Midwest Chassis
05-11-2013, 12:01 PM
#1
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Sarasota, FL
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Midwest Chassis This is my encounter with Midwest Chassis. These were my order details.
MWC 4th gen F-body fabricated 9" package( housing, torque arm/crossmember, complete Strange center section, complete Strange axles) 2750.00 shipped.
options:
housing brace installed 150.00
black powdercoating 130.00
3ch ABS mod 185.00
31 spline clutch posi upgrade 250.00
New GM e-brake assy's 400.00
complete assembled rearend 150.00
3" PST steel driveshaft 350.00
31 spl Strange axles- 1/2x2 studs inc
long arm w/ T56 crossmember inc
Center section details:
Strange Nodular "S" case
Daytona style aluminum pinion support
31 spline billet clutch posi
4.30 Motive Performance gear
1350 series drive yoke
Timken bearing assembly kit
Total 4365.00
- 50.00 for non electronic transaction
invoice total 4315.00 shipped
The order was placed on 09FEB2012. I paid in full up front via money order. I was told to expect about a month and a half for delivery time. I was fine with this when I placed my order. Late March rolls around and I still have not heard anything back so I call MWC to see what is going on. I was told they were backed up but there were only two rear ends ahead of mine and that it should be ready in a few weeks. So I call back again in a few weeks to hear the same story again. So I continually called about every 2-3 weeks to get the story. The stories I was told were:
-Next in line
-Messed up powder coating so it had to be recoated
-Waiting on backordered parts
-Moving to different shop
-People paying an extra $500 for expedited orders…(This one really irked me)
As mid June rolls around I called again telling them if it’s not ready soon I want a refund. I was told that since I have a custom order that wouldn’t be possible. For all I know my order wasn't even started at this point. So I decided to speak with my attorney. In early July I called MWC back to demand a refund or I was taking them to court. I asked when my order was going to be sent and I was told in two days. I didn’t even mention the lawyer because the order was being sent. I received my rear end in mid July 5 months after I placed the order. The quality was amazing and she was ready to go. I installed the rear in late August with no issues.
The driveshaft fiasco:
I ordered a 3” PST steel driveshaft from MWC. I had ordered the forged yoke but they told me they were out of stock so I would have to upgrade to the Strange yoke for $100 more. After everything was installed I was getting a driveline vibration starting around 40mph and progressively got worse with vehicle speed. After few phone exchanges we determined the driveshaft was an inch too short and was sent back to PST to be lengthened at no charge to me in early December. I also noticed that the slip yoke had excessive play on the transmission tailshaft. I told them this and they said PST will check it out. I get the driveshaft back and it is 1” longer but has the same yoke. So I put the driveshaft back in and the yoke still has excessive play. I took it for a test drive anyways and the vibration just moved up to 50mph instead of 40mph. I called MWC back telling them the yoke doesn’t fit right and that I want a different one. I know it wasn’t my transmission because I tested it in my friend’s T56 Camaro and it fit the same way. Eric told me that my angles are probably off and PST measure the yoke and said it was fine. I called back in April and was told Eric was out and that he would have him call me back. I got no call back so I called back a few weeks later. I was demanding a refund for the driveshaft since it was faulty due to the yoke. Whomever I spoke with told me they can’t refund used parts and that I could sell it and that he would give me a deal on a new one. So I guess it is okay to sell people faulty parts and make them have to buy new ones to replace them. So being fed up with this I ordered a different yoke from Dennys Driveshaft and swapped it in. Problem solved. But now I had at vibration at 75-115mph, but not as bad as it was with the old yoke. I rechecked my pinion angle and it is set to -0.5degress. So I pull the driveshaft out and have it rebalanced at a local shop. So PST messed up the driveshaft balance when they lengthened it. Vibration is completely gone now. I emailed MWC asking for a refund on the yoke and got no response.
I just want my money back for the faulty yoke and the rebalance.
I have the receipt:
DS rebalance - $48.94
I went with MWC due to all of the great customer testimonials. I am extremely happy with the quality of the fabricated rear, but I am extremely disappointed with the service that I have received. It is safe to say that I will not be ordering from MWC in the future and my friends that have considered ordering have decided not to after hearing what happened with me.
MWC 4th gen F-body fabricated 9" package( housing, torque arm/crossmember, complete Strange center section, complete Strange axles) 2750.00 shipped.
