No, PST doesn't always resolve problems satisfactorily
I am prompted to post this email chain I had with PST after another "PST Concerns" thread was abruptly closed by a moderator. I had purchased their Greasable Pivot Shafts and when I received them they simply didn't fit into either of the 2 K-Frames I have. Period.
This problem was also mentioned not too long ago in another thread:
Ok, LCA came off with pry bar and shaft was still in LCA. Put a pipe wrench on it and took some effort to get it turning where i could eventually tap the pipe wrench and get it out. My old pilot shaft went in by hand no resistance and you can move it laterally in other words its not snug in the bushing.
I noticed the taper was longer on the PST shaft and a little larger. Ill be removing the other side also.
View attachment 1715170361 View attachment 1715170362 View attachment 1715170363 View attachment 1715170364
As per the following email chain with James, I brought the problem to PST's attention, shipped the shafts back and asked for my money back. After 8 months of getting the "Customer Service Rope-a-dope" from PST ("Didn't Dan contact you?","Never got your email", "Don't see the problem" etc), I just got fed up and suggested he send me a couple of their (shitty) fender covers for my Hundred bucks, as my request for a refund was simply ignored.
Since then, I have purchased their 1.03 Bars and Adjustable strut rods, which arrived and went in just fine so this isn't a general condemnation of PST. HOWEVER, I can attest to the fact that when folks have problems with PST products, their response can be pretty damn far from "Let's give him a refund and figure out what's wrong", "Customer is always right", or even "Let's make it right to encourage future business" etc. More like "Ignore/deny it until it goes away"
-----Original Message-----
From:
[email protected] [
mailto:[email protected]]
Sent:
March-06-15 6:22 AM
To: “Dusterdenovo”
Subject: Re: FW: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Hello Larry,
I will shipping the fender covers out shortly.
Thanks
James
-----Original Message-----
From: “Dusterdenovo”
Sent: Wednesday,
February 18, 2015 4:29pm
To:
[email protected],
Subject: Re: FW: Greasable Pivot Shafts
No offense taken. Just offering what I think would be a mutually agreeable resolution.
Thanks, Larry
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From:
[email protected]
Date: Wed,
18 Feb 2015 15:59:35
To: “Dusterdenovo”
Subject: Re: FW: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Hi Larry,
My intentions was not to offend you. I was just letting you know what I found.
I am working with management on where we are going to go from here. I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks
James
-----Original Message-----
From: “Dusterdenovo”
Sent: Wednesday,
February 18, 2015 3:35pm
To:
[email protected],
Subject: Re: FW: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Hi James:
All I can tell you is that I have 2 K frames that the shafts did not fit properly in to. If they worked, they would already be in my car.
Why don't you just send me a couple of fender covers to replace them and we call it a day then?
Thanks, Larry
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From:
[email protected]
Date: Wed,
18 Feb 2015 13:18:57
To: “Dusterdenovo”
Subject: Re: FW: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Hi Larry,
Sorry that it has taken so long to get back to you about the pivot shaft. It has been so terribly cold here and finding the time on the weekend to put them in my Duster has been tough. I can't seem to see the issue that you are having. I did not install them in the arm, but I did install them in the k-frame ( V-8 K frame) with no issue. I then pulled from our stock a set of the OE style non greasable pivot shafts to compare them side by side and take measurements. They match identically to the oe stlye. The only difference is the over all length as the greasable is longer and the portion that goes into the bushing is different as the greasable is to be used less the inner shell.
Thanks
James
-----Original Message-----
From: “Dusterdenovo”
Sent: Tuesday,
February 3, 2015 1:50pm
To:
[email protected],
Subject: Re: FW: Greasable Pivot Shafts
OK, thanks James.
I'll wait to hear back from you.
Cheers, Larry
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From:
[email protected]
Date: Tue,
3 Feb 2015 13:13:53
To: “Dusterdenovo”
Subject: RE: FW: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Hello Larry,
I got the pivot shafts today. Thank you for sending them to me. I plan to take them to my personal shop this weekend to fit them to my car (72 Duster) to see if I can see where the issue is.
