69 Nova. 5.3 L33 Turbo build. Billet S474, LOTS of pictures...
06-07-2016, 06:55 AM
#341
I got them yesterday, threw the tires on them and bolted them to the car. I'm about to post the pics in my thread if you care to take a look. The wheels look nice the shipping box said 46 lbs. So I'm guessing they're 20-23 lbs ea. A whole lot lighter than my 17x9 steel wheels I made LOL.
06-12-2016, 06:35 AM
#344
I like those-I have Street Lites on my car, one front one had a slow leak, was going to the track but held off
The leak was a crack all the way around the outer portion of the rim, couldn't see it until I broke the bead loose and looked inside-hopefully they warnt. it, since its just inside the 3 year window-it was a disaster waiting to happen, def going to ck the other side
The leak was a crack all the way around the outer portion of the rim, couldn't see it until I broke the bead loose and looked inside-hopefully they warnt. it, since its just inside the 3 year window-it was a disaster waiting to happen, def going to ck the other side
08-13-2016, 01:44 PM
#350
Restricted User
Thread Starter
Major failure today. I guess I'll post the entire story in one place. I'm literally spamming this on every website I can find that might have members who would end up as their customer.
So while restoring my Nova a couple of years ago, I noticed my stock subframe was shot. All of the body and suspension mounting holes were rotted out and it was falling apart.
Not having $4500+ to dish out for a TCI or similar front subframe, someone pointed me to Checkered Racing. Only an hour or so drive from me, and made what appeared to be quality, heavy duty products at an affordable price. I started researching and found hundreds of people with their subframes or 4-link kits that seemed to love them.
So I spend $2500 or so, and bought a subframe, control arms, shocks and springs, spindles, disk brakes, rack and pinion, and crossmember.
The problems started from day 1.....
1. A friend of mine was going to be in their area of offered to pick it up for me. He delivered it, and I noticed that I didn't have any shocks. After a phone call with Checkered Racing, they didn't have them in stock and were drop shipping them, but I would need to buy a spring compressor to install the springs on them. (Sure, I'll just spend $100 more, no big deal).
The body bushings they sent me were solid aluminum. I knew this before hand. They were supposed to be 'precision cut on a lathe'. Let the pictures show you how precision cut they are. Oh and converting to stock style poly bushings would require LOTS of measuring and drilling on the subframe to make sure they were centered. I decided to try the solids.
Btw, these are the small ends of 2 different bushings. As you can see, they are extremely tapered. They measure as large as 1.12" on the big ends.
3. The springs themselves were supposed to be QA1 400 lb springs. They didn't have the QA1 label on them, and weren't the color of normal QA1 springs. They appeared to be knockoff springs.
4. I get the springs installed on the shocks and get them installed. I let the car down. The springs bottom out just sitting in the driveway, not even moving. I hadn't driven the car yet, but I was pretty sure this wasn't good.
5. I go to install the brake lines. The flexible lines that bolt to the caliper they sent me were completely wrong. They had a rectangular head on them, and the calipers have a round indent where the brake lines are supposed to bolt up. I call them up, "Sorry I didn't realize we had stopped using the other brake lines, I'll send you the correct ones. Just send yours back". I send them back, a month goes by. I call and he gets an attitude with me on the phone, but mails out the correct ones.
6. The 'correct' ones show up. Here are the banjo bolts that came with them. Needless to say, I had to buy new ones.
7. They were supposed to send everything needed to hook the stock steering column to the new steering rack. It included a U joint that was splined on one and a smooth on the other for the rack (this was fine), a piece of pipe for the shaft (still okay), and another U joint that was smooth on both ends. Nothing to connect it to the stock rag joint. I had to buy a smooth to splined U joint, and a splined Rag joint adapter (another $70), and then welded up the steering shaft.
8. So I go to bolt on my core support and front bumper after dealing with the brakes. The bracket holes in the front of the subframe are setup for a Camaro front bumper, not a Nova. I had to strap the bumper in place and then drill out the brackets to match the subframe.
9. I went to install the crossmember for the trans, which I asked them NOT to drill for for the trans mount, and they did. I had to redrill one hole and oval out another to get my trans mount to bolt to the crossmember.
