*RRO LIFT KIT ISSUES**

WhatARiot · Apr 11, 2008

Its pretty simple:

1) Their part was very poorly designed.
2) They redesigned it and neglected to inform their customers of the issue when, at highway speeds the issue could be a safety hazard
3) Their customer service department was not clear as to warranty requirements and gave me mis-information resulting in over an hour of driving time wasted
4) They would not make any effort to expedite getting the parts to me

This is actually why I canceled my order, and Jim, the reasons I 'took it to such extremes' was because if there is another problem, we would not be notified, if I had a problem with it I would be without a vehicle for more then a day or two, and that really isn't an option for me, I depend on my car, and there is no back up besides $30/day in a cab... if not more, sense the day I bought my Jeep it has been still once, and that was just because it got hit, and needed body work, thank goodness I had a rental, because I needed to go to Philly that night to pick something up for work, that I could not work without.

And, I am in a customer service oriented business, and really the customer service and turnaround is uncalled for. They can't be that busy it takes 2 weeks just to ship one measly kit. I've dealt with plenty of other small businesses in the past, and they have always had it in the mail in three days or less.

Boilermaker · Apr 11, 2008

Thanks Quiff69 and JeepJim for your efforts with this issue. :smiley_thumbs_up:

You have both renewed my confidence in this lift kit...although, RRO is starting to live up to its word of mouth reputation that I was aware of prior to even hearing Jeep was going to build a Patriot...I still believe in their products and I'll be upgrading my MK in the coming months with some of their stuff unless more companys jump into the MK market soon.

BTW - I don't see the need to jump all over members...this is only going to scare members away...the forum is meant to work through identified issues and inform the MK population.

WhatARiot · Apr 11, 2008

Jim, to reply to the comment you posted before you edited, I get notices on every recall, and if I don't take care of them immediately at my every 3K oil change, they run a recall notice and service bullet search on my VIN, Lifts do not have this kind of check, check, and recheck I get every 2-3 months.

If this was really meant to be 'for off road use' then do you really think the first one to receive the lift would be a 2wd every day driver? This is just a way to cover their asses when something really bad happens. Same way NiteShades is for show cars only, same with almost every other aftermarket parts.

And really who are you to talk about off roading, you said going on a grassy hill was 'off roading'? Maybe its just a German thing, but here in the states, we call that driving.

quiff69 · Apr 11, 2008

JeepJim said:
I am sorry but I would put money on the fact that you were pissed and when you found out they wanted a receipt or order number from you, you got more pissed and probably went off on that tangent and probably did not allow the representative to complete his sentences... I have been pissed too and I know thats how it goes. So the poor representive probably never had the chance to tell you he wanted a photo of the damaged part.

__________________________________________________________________________

Here is the part that truly scares me now. There are people on here who own 'Riots willing to tear apart their own Jeeps suspensions, put them back together with another companies parts added in and replacing others and have no F*#&ing clue what the parts do or what they are for? Jesus Christ!

In my opinion if you don't know about your suspension and what parts do what you have no business modifying it! Especially since the Kits Instructions states right on them this kit is ment for off-road use! And its quite obvious you dont have a clue about off-roading because you would know in many occasions you should actually disconnect that sway-bar!

liftedMK I am glad yours aren't showing stress... If I were you would see about getting it strengthened so it doesn't break or bend. I would also call RRO and see if you could get the newer version of the part.

I actually was quite calm and easy to get along with during the first phone call. It was pretty simple, something broke and needed to be fixed, not a big deal. Once i found out that they knew there was a problem, made me drive home to get a picture of the item they already knew there was a problem with and refused to expedite the repair parts for me, that is when i got pissed off. Regardless of what anyone says about a sway bar being required or not I was not comfortable driving with out it. It was put there for a reason and whatever that may be I decided that it was important enough I did not want to drive without it. That is a decision I have the right to make based on my investment of over $20k.

liftedMK, and anyone else who'se kit is the old style but not showing signs of damage YET, call RRO and ask for the new parts. Please let us know if they will supply them for you free of charge or not. It is my belief that knowing this is an issue and not contanting their customers is a problem, knowing this is an issue and not replacing them if the customer contacts them is even worse. That would speak volumes about Gramps' and JeepJims precious RRO.

