On Board Air/4wheelparts.com rant
#1
05-21-2008, 09:14 PM
On Board Air/4wheelparts.com rant
I have been working on wrapping up my on-board air on the cheap. Here is a status update...
The chrome Harbor Freight compressor ...breaks.
4WheelParts.com ...sucks.
To address the first, I got it all plumbed, pumped it up to 140psi and it shut off but on start up, it lost all its pressure. I opened it up and the "valves" on the piston (aka piece of very thin aluminum that flaps over a hole) disintegrated. Oh well..it was a good try on a $40 compressor..should have expected it. Works great as a stand-alone but I dont think it was designed to handle the constant pressures of running a tank. I'll probably go for a Viair to replace it. That thing ran so hot too. It was far too hot to touch. Not a bad deal though to keep in the back of your truck. Better than other compressors ive tried.
To address the second, where to begin...oye. Started back when I was buying wheels. I called on one that was for sale on the website because I had a fitment question about a part number. The guy told me they didn't actually have them and that it was on backorder. I asked how long it would take...he said he wouldn't put it on back order because American Racing charges them 25% more and it cuts into their profit too much. Yet there were tons of wheel options you could place in your cart and happliy enter a credit card number. That saga goes on into further questionable customer service but has nothing to do with an on-board air compressor.
I ordered a bunch of the Viair parts to wire up my compressor to a tank I also purchased from them. 3 days later I get an e-mail that they only have the tank in stock..everything else is on back order and i could expect it in 7-10 days. No biggie I thought...but that was 3 weeks ago. I checked in for an update...no response. I asked them to cancel...no response. The way its going so far, they will probalby cancel and then charge me a 15% restocking fee on something they didn't have in stock.
So while I love looking at 4wheelparts.com, I dont think I will ever order from them again. If anybody from 4WheelParts.com is on here, coming from a webmaster who manages several high volume online stores, you seriously need to look into a better system of notifying shoppers of inventory levels. Or at least a way to let them know they will have to wait 3 weeks to get what they paid for before they checkout. Selling things you dont have and selling things you don't intend to have is the definition of a shady online business.
Oh and the on board air is going to be pretty awesome once I get a new pump....now I just have to figure out where to get it since we know where I WONT be shopping.
[sm=rant.gif]
*Note: If 4wheelparts.com does something to make me happy, I will gladly retract my rant before they get googlebombed withbad reviews.
The chrome Harbor Freight compressor ...breaks.
4WheelParts.com ...sucks.
To address the first, I got it all plumbed, pumped it up to 140psi and it shut off but on start up, it lost all its pressure. I opened it up and the "valves" on the piston (aka piece of very thin aluminum that flaps over a hole) disintegrated. Oh well..it was a good try on a $40 compressor..should have expected it. Works great as a stand-alone but I dont think it was designed to handle the constant pressures of running a tank. I'll probably go for a Viair to replace it. That thing ran so hot too. It was far too hot to touch. Not a bad deal though to keep in the back of your truck. Better than other compressors ive tried.
To address the second, where to begin...oye. Started back when I was buying wheels. I called on one that was for sale on the website because I had a fitment question about a part number. The guy told me they didn't actually have them and that it was on backorder. I asked how long it would take...he said he wouldn't put it on back order because American Racing charges them 25% more and it cuts into their profit too much. Yet there were tons of wheel options you could place in your cart and happliy enter a credit card number. That saga goes on into further questionable customer service but has nothing to do with an on-board air compressor.
I ordered a bunch of the Viair parts to wire up my compressor to a tank I also purchased from them. 3 days later I get an e-mail that they only have the tank in stock..everything else is on back order and i could expect it in 7-10 days. No biggie I thought...but that was 3 weeks ago. I checked in for an update...no response. I asked them to cancel...no response. The way its going so far, they will probalby cancel and then charge me a 15% restocking fee on something they didn't have in stock.