10. I go to put the wheels on. The press-in studs for the front weren't working so good. 2 of the studs would spin when I tried to put a lug nut on them. Have to impact them on and then finish tightening by hand.
11. I go to get an alignment. The guy looked at it and said "Heim joint control arms"? That'll be $250 and 3 days, if I even feel like doing it. He was the only shop in town that would touch it.
12. First drive. Everything is fine. Go to hammer on it (Turbo 5.3) and when I let off, the car is all over the road. After that, I have steering wobble. Back to the alignment shop ($).
13. Next drive? Guess what happens. Steering wobble. Not sure whats going on. Take it to the house and get under it. This is what I find. The hole for the lower control arm mount was oval, and the control arm would just wobble around loosely.
He sent me some new weld on plates that are part of their 'updated design'. I have to weld on these new plates with new washers and bolts. Then? Alignment.
14. I go to put it all back together and I notice that my ball joint boots are already shot. Oh and both of my lower ball joints have taken a crap on me, you can grab the bottom of the wheel while they are torqued down and wobble it back and forth on the ball joint.
15. The 'upgraded' brakes I ordered from them sucked. The calipers didn't have very much clamping force and there was brake dust everywhere in no time. I took them off to lube up the sliders and stuff on the brakes to quiet them down, and the steel backing plates on the pads had already come loose.
16. The ride was EXTREMELY rough from the bad springs. They DID send me new springs. Guess what? Real QA1s. They tried to argue the first set they sent were also QA1s. They also wanted to send me 450 lb springs to help with the collapse. I asked for 550s. The 550 lb springs work perfect.
17. After a few thousand miles, I lost brakes. I went to slow down from a pass and couldn't. Both feet jammed onto the pedal, it rolled to a slow stop. I get home, and the brake pads on both sides had shattered. I sent them a message and ask if they're trying to kill me. They reply with "No, but I'll send you new pads if I can find any laying around the shop". No thanks, I went and bought new Ceramic pads.
18. This morning I was working on the car a bit. Swapped intake/throttle body and went to go for a drive. Started up the car, pulled it into reverse. BANG. Oh crap, I tore up the trans maybe? No smoke, and couldn't find any other issues. Got back in, started up, put into reverse. Car wouldn't move. Looked under car and noticed the issue. A control arm had snapped. THANKFULLY it snapped in my driveway and not during a pass, or I would have been in serious trouble.
This isn't a drag car. There is a pink carseat in the back at all times. We take it everywhere. On cruises, to car shows, to the mall. I drive it to work all of the time. At this point, I don't feel safe driving it. I contact Checkered Racing. "We can just send you another control arm". No thanks. I don't feel safe with your stuff. A control arm was the best I was getting. I told them I may have to contact my lawyer. Their reply? "OK".
If any of you consider buying from Checkered Racing, I STRONGLY urge you not to. Your life isn't worth it.
So while restoring my Nova a couple of years ago, I noticed my stock subframe was shot. All of the body and suspension mounting holes were rotted out and it was falling apart.
Not having $4500+ to dish out for a TCI or similar front subframe, someone pointed me to Checkered Racing. Only an hour or so drive from me, and made what appeared to be quality, heavy duty products at an affordable price. I started researching and found hundreds of people with their subframes or 4-link kits that seemed to love them.
So I spend $2500 or so, and bought a subframe, control arms, shocks and springs, spindles, disk brakes, rack and pinion, and crossmember.
The problems started from day 1.....
1. A friend of mine was going to be in their area of offered to pick it up for me. He delivered it, and I noticed that I didn't have any shocks. After a phone call with Checkered Racing, they didn't have them in stock and were drop shipping them, but I would need to buy a spring compressor to install the springs on them. (Sure, I'll just spend $100 more, no big deal).
The body bushings they sent me were solid aluminum. I knew this before hand. They were supposed to be 'precision cut on a lathe'. Let the pictures show you how precision cut they are. Oh and converting to stock style poly bushings would require LOTS of measuring and drilling on the subframe to make sure they were centered. I decided to try the solids.
Btw, these are the small ends of 2 different bushings. As you can see, they are extremely tapered. They measure as large as 1.12" on the big ends.