You guys can chill with the personal shots here, all i've done is relay my experience with them. If I am mistaken and talking about our experiences with our Jeeps is not what this forum is for let me know and I will unsubscribe. I contributed quite alot to this site for a few months and have done alot more to my jeep than most of you have so you should try and avoid bashing me on a personal level. I am very mechanically inclined, as such i know that you dont mess with two things, steering and brakes. Suspension is a significant part of your vehicles ability to steer.

Jim you comment on car manufacturers making you do the research to find out about potential recalls and problems with vehicles. This site is probably the most in depth info you will find on the Riot and no where on here, up until i made this thread, was there any information about faulty parts for this lift.

quiff69 · Apr 11, 2008

Gramps said:
You do your title as

*****RRO LIFT KIT ISSUES******

like the sky is falling, poisoning the water for RRO and their efforts to get these to us and throwing others into a panic. Congratulations!

You say you're not mechanics but you're ready to lambast a manufacture on their quality without even taking 30seconds to do a Google on what broke and how it may affect your steering? But you had the time to post you complaint, right?

I am very appreciative for what RRO has done for the MK's and I won't hesitate to buy from them again!

Suggestion:
Drop the wrench, back away from the vehicle and then call someone to weld the hood shut so that YOU don't get yourself in another bind.

Another word of caution: don't put a hot cup of coffee between your legs and spill it.

You do realise that there is a quality issue with these parts am I right? Wether or not I know what the part is for does not detract from that. Don't need a hood to drive a car but people who'se hoods are jumping on them are pretty pissed off about it, should they just pull the hood off?

Getting personal really goes nowhere you realise that right? All you have done is detract from a valid complaint about the quality of a part and a justifiable comment on the quality of customer service that I recieved. Wether someone takes this information to heart or not is up to them. Explain how I got myself into a bind by a purchased part being EXTREMELY underdesigned. You'll also notice that this part does not require opening the hood, so welding it shut would likely not help things at all would it?

I am a bit disapointed with this forum, really guys, taking shots at someone for making a legitimate post about an actual issue. It appears that a number of people have taken this info and its helped them out, pretty good since its been up for less than 24 hours, isnt that the point?

liftedMK · Apr 11, 2008

off topic: It was my understanding that taking shots at members was the JP way of life, just look at all the compass bashing that goes on even tho they really are the same jeep. as far as info goes, there is some good info but i have found JF to be much better and more friendly. less here say and more knowledge.

on topic: RRO is sending new brackets.

liftedMK · Apr 11, 2008

this thread should be locked by now. it has served its purpose. CLOSE IT!

quiff69 · Apr 11, 2008

See now you just arent listening. When a sharp edged, elastically deformed piece of carbon steel has been wedged between the strut tower and a rubber tire, rotating at a pretty significant rate, that creates a danger. Now i'm no engineer... well, actually I am, although i deal in metal not rubber... but it seems to me that since a nail will puncture the much thicker rubber on the bottom of the tire, the thinner sidewall would also be at risk.

If people choose to drive without the sway bar thats their call. Apparently the part is required as it was transfering enough forces to bend and shear a 3/16" piece of steel.

I appreciate that RRO has redesigned the part, my issue with customer service is that they require a photograph to replace it (and they didnt tell me this at first, costing me a significant amount of my day). They should not require a photo because this is a defect in workmanship. If they step up and start replacing the parts for anyone who has the old verison of the parts I will withdraw what I have had to say regarding their customer service.

It is only a matter of time before your brackets break, why should you be left on the side of the road because they didnt want to fix their errors. And yes, you will be left on the side of the road with not only the cost of a tow, but a flatdeck tow or the use of a dolly because you can't tow the 4wd version (and since this is for off road use only who would put it on a 2wd right?). The only way around being left stranded is to carry a 15 mm and 17mm wrench so you can disconnect everything WHEN it does finally break.

quiff69 · Apr 11, 2008

I agree with liftedMK. Lock the thread.

