Re: Has anyone had Hotchkis work on their car?
[Re: JF_Moparts]
#1804573
04/15/15 11:57 PM
04/15/15 11:57 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,444 So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
|
Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,444
So Cal
|
I'm about to take my Satellite to Hotchkis for some suspension & steering analysis and upgrades. I was wondering if anyone else had brought their car into Hotchkis for work like this.
I'm looking forward to getting my car back into Autocross mode!
Jim Saw your Satellite over at North Hollywood Auto and saw the stuff you went through. I didn't give me a good impression of those headman shorty headers at all. That was a mess. And something with the clocking on the long pitman arm? Jim, what is the milage you are putting on that car per year?
|
|
|
Re: Has anyone had Hotchkis work on their car?
[Re: autoxcuda]
#1804963
04/16/15 02:39 PM
04/16/15 02:39 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,161 Los Angeles, CA
JF_Moparts
OP
super stock
|
OP
super stock
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,161
Los Angeles, CA
|
Steve,
I'm not putting many miles on the car at all. Probably less than 6,000 miles a year.
The headers you saw (if you saw the new ones) were the same part # that I've had on there since 2006. The older headers had reached end of life so I got a new set, same kind. Those headers had fit the car and its low ride height very well for almost a decade!
But something happened with the car's suspension about 12-18 months ago and it's gradually gotten worse and worse. The ride height is messed up and it pulls to the right.
In the past 6 months here's what new: Headers, Firm Feel stage 3 box, Pitman & Idler arms, and LCA bushings.
We'll see what Hotchkis has to say.
Jim
|
|
|
Re: Has anyone had Hotchkis work on their car?
[Re: autoxcuda]
#1804968
04/16/15 02:44 PM
04/16/15 02:44 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,161 Los Angeles, CA
JF_Moparts
OP
super stock
|
OP
super stock
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,161
Los Angeles, CA
|
Oh - regarding the clocking on the pitman arm, here's what I think happened:
Firm Feel's own fast-ratio pitmans aren't keyed, so when they assembled the Stage 3 box I received, I don't think they looked too closely at how the output shaft was aligned. I had an older fast ratio pitman that was keyed, and when it was installed it was off by about 15 degrees, preventing the toe-in to be set properly. Rather than fight it I bought a new pitman from Firm Feel.
I still have my other fast ratio pitman arm, and it's in good shape. Maybe someone can get some use out of it.
Jim
Last edited by JF_Moparts; 04/16/15 02:45 PM.
|
|
|
Re: Has anyone had Hotchkis work on their car?
[Re: JF_Moparts]
#1804989
04/16/15 03:11 PM
04/16/15 03:11 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,444 So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
|
Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,444
So Cal
|
Steve,
I'm not putting many miles on the car at all. Probably less than 6,000 miles a year.
The headers you saw (if you saw the new ones) were the same part # that I've had on there since 2006. The older headers had reached end of life so I got a new set, same kind. Those headers had fit the car and its low ride height very well for almost a decade!
But something happened with the car's suspension about 12-18 months ago and it's gradually gotten worse and worse. The ride height is messed up and it pulls to the right.
In the past 6 months here's what new: Headers, Firm Feel stage 3 box, Pitman & Idler arms, and LCA bushings.
We'll see what Hotchkis has to say.
Jim I was not impressed thatthe headereds we severerly cracked and had cracked before and repaired. And it did not look like there was hitting contact at the headpipe to the ground. TTI or Thorely don't do that without major impacts. I scrap hit my tti's a lot and have no issues. And the head pipe flange was in a totally different location. That cost you a bunch of money/labor to redo the headpipes. But those Headman shorties were the only thing out there in 2006 . And you had no idea they changed/no quality control on the headpipe flange.
|
|
|
Re: Has anyone had Hotchkis work on their car?
[Re: autoxcuda]
#1805039
04/16/15 04:25 PM
04/16/15 04:25 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,161 Los Angeles, CA
JF_Moparts
OP
super stock
|
OP
super stock
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,161
Los Angeles, CA
|
Steve,
I'm not putting many miles on the car at all. Probably less than 6,000 miles a year.
The headers you saw (if you saw the new ones) were the same part # that I've had on there since 2006. The older headers had reached end of life so I got a new set, same kind. Those headers had fit the car and its low ride height very well for almost a decade!
But something happened with the car's suspension about 12-18 months ago and it's gradually gotten worse and worse. The ride height is messed up and it pulls to the right.
In the past 6 months here's what new: Headers, Firm Feel stage 3 box, Pitman & Idler arms, and LCA bushings.
We'll see what Hotchkis has to say.
Jim I was not impressed thatthe headereds we severerly cracked and had cracked before and repaired. And it did not look like there was hitting contact at the headpipe to the ground. TTI or Thorely don't do that without major impacts. I scrap hit my tti's a lot and have no issues. And the head pipe flange was in a totally different location. That cost you a bunch of money/labor to redo the headpipes. But those Headman shorties were the only thing out there in 2006 . And you had no idea they changed/no quality control on the headpipe flange. What's the expected lifespan of headers? I've never expected much from a set. Close to a decade seemed about right. I did not realize that they changed the location of the pipe like that! I thought the mismatch was due to other factors.
|
|
|
Re: Has anyone had Hotchkis work on their car?
[Re: JF_Moparts]
#1811767
04/25/15 06:35 PM
04/25/15 06:35 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,375 SoCal
MuuMuu101
I got lucky at Woodward!
|
I got lucky at Woodward!
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,375
SoCal
|
Update: Hotchkis has the car and will be installing the following:
Upper Control Arms Steering Rods (apparently these are recommended with the new UCAs) Adjustable Strut Rods Shocks
I look forward to driving a nice handling car again!
I'll let everyone know how it goes.
Jim Did you see my Dart there?
|
|
|
Re: Has anyone had Hotchkis work on their car?
[Re: JF_Moparts]
#1813316
04/27/15 08:10 PM
04/27/15 08:10 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,065 Irving, TX
feets
Senior Management
|
Senior Management
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,065
Irving, TX
|
No, I didn't see the Dart, at least I don't recall. Is that the Dart they advertised for sale on Craiglist? I thought $850 was pretty cheap even by SoCal standards.
We are brothers and sisters doing time on the planet for better or worse. I'll take the better, if you don't mind. - Stu Harmon
|
|
|
|
|