skiwindjunkie
Guest
This post is to not bash Toytec as they do have cool products but just to give others a heads up on my experience.
I purchased Bilstein 5100's adjust. fronts and 5100 rear shocks from them on Jan 10, 2012.
Last week my right rear shock mount snapped. Toyota was ready to place OEM's but I felt that my shock would be covered under warranty. So I brought the car to my tire guy to install for me because he is way less $. So I was already into Toyota for $40 to tell me my shock was toast. My tire guy put it on for $10 bucks. So I called Toytec and bought a new one and sent the broken one in for credit. Toytec calls back and says the manufacturer will not warranty the shock as it is too corroded to qualify. I was like WHAT? The shock is a little over a year old? My OEM's lasted 10 years!!!!!!!!!! Now I am starting to regret going Billy. So peeved I called Bilstein direct. (massive customer service) They tell me my shock has never come through the door. Matter of fact they say "we have not received any warranties from Toytec in over 2 years". Huh. So I call back Toytec and say: the manufacturer said you did not send them my shock. She said that because we buy it from a second party and they said they would not warranty it. I said but you said the manufacturer wouldn't so you lied. She said they buy from a second party and not Bilstein direct. I asked who the second party was and she would not give me that info saying it was to protect Toytec and the 2nd party. I said, then please mail me back my shock from your second party. Well I find out with more convo that my shock is still at Toytec and that they just mail the second party a photo and that is how warranties get done.
So I get my shock and send pictures to Lisa in warranty at Bilstien (did I say massive customer service) She wanted me to take photos of all my bushings and my shocks. She called me to say they are WAY over torqued. (yes my tire guy put them all on...you get what you pay for) That is why it failed. Also to replace all of my bushings pronto or your shocks will not last long. They also sent me free two rear bushings with full photos and instructions. The front bushings are O.E. which I ordered from Toyota.
So my post is that my shocks failed due to over torquing. Toytec just flat out blew off saying there was too much rust and corrosion on the shock and NEVER mentioned any install problem. My tire guy who is really great but you get what you pay for. Toyota Dealer never mentioned my shocks were over torqued. But Bilstein ROCKED.
They had every intention of covering the warranty but come to find out it was install error. At least I have a definitive reason for warranty not being covered. But the BS that rust was a factor just was a joke.
But even though Bilstein was awesome in this "big waste of my time", I will go back to the OEM shocks when they fail.
Here is a photo of my "too corroded shock just over one year of use":
BILSTEINS REPLY: (the two photos of the excessive pre-load and snapped mount are from my 4runner)
Upper stem mount bushings should secured such that following removal of gap between chassis and bushing, five-six addition rotations of the nylock nut will provide adequate bushing pre-load.
Rear Toyota 4Runner with proper bushing pre-load:
View attachment untitled.bmp
Excessive bushing pre-load:
View attachment untitled1.bmp
Will disallow proper lateral articulation and fatigue mounting point:
View attachment untitled2.bmp
Front shock does not include bushings, o.e. bushings are integral in upper mount.
Rear shock uses kit number B4-KT1-Z103A00 or for each shock use:
Ø 1x) 2517640
Ø 2x) E4-SB2-Z008A02
Ø 2x) E4-AP3-Z007A00
I purchased Bilstein 5100's adjust. fronts and 5100 rear shocks from them on Jan 10, 2012.
Last week my right rear shock mount snapped. Toyota was ready to place OEM's but I felt that my shock would be covered under warranty. So I brought the car to my tire guy to install for me because he is way less $. So I was already into Toyota for $40 to tell me my shock was toast. My tire guy put it on for $10 bucks. So I called Toytec and bought a new one and sent the broken one in for credit. Toytec calls back and says the manufacturer will not warranty the shock as it is too corroded to qualify. I was like WHAT? The shock is a little over a year old? My OEM's lasted 10 years!!!!!!!!!! Now I am starting to regret going Billy. So peeved I called Bilstein direct. (massive customer service) They tell me my shock has never come through the door. Matter of fact they say "we have not received any warranties from Toytec in over 2 years". Huh. So I call back Toytec and say: the manufacturer said you did not send them my shock. She said that because we buy it from a second party and they said they would not warranty it. I said but you said the manufacturer wouldn't so you lied. She said they buy from a second party and not Bilstein direct. I asked who the second party was and she would not give me that info saying it was to protect Toytec and the 2nd party. I said, then please mail me back my shock from your second party. Well I find out with more convo that my shock is still at Toytec and that they just mail the second party a photo and that is how warranties get done.
So I get my shock and send pictures to Lisa in warranty at Bilstien (did I say massive customer service) She wanted me to take photos of all my bushings and my shocks. She called me to say they are WAY over torqued. (yes my tire guy put them all on...you get what you pay for) That is why it failed. Also to replace all of my bushings pronto or your shocks will not last long. They also sent me free two rear bushings with full photos and instructions. The front bushings are O.E. which I ordered from Toyota.
So my post is that my shocks failed due to over torquing. Toytec just flat out blew off saying there was too much rust and corrosion on the shock and NEVER mentioned any install problem. My tire guy who is really great but you get what you pay for. Toyota Dealer never mentioned my shocks were over torqued. But Bilstein ROCKED.
They had every intention of covering the warranty but come to find out it was install error. At least I have a definitive reason for warranty not being covered. But the BS that rust was a factor just was a joke.
But even though Bilstein was awesome in this "big waste of my time", I will go back to the OEM shocks when they fail.
Here is a photo of my "too corroded shock just over one year of use":
BILSTEINS REPLY: (the two photos of the excessive pre-load and snapped mount are from my 4runner)
Upper stem mount bushings should secured such that following removal of gap between chassis and bushing, five-six addition rotations of the nylock nut will provide adequate bushing pre-load.
Rear Toyota 4Runner with proper bushing pre-load:
View attachment untitled.bmp
Excessive bushing pre-load:
View attachment untitled1.bmp
Will disallow proper lateral articulation and fatigue mounting point:
View attachment untitled2.bmp
Front shock does not include bushings, o.e. bushings are integral in upper mount.
Rear shock uses kit number B4-KT1-Z103A00 or for each shock use:
Ø 1x) 2517640
Ø 2x) E4-SB2-Z008A02
Ø 2x) E4-AP3-Z007A00