If you own the lift, call and ask for the new parts, they will break eventually. Judge for yourself on their service based on your experiences with them. Someone please PM me and let me know if they replace them for you wether or not they have bent yet.

Tony1911 · Apr 11, 2008

Good grief what a wank fest!

Okay, quiff, I can understand being pissed off. But in my opinion you are going a tad far. Parts break. It is never nice, but it happens.

On the other hand, some of you seem to have the attitude that if anyone dares to criticize The Holy Lift Kit Company, it is a personal insult to you. Do you guys own stock in the company or something?

Sheesh... I think I'll go look at some other web sites for a while.

TJinWV · Apr 11, 2008

Please stay tuned for a comedy break...

unclejjg said:
TJinWV must have measured the thickness of his unit to determine that has also increased the thickness from 3/16" to 1/4".

:doh:

epper:

unclejjg · Apr 11, 2008

TJinWV said:
Please stay tuned for a comedy break...

:doh: epper:

:wow:.....oh cripes! Well, taken in that light, I pity you sir!

Schoat333 · Apr 11, 2008

This has gotten way off topic now. I think we should have a thread made with the information on the bad parts and what needs to be done to get new ones and sticky it.

heckler · Apr 11, 2008

quiff, I appreciate the information. Keep it up.

Desert Dog · Apr 11, 2008

quiff69, thanks for posting about the part failure, and about your interaction with RRO customer service. This is all valuable information for people who have installed, or are thinking about installing, the RRO lift.

Gramps · Apr 11, 2008

I dropped an email to Glenn yesterday and this is what we have:

Hi Glenn,
I've just read about the sway bar bracket extensions bending/breaking on the early Patriot/Compass lift kits. Mine do appear to be bent. I'm in NO panic but what do I need to do to get replacements or fab my own?

Thanks!

Bob

Bob,

OK. Got back into my shop after being in Mexico for the last month. My info was out of date. Apparently we have had 3 of the swaybar pieces fail. Considering we're shipping hundreds of these all over the world, that's not bad. BUT, we did do a redesign on the kit, has beefed it up and gusseted the part so it can no longer break. We send out free replacements to anyone who has one of the original parts and expresses concern. So just give our shop a call and we can do this for you if you want.

Thanks.

Glenn Wakefield
www.rocky-road.com
Rocky Road Outfitters, voted Top Ten All Star Manufacturer by Four Wheeler magazine readers.

http://www.rocky-road.com/

Their number is 800-801-7271.
__________________

Schoat333 · Apr 11, 2008

Gramps said:
I dropped an email to Glenn yesterday and this is what we have:

Their number is 800-801-7271.
__________________

Thats appears to explain any customer service issues. Thanks for the info Gramps.

quiff69 · Apr 12, 2008

Well seeing that I will take back a few of my negative comments on it. My experience was still not good having to get them a picture. Are they requesting pictures from the rest of you?

JeepJim · Apr 12, 2008

Ok here what I see in a nut shell:

This is a major safety issue as far as I am concerned and I was quite shocked to find out that RRO must know about this issue as they have re-designed these parts and are now sending me two replacements. As far as customer service goes I was more than a little disappointed. I called yesterday morning and was told all they needed was my order number (stored in my work email) I came into work, a 30 minute drive, and called them back with it only to be told that I needed to send in a digital picture of the broken part in order to receive a warranty replacement. I had to drive back home to get the picture.

First off Major safety issue? Come on guy in the photo it took you two days to post here shows that the way it broke it could never have "punctured" the tire like you say it could. Tires are approximately 1/2" think and with the ball joint attached to that bracket it would not ever puncture the tire. Now I am no financial genius but I know I never keep financial records and online purchase orders on my computer at work. They just aren't the safest of places to keep such vital information and its not their fault you chose to do such a thing. All most all stores require a receipt for replacement of a damaged product, so this isn't such an absurd request. But anyway now that you drove 30 minutes to work only to get that order number you had no plans of ever returning home right? Then whats the big deal about driving home to get the photo? You were going home anyway... And why would you be pissed about them wanting photos? Its not to proves its broken or to prove you actually have the kit. Its so they can see how your part failed so they can continue to develop the over all product and continue to make it safe for you, your family and everyone else on the road.

