor's guys up at TorFab.

I support Mule whenever I can through the purchase of equipment, but my pockets are simply not deep enough to ever have them turn a wrench on my vehicle.

 

[busmup808]

My experience with Badlands was less than ideal, but you simply CANNOT beat their labor rates unless you DIY. Because of that, they're slammed.

I think you basically have to call them and tell them what to do, and when to do it.

Call them up, ask them how much for sliders, tell them you want, and need them to give you a date to come by.



I really like the folks at Mule and they've really hooked me up with some great deals in the past. Great people, cool shop.

That said, their shop rates and custom fab rates are NOT good- in fact they're, in my opinion, outrageous at over $100/hr. (I don't remember if it was $115 or $125)

Tor charges closer to $90, and Badlands is $60.

While Mule does do some great work, I feel it'd be an exageration to say they're on par with Tor's guys up at TorFab.

I support Mule whenever I can through the purchase of equipment, but my pockets are simply not deep enough to ever have them turn a wrench on my vehicle.

Nicely said Alex. That's why I do my own wrenching!

 

[Tyota89]

I understand where you're coming from. Helping aka doing it all sucks. I need some help...never done it before. I'm pretty good with tools and such. Just replaced my radiator, sway bushings, end links, timing belt and all that stuff. Just kind of intimidated and would like a helping hand not someone to do it for me.

Alright just let me know when you want to do it, it is pretty straight forward. Do you have a garage?
[MENTION=105773]busmup808[/MENTION] maybe ill wait for the call, I really wanted to go with them since I plan on doing bumpers too. Ill try calling once more, just been trying to schedule a appointment to get it done.
[MENTION=63487]A.Wilson013[/MENTION] pretty much what I did other than the date, I have friends who can weld so that really isnt an issue.
[MENTION=132328]99Runnr[/MENTION] sound good let me know when you guys end up wrenching on it.. 3 should knock it out quick.

 

[busmup808]

This is his cell.
Cody Badlandbumpers.com
206-255-5047

 

[Tyota89]

This is his cell.
Cody Badlandbumpers.com
206-255-5047

Sweet, thanks man. I was calling jeff and keep having to rely on him to relay the message to cody.

 

[99Runnr]

Wow, that is surprising to me that badlands is so busy/tough to deal with. I didn't realize they were so close, you had mentioned them before to me Tyota89. I literally called the number off their site at like 9 pm on a Saturday. Ended up talking for 10 minutes or so on the phone about my situation at the time.

He invited me to come up there the following day and said turn around for bumpers would be sub-1 week if I was ready to go. I don't have a name for him, but he said his eyes were gone so he didn't build them himself much anymore. I believe he was the owner.

Regardless, my first impression of their willingness to do business was strong.

 

[dwmckeehen]

My experience with Badlands was less than ideal, but you simply CANNOT beat their labor rates unless you DIY. Because of that, they're slammed.

I think you basically have to call them and tell them what to do, and when to do it.

Call them up, ask them how much for sliders, tell them you want, and need them to give you a date to come by.



...I really like the folks at Mule and they've really hooked me up with some great deals in the past. Great people, cool shop.

That said, their shop rates and custom fab rates are NOT good- in fact they're, in my opinion, outrageous at over $100/hr. (I don't remember if it was $115 or $125)...

Mule is charging me $95.00 per hour. Also, when I called around I did get quoted a little less per hour for the work I was requesting, but did not get nearly the volume of time, expertise and advice from the other shops when it came to planning out components rhat would best fit our needs, and the time they told me it was going to take to get the job done was longer than the Mule quote so the labor actually ended up being more. I think that when comparing bottom lines between shops, Mule isn't really that much more.

All things considered, the best way to do any work, as has been mentioned in this thread in different ways, is to invest in tools instead of labor and do it yourself. It can be a *****, but there is no better way to know and understand your rig, and the sense of accomplishment is awesome. Thanks to this forum, I have tackled jobs I would never have thought possible.

If I wasn't so damned electrically challenged, I would tackle this dual battery system, but I want it done right and it was clear in talking to the owner at Mule who is kind of an electronic geek, I would be much better off handing this work to him.

 

[busmup808]

Sweet, thanks man. I was calling jeff and keep having to rely on him to relay the message to cody.

Yah Jeff is the dad and currently working on his own property with the other company. His son Cody is full-time in the shop and making armor for Badlandbumpers.com. The 2 companies are not in the same area. They should change the contact information to cody instead of the Dad Jeff.

 

[Hepar]

A few quick edits! more to come

An asian with a camera. How original.

 

[A.Wilson013]

Mule is charging me $95.00 per hour. Also, when I called around I did get quoted a little less per hour for the work I was requesting, but did not get nearly the volume of time, expertise and advice from the other shops when it came to planning out components rhat would best fit our needs, and the time they told me it was going to take to get the job done was longer than the Mule quote so the labor actually ended up being more. I think that when comparing bottom lines between shops, Mule isn't really that much more.

If they're at $95, that's not too bad. Pretty average for around here. When I was in the shop a month or two ago they had the shop rates listed above the door to the shop and it was at the prices I listed.

 

[Tyota89]

Wow sounds like the opposite experience I had. He did say they had another business. Sucks they acted that way. My sliders were $250 installed/prepainted.

You paid 250 for installed and paint? He quoted me 250 for bare non installed.

 

[busmup808]

I paid $300 total
$225 bare
$75 installed

You guys must of had a deal going on at the time you paid

 

[Tyota89]

How was painting it on vehicle? Or is yours still bare. Thanks again for codys # one call got me further than a month of email and calls to jeff.

 

[99Runnr]

You paid 250 for installed and paint? He quoted me 250 for bare non installed.

I paid 200 for mine painted and welded on in my package deal. I was saying 250 for the ones I have painted and welded on as an individual price.

Sliders never even came up in my discussion with badlands. So i had no clue what they charged. I honestly didn't even get pricing from him cause he couldn't read the screen lol. I got a ballpark figure for just bumpers.

 

[busmup808]

How was painting it on vehicle? Or is yours still bare. Thanks again for codys # one call got me further than a month of email and calls to jeff.

I rolled liner and spray paint. I really don't care about over spray, so I have a lot on the truck. My truck is black anyway and I'm not entering it in any car show. Glad to help with the number.