3. The springs themselves were supposed to be QA1 400 lb springs. They didn't have the QA1 label on them, and weren't the color of normal QA1 springs. They appeared to be knockoff springs.
4. I get the springs installed on the shocks and get them installed. I let the car down. The springs bottom out just sitting in the driveway, not even moving. I hadn't driven the car yet, but I was pretty sure this wasn't good.
5. I go to install the brake lines. The flexible lines that bolt to the caliper they sent me were completely wrong. They had a rectangular head on them, and the calipers have a round indent where the brake lines are supposed to bolt up. I call them up, "Sorry I didn't realize we had stopped using the other brake lines, I'll send you the correct ones. Just send yours back". I send them back, a month goes by. I call and he gets an attitude with me on the phone, but mails out the correct ones.
6. The 'correct' ones show up. Here are the banjo bolts that came with them. Needless to say, I had to buy new ones.
7. They were supposed to send everything needed to hook the stock steering column to the new steering rack. It included a U joint that was splined on one and a smooth on the other for the rack (this was fine), a piece of pipe for the shaft (still okay), and another U joint that was smooth on both ends. Nothing to connect it to the stock rag joint. I had to buy a smooth to splined U joint, and a splined Rag joint adapter (another $70), and then welded up the steering shaft.
8. So I go to bolt on my core support and front bumper after dealing with the brakes. The bracket holes in the front of the subframe are setup for a Camaro front bumper, not a Nova. I had to strap the bumper in place and then drill out the brackets to match the subframe.
9. I went to install the crossmember for the trans, which I asked them NOT to drill for for the trans mount, and they did. I had to redrill one hole and oval out another to get my trans mount to bolt to the crossmember.
10. I go to put the wheels on. The press-in studs for the front weren't working so good. 2 of the studs would spin when I tried to put a lug nut on them. Have to impact them on and then finish tightening by hand.
11. I go to get an alignment. The guy looked at it and said "Heim joint control arms"? That'll be $250 and 3 days, if I even feel like doing it. He was the only shop in town that would touch it.
12. First drive. Everything is fine. Go to hammer on it (Turbo 5.3) and when I let off, the car is all over the road. After that, I have steering wobble. Back to the alignment shop ($).
13. Next drive? Guess what happens. Steering wobble. Not sure whats going on. Take it to the house and get under it. This is what I find. The hole for the lower control arm mount was oval, and the control arm would just wobble around loosely.
He sent me some new weld on plates that are part of their 'updated design'. I have to weld on these new plates with new washers and bolts. Then? Alignment.
14. I go to put it all back together and I notice that my ball joint boots are already shot. Oh and both of my lower ball joints have taken a crap on me, you can grab the bottom of the wheel while they are torqued down and wobble it back and forth on the ball joint.
15. The 'upgraded' brakes I ordered from them sucked. The calipers didn't have very much clamping force and there was brake dust everywhere in no time. I took them off to lube up the sliders and stuff on the brakes to quiet them down, and the steel backing plates on the pads had already come loose.
16. The ride was EXTREMELY rough from the bad springs. They DID send me new springs. Guess what? Real QA1s. They tried to argue the first set they sent were also QA1s. They also wanted to send me 450 lb springs to help with the collapse. I asked for 550s. The 550 lb springs work perfect.
17. After a few thousand miles, I lost brakes. I went to slow down from a pass and couldn't. Both feet jammed onto the pedal, it rolled to a slow stop. I get home, and the brake pads on both sides had shattered. I sent them a message and ask if they're trying to kill me. They reply with "No, but I'll send you new pads if I can find any laying around the shop". No thanks, I went and bought new Ceramic pads.
18. This morning I was working on the car a bit. Swapped intake/throttle body and went to go for a drive. Started up the car, pulled it into reverse. BANG. Oh crap, I tore up the trans maybe? No smoke, and couldn't find any other issues. Got back in, started up, put into reverse. Car wouldn't move. Looked under car and noticed the issue. A control arm had snapped. THANKFULLY it snapped in my driveway and not during a pass, or I would have been in serious trouble.