options:
housing brace installed 150.00
black powdercoating 130.00
3ch ABS mod 185.00
31 spline clutch posi upgrade 250.00
New GM e-brake assy's 400.00
complete assembled rearend 150.00
3" PST steel driveshaft 350.00
31 spl Strange axles- 1/2x2 studs inc
long arm w/ T56 crossmember inc
Center section details:
Strange Nodular "S" case
Daytona style aluminum pinion support
31 spline billet clutch posi
4.30 Motive Performance gear
1350 series drive yoke
Timken bearing assembly kit
Total 4365.00
- 50.00 for non electronic transaction
invoice total 4315.00 shipped
The order was placed on 09FEB2012. I paid in full up front via money order. I was told to expect about a month and a half for delivery time. I was fine with this when I placed my order. Late March rolls around and I still have not heard anything back so I call MWC to see what is going on. I was told they were backed up but there were only two rear ends ahead of mine and that it should be ready in a few weeks. So I call back again in a few weeks to hear the same story again. So I continually called about every 2-3 weeks to get the story. The stories I was told were:
-Next in line
-Messed up powder coating so it had to be recoated
-Waiting on backordered parts
-Moving to different shop
-People paying an extra $500 for expedited orders…(This one really irked me)
As mid June rolls around I called again telling them if it’s not ready soon I want a refund. I was told that since I have a custom order that wouldn’t be possible. For all I know my order wasn't even started at this point. So I decided to speak with my attorney. In early July I called MWC back to demand a refund or I was taking them to court. I asked when my order was going to be sent and I was told in two days. I didn’t even mention the lawyer because the order was being sent. I received my rear end in mid July 5 months after I placed the order. The quality was amazing and she was ready to go. I installed the rear in late August with no issues.
The driveshaft fiasco:
I ordered a 3” PST steel driveshaft from MWC. I had ordered the forged yoke but they told me they were out of stock so I would have to upgrade to the Strange yoke for $100 more. After everything was installed I was getting a driveline vibration starting around 40mph and progressively got worse with vehicle speed. After few phone exchanges we determined the driveshaft was an inch too short and was sent back to PST to be lengthened at no charge to me in early December. I also noticed that the slip yoke had excessive play on the transmission tailshaft. I told them this and they said PST will check it out. I get the driveshaft back and it is 1” longer but has the same yoke. So I put the driveshaft back in and the yoke still has excessive play. I took it for a test drive anyways and the vibration just moved up to 50mph instead of 40mph. I called MWC back telling them the yoke doesn’t fit right and that I want a different one. I know it wasn’t my transmission because I tested it in my friend’s T56 Camaro and it fit the same way. Eric told me that my angles are probably off and PST measure the yoke and said it was fine. I called back in April and was told Eric was out and that he would have him call me back. I got no call back so I called back a few weeks later. I was demanding a refund for the driveshaft since it was faulty due to the yoke. Whomever I spoke with told me they can’t refund used parts and that I could sell it and that he would give me a deal on a new one. So I guess it is okay to sell people faulty parts and make them have to buy new ones to replace them. So being fed up with this I ordered a different yoke from Dennys Driveshaft and swapped it in. Problem solved. But now I had at vibration at 75-115mph, but not as bad as it was with the old yoke. I rechecked my pinion angle and it is set to -0.5degress. So I pull the driveshaft out and have it rebalanced at a local shop. So PST messed up the driveshaft balance when they lengthened it. Vibration is completely gone now. I emailed MWC asking for a refund on the yoke and got no response.
I just want my money back for the faulty yoke and the rebalance.
I have the receipt:
DS rebalance - $48.94
I went with MWC due to all of the great customer testimonials. I am extremely happy with the quality of the fabricated rear, but I am extremely disappointed with the service that I have received. It is safe to say that I will not be ordering from MWC in the future and my friends that have considered ordering have decided not to after hearing what happened with me.
Last edited by Rangersltw; 05-12-2013 at 03:41 PM.
05-14-2013, 09:56 AM
#2
MWC has now moved into a new facility and my availability over the last month has been extremely limited. It is very time consuming and costs are crazy with every day that goes by with the process. The person answering the phone is new here and taking a minute to get up to speed, so please bear with us over this time.
I am sorry about your experience with the driveshaft issue, but unfortunately it is something that we do not build, but offered to compliment the products we actually manufacture. MWC does not even see 99% of the driveshafts we sell to customers and your experience is very rare.
The situation was throughout most of 2012 PST was having a supplier issue with their upgrade forged 27 spline slip yokes, which is what they normally recommend for customers with 500hp and/or T56 transmissions. The only other viable option was to install the only other yoke they offer which is the Strange billet chromoly unit, which MWC/PST sold a whole lot of in 2012 and not one other issue has come up.
MWC does not manufacture anything associated with the driveshafts and our policy is the warranty(s) are that only of the manufacture of the part(s). All we can do is help you through the process and pass along needed info to get the manufacturers to step up. PST did what they were supposed to do and there was no charge to you, and both you and MWC were given the blessing that the shaft was good to go when it was sent back to you. If there was an ongoing problem with the shaft then it should have gone back to PST for repairs or replacement. If the yoke was actually bad or out of spec then I would have to say that PST would have made that call when they were originally notified of the vibration and the concern of the yoke being undersize, which we were told it measured exactly what it is supposed to.
If MWC is to get involved with you as our customer then we would refund you for the entire driveshaft(which we then deal with PST) and you can purchase a new one from whoever on your own. This would have been the route to go instead of spending more on parts/labor then asking us to pay the bill. I would have been happy to refund you in full and return the entire shaft to PST, but only after we have determined that the manufactures have been given every opportunity to make it right. Unfortunately there can be a bit of time involved for all of this to happen being four different vendors(besides PST) are involved with parts of the driveshaft.
I am sorry about your experience with the driveshaft issue, but unfortunately it is something that we do not build, but offered to compliment the products we actually manufacture. MWC does not even see 99% of the driveshafts we sell to customers and your experience is very rare.