Thanks
James
-----Original Message-----
From: “Dusterdenovo”
Sent: Thursday,
January 22, 2015 8:58pm
To:
[email protected]
Subject: RE: FW: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Hi James:
I got a UPS shipping label, if that's what you mean.
The box will be dropped off at a UPS station in Washington this weekend.
Thanks, Larry
-----Original Message-----
From:
[email protected] [
mailto:[email protected]]
Sent:
January-22-15 12:48 PM
To: “Dusterdenovo”
Subject: RE: FW: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Larry,
Did you get the call tag?
Thanks
James
-----Original Message-----
From: “Dusterdenovo”
Sent: Friday,
January 16, 2015 1:02am
To:
[email protected]
Subject: FW: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Hello James:
I sent this message to you last Friday (January 9)-not sure why you didn't receive it, but here it is again.
If you review the below thread from last summer, I explained my problem with the Pivot shafts that they don't fit into the K-Frame. I wasn't talking about the end that fits into the PG bushing, I was talking about the threaded end.
I never ever did hear from "Dan", as I explained in my last reply. You guys just let this die. I paid $100 for shafts that don't work, the point of bringing this to your attention was that I wanted my money back because they don't fit. I just picked up another K-Frame, and they don't fit that one either. The shafts are wrong.
Please contact me back about my refund. Happy to explain to you anything you need clarified, supply pictures whatever.
Thanks, Larry
-----Original Message-----
From: “Dusterdenovo”
Sent:
June-18-14 10:28 PM
To:
[email protected]
Subject: RE: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Hi James:
Congratulations on the new arrival. Life is over as you know it!
I used my original shells (discussed below), just pushed the bushings in by hand, then pressed the shafts into the bushings. Everything looked just the same as your picture. I'm not sure, but
the shafts may possibly have been binding on the front smaller hole of the K frame, but not sure. They just (both sides) stopped about 1/8" back from where they needed to be.
Then the control arms just slipped off of the bushings (shafts and bushings stayed together pretty snugly) as I was trying to tighten up the fwd strut bushings. They were that slippery. Decided not to proceed as I seemed to be playing an all around bad hand.
No, I never heard from the other chap.
Thanks, Larry
-----Original Message-----
From:
[email protected] [
mailto:[email protected]]
Sent:
June-18-14 5:48 AM
To: “Dusterdenovo”
Subject: RE: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Hello Larry,
I am doing a follow up to your email.
Did Dan from our customer service get in contact with you ? Normally this is something that I would handle but I have been out of the office this past week as my wife had our first child. The greasable shafts are designed to be exactly the same in fit and form as the originals except for the portion that is installed into the lower control arm bushing. That portion is larger in diameter than stock because they are used with our polygraphite bushing with less the inner bushing sleeve. Fitting into the k member should have not been an issue. As for the issue of the bushing and the shell. Did you press the shell in first and then the bushing, then the shaft? I just did one recently here and had no issue with install. Attached is a photo. Was your seated like this one prior to installation into the K member ?
Thanks
James
-----Original Message-----
From: “Dusterdenovo”
Sent: Monday,
June 9, 2014 1:54am
To:
[email protected]
Subject: RE: Greasable Pivot Shafts
Hi James:
So I want to run this by you:
today I installed my assembled Left side lower control arm with the greasable pivot shaft. The new shaft is bigger dia. than the original such that it won't seat all the way forward in the K member. I reefed the hell out of the nut and it's still about 1/8" back of where it needs to be. Also, while I was doing this, the LCA (outer shell) slid back off the bushing/shaft about 1/4" so there isn't much friction there keeping things together. I haven't put the torsion bar in yet, which I understand from previous email that it should help hold everything together.
Is this common? Any thoughts or ideas about the shaft fitting into the (original 6 banger) K Member?
Thanks in advance,
Larry