So while I love looking at 4wheelparts.com, I dont think I will ever order from them again. If anybody from 4WheelParts.com is on here, coming from a webmaster who manages several high volume online stores, you seriously need to look into a better system of notifying shoppers of inventory levels. Or at least a way to let them know they will have to wait 3 weeks to get what they paid for before they checkout. Selling things you dont have and selling things you don't intend to have is the definition of a shady online business.
Oh and the on board air is going to be pretty awesome once I get a new pump....now I just have to figure out where to get it since we know where I WONT be shopping.
[sm=rant.gif]
*Note: If 4wheelparts.com does something to make me happy, I will gladly retract my rant before they get googlebombed withbad reviews.
#2
05-21-2008, 09:31 PM
RE: On Board Air/4wheelparts.com rant
i hate 4whp...dont even get me started with the problems i had with them and my bronco (they install my shocks wrong, they break, i ask for new shocks...they refuse until i call my dad and start telling him what a ****ty store this is in front of about 25 customers...i got 4 new shocks!)
yesterday, my friend goes in to 4whp and asks for a price quote on tires...they tell him $1200
i call less than an hour later, same tires, same everything....$775
yesterday, my friend goes in to 4whp and asks for a price quote on tires...they tell him $1200
i call less than an hour later, same tires, same everything....$775
#3
05-21-2008, 10:00 PM
RE: On Board Air/4wheelparts.com rant
After doing a little research, I have a hunch that my compressor exploded because I forgot to put on a check valve. Does that sound about right to anybody?
#4
05-22-2008, 08:38 AM
RE: On Board Air/4wheelparts.com rant
Well Ghost... I bought a set of line wrenches from Harbor Freight and they sprung on the first fitting. I knew better but got sucked in by being cheap. My Dad and Grandpa always told me "Your tools will take care of you if you take care of them. Get good tools and you won't have to worry." Duh! NOW, all I buy are Craftsman or better tools and I don't care what they cost!
4WheelParts? I've always had good luck with them and I've bought a ton of CJ5 parts over the years. Maybe they've gotten too big and overextended, they seem to be everywhere now days.
4WheelParts? I've always had good luck with them and I've bought a ton of CJ5 parts over the years. Maybe they've gotten too big and overextended, they seem to be everywhere now days.
#5
07-08-2008, 01:54 PM
RE: On Board Air/4wheelparts.com rant
Harbor Frieght Compressor 1) Filled up to 140psi twice then blew a valve on the piston.
Harbor Frieght Compressor 2) Made it to 110psi then blew a valve on the piston.
Harbor Freight compressor 3) Filled up to 140psi once then blew a valve on the piston while deflating.
I ended up getting a Viair 400C from HornBlasters.com Ebay Store
http://stores.ebay.com/Hornblasters_...QQftidZ2QQtZkm
Great deal...best price I could find and quick shipping.
After having the harbor frieght and the Viair side by side....night and day difference...not even close to being the same compressor. works awesome and I love it!!!
(yes, those 3 harbor frieght compressors were on the service plan. One guy let me keep one of the broken ones. If I feel like fixing it, I have 2 extra pumps sitting around now...not a bad deal... 2 pumps for $49.99...even if only 1 works..kinda.)
Harbor Frieght Compressor 2) Made it to 110psi then blew a valve on the piston.
Harbor Freight compressor 3) Filled up to 140psi once then blew a valve on the piston while deflating.
I ended up getting a Viair 400C from HornBlasters.com Ebay Store
http://stores.ebay.com/Hornblasters_...QQftidZ2QQtZkm
Great deal...best price I could find and quick shipping.
After having the harbor frieght and the Viair side by side....night and day difference...not even close to being the same compressor. works awesome and I love it!!!
(yes, those 3 harbor frieght compressors were on the service plan. One guy let me keep one of the broken ones. If I feel like fixing it, I have 2 extra pumps sitting around now...not a bad deal... 2 pumps for $49.99...even if only 1 works..kinda.)
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