For now (since I can't borrow the old man's brand new Chev for too long) I took some 1/4" thick (the RRO part is only 3/16") Stainless Steel Flat bar (its what we had at work) and made my own brackets. My Riot is back on the road but its unlikely I will be buying anything designed by Rocky Road again considering these parts broke under normal driving conditions, what quality is there behind their parts that get tortured off road?

I am glad to see you edited that so you no longer say it disabled your Jeep... But you could just as easily disconnected the bar too and kept it from happening again since the use of flat bar is, and I quote "a major safety issue". The thickness isn't the key to the updated part its the addition of the side welded to it so it doesn't bend.

I would also like to point out after my posts were deleted you went through and changed yours... How convenient.

Its pretty simple:

1) Their part was very poorly designed.
2) They redesigned it and neglected to inform their customers of the issue when, at highway speeds the issue could be a safety hazard
3) Their customer service department was not clear as to warranty requirements and gave me mis-information resulting in over an hour of driving time wasted
4) They would not make any effort to expedite getting the parts to me

I would like to comment on a couple of those points:
1.) actually their original part was the same thickness as the stock mounting point so they followed Jeeps specs.
2.) I can't argue and won't this one other than to say many car, baby seat and other manufacturers fall to the same prey.
3.) The photo probably wasn't for warranty purposes it was probably to help further develop the part so it does not continue to happen.
4.) They had no reason to expedite the parts any faster than how you originally had them shipped. It did not disable your Jeep in any shape or fashion. I mean you probably could completely removed the kit in 3 hours and still made it work for part of that day if you didn't want to drive the 'Riot with the sway bar disconnected (which is what I would do if this ever occured to me). You would want to slow down for corners but its the fastest and safest way to temporarily fix this issue.

Jim, I get notices on every recall, and if I don't take care of them immediately at my every 3K oil change, they run a recall notice and service bullet search on my VIN, Lifts do not have this kind of check, check, and recheck I get every 2-3 months.

WhatARiot thats great, I am glad to hear you have a good dealership and service department. But thats the dealership and they are actually a third party not Jeep themselves (many dealerships are named after their city or even their owners). They are actually licensed sales representatives not the actual company and they get paid by you so they should do that leg work for you. No one here has probably ever had Jeep or Chrysler call them about a Recall or TSB unless forced to by the US DoT.

You do realise that there is a quality issue with these parts am I right? Wether or not I know what the part is for does not detract from that. Don't need a hood to drive a car but people who'se hoods are jumping on them are pretty pissed off about it, should they just pull the hood off?

Yeah and their thread titles weren't *****PATRIOT HOOD ISSUES****** and didn't say "the rattling of my hood is a major safety concern... They said hey my hood shakes a little now and asked if anyone else had this issue. Just like the water leaking in from the roof. They didn't post *****PATRIOTS LEAK COULD KILL YOU****** come on water does leak past bare wires by the over head light right? DC kills faster than AC. If you touched the water in the right circumstances it could kill you... but did they do that? No. they all kept level heads, posted concerns, and asked questions.

Well seeing that I will take back a few of my negative comments on it.

Ok then take it back you can still edit your posts since you have done so already...

Hopefully you can all see the differences here.

Now that all that is over. I want to apologize for some, but not all of my previous comments (which were deleted)... but alot of you jumped on a band wagon here that was (the way I see it) being driven by disappointment, misunderstanding and probably a little anger. Hopefully you all can see and agree to that?

Gramps · Apr 12, 2008

*RRO LIFT KIT ISSUES**

WhatARiot

Boilermaker

WhatARiot

quiff69

quiff69

liftedMK

liftedMK

quiff69

quiff69

Tony1911

TJinWV

unclejjg

Schoat333

heckler

Desert Dog

Gramps

Schoat333

quiff69

JeepJim

Gramps

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