This isn't a drag car. There is a pink carseat in the back at all times. We take it everywhere. On cruises, to car shows, to the mall. I drive it to work all of the time. At this point, I don't feel safe driving it. I contact Checkered Racing. "We can just send you another control arm". No thanks. I don't feel safe with your stuff. A control arm was the best I was getting. I told them I may have to contact my lawyer. Their reply? "OK".
If any of you consider buying from Checkered Racing, I STRONGLY urge you not to. Your life isn't worth it.
08-13-2016, 01:52 PM
#351
The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price.
Aside from a low price these guys are producing rubbish **** and deserve to be shut down. WTF..
The issues you detailed beautifully are almost unbelievable.
Aside from a low price these guys are producing rubbish **** and deserve to be shut down. WTF..
The issues you detailed beautifully are almost unbelievable.
08-14-2016, 05:54 AM
#353
Those solid aluminum body mounts have never seen a lathe in their life. That's cut from a dull saw blade. What a bunch of hack jobs, it makes it even worse when they have people's lives at stake here. I would contact others and maybe you can get a class action law suit going but I'm sure they would just close the doors and file bankruptcy.
08-14-2016, 08:13 AM
#354
Teching In
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Stock PCM to control the 80e. I did pick up an HPTuners last month from Scoggin Dickey because they gave me a HUGE discount on my AEM wideband when I bundled them. I've used megasquirt before in my SRT4 so I am familiar with it. I just wanted the HPTuners for a cleaner install and less hassle on my part, especially since this will be a street car. I'm going to update the first post with a better parts list and some more info.
Btw, what does everyone think I should do for turbine wheel size?
The 83mm wheel is $879 and is within my budget. I'm opting out of T4 housing since I'm trying to keep costs down or I won't have it finished in time to race this year. Will the 83mm wheel with a 1.10 T6 get me 5.50 in the 1/8th @ 3300 lbs? I could always go up to 87 or 92mm but they're both $320 more, and I'm probably only looking at 50 more HP per step up. The car will honestly be 95% street and I don't want to kill spool, especially since I'll be using a T6 housing.
Btw, what does everyone think I should do for turbine wheel size?
The 83mm wheel is $879 and is within my budget. I'm opting out of T4 housing since I'm trying to keep costs down or I won't have it finished in time to race this year. Will the 83mm wheel with a 1.10 T6 get me 5.50 in the 1/8th @ 3300 lbs? I could always go up to 87 or 92mm but they're both $320 more, and I'm probably only looking at 50 more HP per step up. The car will honestly be 95% street and I don't want to kill spool, especially since I'll be using a T6 housing.
08-14-2016, 08:34 AM
#355
Would you have felt any better if you spent $4500 on a Scott's hot rods frame and had similar issues? I know a guy that bought a Scott's hot rod frame and both his upper a arm mounts broke.
They were coming up with all sorts of reasons why it broke. Eventually they did say they had a newer design now...
They were coming up with all sorts of reasons why it broke. Eventually they did say they had a newer design now...
08-14-2016, 09:14 AM
#356
Restricted User
Thread Starter
The scanner is part of the VCM suite, they are not separate.
You're only 2 real choices are the Suite vs the Pro. I did not get the Pro. Its 100% possible to read/log wideband in HPTuners without using the Pro, so I didn't see the need to spend the extra $150-200.
Would've felt worse. I'm arguing for a refund right now. He still just wants to send me a control arm. We will see what happens. If I get a refund, I'll likely be going with something like the Speedtech front subframe. I would prefer their frame but the TCI is lighter and comes with brakes, so I haven't made up my mind yet.
You're only 2 real choices are the Suite vs the Pro. I did not get the Pro. Its 100% possible to read/log wideband in HPTuners without using the Pro, so I didn't see the need to spend the extra $150-200.
Would you have felt any better if you spent $4500 on a Scott's hot rods frame and had similar issues? I know a guy that bought a Scott's hot rod frame and both his upper a arm mounts broke.
They were coming up with all sorts of reasons why it broke. Eventually they did say they had a newer design now...
They were coming up with all sorts of reasons why it broke. Eventually they did say they had a newer design now...
08-15-2016, 08:35 AM
#359
Restricted User
Thread Starter
It looks like for the time being, he's going to send me a new control arm with a return box to send in the old one. I'll post pics when I get it off of the car.