The situation was throughout most of 2012 PST was having a supplier issue with their upgrade forged 27 spline slip yokes, which is what they normally recommend for customers with 500hp and/or T56 transmissions. The only other viable option was to install the only other yoke they offer which is the Strange billet chromoly unit, which MWC/PST sold a whole lot of in 2012 and not one other issue has come up.
MWC does not manufacture anything associated with the driveshafts and our policy is the warranty(s) are that only of the manufacture of the part(s). All we can do is help you through the process and pass along needed info to get the manufacturers to step up. PST did what they were supposed to do and there was no charge to you, and both you and MWC were given the blessing that the shaft was good to go when it was sent back to you. If there was an ongoing problem with the shaft then it should have gone back to PST for repairs or replacement. If the yoke was actually bad or out of spec then I would have to say that PST would have made that call when they were originally notified of the vibration and the concern of the yoke being undersize, which we were told it measured exactly what it is supposed to.
If MWC is to get involved with you as our customer then we would refund you for the entire driveshaft(which we then deal with PST) and you can purchase a new one from whoever on your own. This would have been the route to go instead of spending more on parts/labor then asking us to pay the bill. I would have been happy to refund you in full and return the entire shaft to PST, but only after we have determined that the manufactures have been given every opportunity to make it right. Unfortunately there can be a bit of time involved for all of this to happen being four different vendors(besides PST) are involved with parts of the driveshaft.
Last edited by ssvert99; 05-14-2013 at 10:04 AM.
05-14-2013, 04:04 PM
#3
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Sarasota, FL
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When I called back I was told that my driveshaft would not be taken back because it was used. I was told that I would have to "outright sell it" and then I would be given a "killer deal on a new driveshaft." I do not know who I spoke to, but it was not you. How am I supposed to sell an improperly balanced driveshaft with a faulty yoke to someone? The issue dragged on and I had lost faith in your ability to handle the situation. I am moving to Florida and need the car drivable due to selling my truck. I had no more time to waste waiting to be told the yoke is fine and in spec. When clearly the issue was gone after a new yoke that fit correctly was installed. Then on top of that the driveshaft was out of balance. For the amount of money I spent with you guys I would have expected better service and not to pay to fix things out of pocket.
This also speaks about the poor quality coming out of PST too. PST told you that the yoke was fine and in spec, so how would sending it back to them again change the first answer? If you put the yoke on the back of a T56 you can clearly see there is an issue with fitment. I understand that you do not manufacture the driveshafts but I did order it through you. So you are responsible for the product I was sold. I still want to be refunded for the yoke and reimbursed for the rebalance. For all of the bull$hit I had to deal with it is the least you guys could do.
This also speaks about the poor quality coming out of PST too. PST told you that the yoke was fine and in spec, so how would sending it back to them again change the first answer? If you put the yoke on the back of a T56 you can clearly see there is an issue with fitment. I understand that you do not manufacture the driveshafts but I did order it through you. So you are responsible for the product I was sold. I still want to be refunded for the yoke and reimbursed for the rebalance. For all of the bull$hit I had to deal with it is the least you guys could do.
05-14-2013, 05:35 PM
#4
Ive never had a bad experience with Midwest Chassis, nor have any of my customers complained to me about them. Sometimes it is hard to get in touch but the service and quality of work is nothing short of excellent. I know they have been extremely busy with the move, and current workload. I have no doubt everything will get taken care of.
05-14-2013, 06:33 PM
#5
If it makes you feel any better, back in the day (IIRC it would be around early summer of 2012) I ordered a 3.5" aluminum DS with the forged yoke for my T56 to 9 inch setup from Midwest Chassis. He told me the same thing about the forged yokes being backed up from the supplier and asked if I wanted to upgrade to the strange billet yoke for $100. Before I went through with the deal I went ahead and called Bob at Brutespeed to verify that this was the case, and sure enough, the forged yokes were in fact backed up from the supplier and this was not an excuse made by Midwest chassis. Midwest chassis always had a professional and friendly demeanor when I was conducting business with them.
05-14-2013, 08:10 PM
#6
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Sarasota, FL
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am not arguing the the quality of their work. The complete rear I purchased from them was top notch. I do wish I was given a more realistic timeline on delivery. It took 5 months instead of 1.5.
The biggest issue is the service I received regarding the driveshaft. I was told by the person I talked with that they would not take it back, so I found my own solution. Now I want my money back for the faulty yoke and to be reimbursed for the rebalancing. I do not feel that my request is unreasonable.
The biggest issue is the service I received regarding the driveshaft. I was told by the person I talked with that they would not take it back, so I found my own solution. Now I want my money back for the faulty yoke and to be reimbursed for the rebalancing. I do not feel that my request is unreasonable.
Trending Topics
05-28-2013, 12:10 PM
#8
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Sarasota, FL
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Update:
I have received no contact from MWC regarding this issue beside the one post in this thread. I am extremely disappointed with MWC's business ethics.
I have received no contact from MWC regarding this issue beside the one post in this thread. I am extremely disappointed with MWC's business ethics.
