What happened when I took the Spyder in for and alignment.

[kdp1308]

I was excited to find out that our local dealer did the true track laser alignment. When I went to pick it up this is what I found.


It is on both sides of both tie rods. It looked like he used a pipe wrench or channel locks. I went and got the service manager and showed him. He went and got the mechanic. He said that he used the same wrench that he had been using for alignments for years. Supposedly some fancy snap-on wrench. I was not happy and told them they needed something better than that. I can now look down on either side while I am driving and see some nice big scratches. Kind of like taking your car in to get an oil change and they put a big scratch in your hood. The gouges are fairly deep. I guess I am going to try to find some paint that matches and touch it up.

 

[PW2013STL]

I would be making the dealer replace them with new ones. They damaged them so they should be the ones fixing them.

 

[spyderwing57]

The mechanic admitted he used the same wrench. He didn't deny it. He could have used a cloth to protect finish :banghead:

 

[vienna7475]

You should tell them they need to replace the parts they damaged. There is no way the mechanic has been doing alignments on other customer bikes and none of them have noticed scratches. He may have used the same wrench but maybe on all the others he used a cloth or something and just forgot this time. That would drive me nuts to look down and see those scratches all the time.

 

[Chupaca]

Bummer.....

Did they even offer to touch it up or replace the rods...?? We always used a wrench a size larger and a rubber or nylon strap. :gaah:

 

[cptjam]

Wow!

Insist on new tie rods. We have done a few alignments, and never did that! OK, I lied; more than a few. He used a vise grips. No 16mm box end wrench would crush a tie rod!

 

[BoilerAnimal]

I'm a pretty easy going guy but if I had damage like that done from a supposedly experienced mechanic I would have had a high speed come-apart! There is no way that something like that should be deemed acceptable.

And what's worse is when they hand you a bill and expect to be paid for sub-standard work!

 

[4 MARIE]

you can say the dealers name, this is America. I am betting you
are talking about Marine World in Wichita ?
I see by your pictures the type of tool that was used.
There should certainly some "no mar" jaws for something like that.
I have had up and down service there, but they are like the nearest
dealer, before Omaha. But those are stories for another day.
Plus I just had a very pleasant experience with a tire change a couple days ago.
Good luck with the cosmetics.

 

[wilpir]

I would be making the dealer replace them with new ones. They damaged them so they should be the ones fixing them.

:agree: Exactly right they said they did now fix it!! I'd be pissed! :banghead:

 

[kdp1308]

It was Marine World in Wichita. To be fair the service manager did offer to do whatever I wanted to make it right. I really did think about asking for new tie rods but they would be the ones replacing them and aligning it again. I would end up with the same thing all over again. If he would have used a wrench and put a bunch of torque on it the rods would only have 2 corners rounded or partly rounded not all four and it wouldn't have dug into the aluminum like that.
They look like they are powder coated. They don't look flat or gloss, maybe a semi-gloss?

 

[JayBros]

Throw another log on the fire for dealer replacement of the tierods. Insist that the technician use a 16 mm open end wrench as Joe mentioned. If they have to buy a "new" wrench, TS!

 

[Mazo EMS2]

I've never wrenched on the tie rods, but would they even be that tight if the jam nuts were loosened first? :banghead: Good grief, even a good Crescent wrench would have been a better choice....What kind of Spyder dealer doesn't have metric wrenches? Tell 'em you want new tie rods

 

[ARtraveler]

Another card on the pile for new parts. :thumbup:

 

[UtahPete]

I'll bet BRP specs the wrench to use for that and it isn't a vice grips! I think the idiot forgot to loosen the nuts first and just used a big enough wrench to turn it anyway!

 

[UtahPete]

It was Marine World in Wichita. To be fair the service manager did offer to do whatever I wanted to make it right. I really did think about asking for new tie rods but they would be the ones replacing them and aligning it again. I would end up with the same thing all over again. If he would have used a wrench and put a bunch of torque on it the rods would only have 2 corners rounded or partly rounded not all four and it wouldn't have dug into the aluminum like that.
They look like they are powder coated. They don't look flat or gloss, maybe a semi-gloss?

Tell the service manager you want a BRP-certified mechanic working on your bike. There is no excuse for this kind of sloppy work.

 

[canamjhb]

In all my years of using the wrong tool, I have had my share of vice-grip episodes. With a good degree of certainty, I can see vice-grip teeth marks on your tie-rods. Time for new ones and having the job done correctly. Don't let the dealer and his mechanic get by with this sloppy work.

 

[Mikey]

It was Marine World in Wichita. To be fair the service manager did offer to do whatever I wanted to make it right. I really did think about asking for new tie rods but they would be the ones replacing them and aligning it again. I would end up with the same thing all over again. If he would have used a wrench and put a bunch of torque on it the rods would only have 2 corners rounded or partly rounded not all four and it wouldn't have dug into the aluminum like that.
They look like they are powder coated. They don't look flat or gloss, maybe a semi-gloss?

He needs to get rid of his pipe wrench and buy an adjustable with nylon jawsopcorn:

 

[Bob Denman]

Did they offer to replace those tie-rods yet?

They certainly should... nojoke

 

[SteveLaoyster]

Insist on new tie rods. We have done a few alignments, and never did that! OK, I lied; more than a few. He used a vise grips. No 16mm box end wrench would crush a tie rod!

:agree: ViseGrips with curved jaws!:yikes:

 

[kdp1308]

And the saga continues! I am going thru the Spyder over the winter and while installing new brake pads I figured out that some of the A-arm bushing are shot. I wondered why it didn't seem to handle a whole lot better after the alignment. I had a good 1/8" play on the lower right A-arm. I know when you take a car in for an alignment the first thing they check is the condition of all of the front suspension components. I am doing a lot to my Spyder over the winter because I bought it used this fall. The only thing I had the dealer do is the alignment because they had the proper tools to do it right (I thought). To get it done right I will have to do it myself or maybe take a drive to visit Lamont in the spring. After all new A-arm bushings, of course. It looks like some bolts and sleeves also. I don't think they were ever greased and on at least one the bolt was not tight enough. I haven't got them all apart yet.