RTE Lower shock mounts Need Advice and a second opinion
- Thread starter ArmyRover
- Start date
This is what I think I know:
Bill sold RTE and is working for the new owners to bring them up to speed on how to make the producets. It gets complicated because RTE's new owners live in NJ. From what I understand, the new owners make some stuff in NJ, but mostly small stuff and Bill still handles the hard stuff from NC.
I can tell you one thing: Looking at those welds, they are not from Bill. All the years and all the product we received from RTE when Bill owned it, nothing ever looked like that.
My last batch of rovertym stuff from 2 years ago under Bill looked like shit and nothing compared to the original quality from years past. Holes did not line up on shock mount tabs, shitty welds and rattle can paint.
x2 exactly what Justin said. I also agree that those are not Bill's welds... no way!
That said, I highly, highly doubt those would fail as shock mount.
Just my $.02
That said, I highly, highly doubt those would fail as shock mount.
Just my $.02
Who did the welding has nothing to do with it. I dont care if a 12 yr old kid did the welding as long as its done correctly. RTE sells their parts at a premium price so you would expect premium quality.
I know a lot of people are on the RTE band wagon, but truth is that if a new vendor came on the scene with those shitty welds, they would be ran off in a heart beat!
I know a lot of people are on the RTE band wagon, but truth is that if a new vendor came on the scene with those shitty welds, they would be ran off in a heart beat!
That's not the point. The workmanship shows neither pride nor respect.
At least on mine, not a single one of the holes lined up, and they were way off; not just a little bit.
Screwing up a part every now and again happens, but when you actually ship it, and it's something you've clearly held in your hands, certainly long enough to see the problems?
That's just stupid.
I'm not going to get hung up on the "who welded what and when" nonsense, either. That's been bullshit for years.
This is not a bumper, it's not a roof rack, nor is it a rock slider. It is a simple shock mount and, regardless of who made it, the mount is sold as a Rovertym part. If they can't be bothered to police their image with a little QC, they've got the criticism coming.
I don't care how many people have owned, worked at, or welded for the company. That same excuse has been used for many, many years now.
Running a business is difficult. Finding some dingbat that can make a decent shock mount is not.
Cheers,
Kennith
With all the experience and knowledge you have, Kenny, why did you not make your own shock mounts? Certainly you qualify as a dingbat, right?
...Because I've got sense enough to have other people build things that I can't complete to a high standard, and I know when I should spend my time elsewhere.
I'm not a great welder. I certainly can't meet my own standards. Even if I could, I wouldn't spend my time doing it. It's easy to find someone else to do it, dingbat or not, and it doesn't cost much.
I often tell people what I want and how to go about making it happen. They use their superior physical skills to get the job done far more quickly and efficiently than I could, and the result is better.
I can't dick around practicing every fucking skill under the sun. There's a reason tradesmen exist.
Cheers,
Kennith
I'm not saying its not bullshit, it is. I'm just saying structurally they're probably fine.
I was down at RTE yesterday and let Ryan know about this issue. He is taking steps to fix the issue with the mounts Bill's(ArmyRover) friend received. I have no dog in the fight. Quality and craftsmanship should be determined by any potential buyer before making a purchase. I took these pics while I was there so people could see the actual product since, as it is with so many products, the advertised photos can look very different from what you actually get.
They had a pile of them that all looked like that and a ton of orders that looked to be going out pretty soon.
That's looking much better.
The holes I can see are more carefully positioned, the mounts aren't covered in spatter, and it looks like the channel lines up well enough. I can't see too much of the welds, but at least everything isn't cut in half and filled up again.
A few incomplete units should be put in a vice and struck from several angles, or just cut in half for inspection. Either way, just check to see what's going on there, and make sure procedure doesn't need to be adjusted. Maybe you can see well enough in person, though, just with a visual inspection.
It doesn't need to be done all the time; just a few times to make sure you've got the procedure set in stone.
Now, just spend about minute with a file on them to remove sharp edges, and make sure they are blasted, or otherwise cleaned and degreased before the finish is applied, so it stays where you put it.
If every set they ship can be at least that good, it's fine. They don't have to be perfect; they just have to function well, and look like someone did the best job they could within reason, and the limits of the price point.
The final step is to update the damned pictures. What you see should always be what you get.
Cheers,
Kennith
The holes I can see are more carefully positioned, the mounts aren't covered in spatter, and it looks like the channel lines up well enough. I can't see too much of the welds, but at least everything isn't cut in half and filled up again.
A few incomplete units should be put in a vice and struck from several angles, or just cut in half for inspection. Either way, just check to see what's going on there, and make sure procedure doesn't need to be adjusted. Maybe you can see well enough in person, though, just with a visual inspection.
It doesn't need to be done all the time; just a few times to make sure you've got the procedure set in stone.
Now, just spend about minute with a file on them to remove sharp edges, and make sure they are blasted, or otherwise cleaned and degreased before the finish is applied, so it stays where you put it.
If every set they ship can be at least that good, it's fine. They don't have to be perfect; they just have to function well, and look like someone did the best job they could within reason, and the limits of the price point.
The final step is to update the damned pictures. What you see should always be what you get.
Cheers,
Kennith