My LJ keeps rejecting Falcons...

[DAA]

For some reason, my LJ seems to want to reject Falcon stuff like an organ transplant from the wrong blood type or something.

The most recent, the other day, just cruising a dirt road and the steering stabilizer self ejected. No flexing or abuse or anything. It just decided it wasn't happy being attached to the Jeep anymore I guess.

I haven't had any time to mess with it. Not sure if that mount is actually broke, or it just "popped off" and can go back together. Kind of looks like it just popped off. But if so, I'm sure it's going to pop off again. The axle side mount, torqued to Tera specs, kept coming loose and trying to fall off too. I finally just ignored the recommended torque and gunned them down for all my impact had to give and it has stayed tight since then - till the other day when I removed it.

Good news is, I couldn't tell the difference driving home 300 miles without it. So if it isn't broke, I'll probably just put the cheap ass Monroe back on and forget about it - apparently my LJ doesn't need a fancy steering shock, or any steering shock at all for that matter. If it is broke, I'll call Tera. They have actually been quite helpful the last couple times I've had to call.

I've had both front shocks self eject - even after double nutting with the Tera supplied lock nuts. I have them double nutted with nylocks now and carry a bag of spare Falcon hardware and nylocks. Which is just asinine if you think about it. And now this. These are parts that I think even cheap ass stuff you shouldn't ever have to even think about after install. Maybe I'm just not as smart as the parts are and am doing something wrong with the install. I should stick to dumber parts.

I love the way the Falcons do their job of damping. They are a step up from the Bilstein 5100's I ran for ten years in that regard. And that's why I haven't ditched them already. But to have to keep dicking with them checking fasteners and hearing the rears clunk and what not, I am overall, not impressed and wouldn't buy them again - not even for a lot less money.

- DAA

 

[Kevin B.]

Can I leave this here? I'm just gonna leave this here.

 

[Greg]

That really sucks to hear, Dave.

 

[gertsch]

Is it a snap ring that attaches the cylinder to the mounting post? Maybe the snap ring groove wasn't machined properly with thats what retains it anyways. Could it possibly be the mounting angles are causing the failure? Just ideas i'm throwing out there.

 

[mesha]

That is so frustrating!

 

[astjp2]

Maybe its time to switch to Fox shocks?
🤷‍♂️

 

[glockman]

I don't have nearly as many miles on the Falcons on my LJ but I have been very cognizant of the front upper nuts due to your issues. Mine have not moved at all. I simply tightened them until the upper bushing was the same diameter as the washer, or slightly smaller. Maybe I need to bomb some washboard roads for a few hundred miles at a time and see what happens.

I'd be very unimpressed if I'd had the same experience you've had.

 

[Johnny Quest]

Teraflex/Falcon guy here; this is concerning. If you are not already in contact with someone about this, please shoot me an email.

d.pulsford@teraflex.com

 

[Greg]

Could be worse, @DAA.... (posted on FB, UJC)

 

[glockman]

Guess that guy should switch to falcons

 

[DAA]

Fox isn't really on my radar. I wish OME made the BP 51 for the TJ. If I do ditch the Falcon shocks, I'm just going to put the 100K miles on them already Bilstein 5100's back on again and rock on without ever needing to look at them again till the end of time.

Dan reached out to me and I'm sure Tera will do what they can, or I'm willing to let them. Both on the shocks and the steering stab. I feel a lot better about Teraflex customer service than I used to.

I finally got a chance to pull the drag link mount off this morning and have a look. I think the securing hardware just spontaneously jettisoned and the steering shock is totally repairable. I'll work out with Dan how to get the repair done - either get the shock to them or just get the replacement hardware to me.

He has offered to take the shocks in for a complete going through and I may take him up on that eventually. Right now, I don't have time to mess with it though. The LJ has a leaking transfer case rear output seal and I don't even have time to mess with that before the Ghost Town Tour. Going to see if Axis can do it for me next week. Managing the front shock hardware has become second nature though, it's kind of not even a big deal to me right now. I just "check my nuts" (running joke with trail buddies...) at every fuel stop and every stop on the trail and tighten them a few turns as needed. Carry full spare hardware too. I can just keep living with that for now.

- DAA

 

[moab_cj5]

I just put BP51'S on my 80. Can wait to put them through their paces on the GTT.

 

[nnnnnate]

Would it be worth putting a little locktite on them? Maybe you've already done that.

 

[gijohn40]

after doing my front end conversion i never even ran a steering stabilizer on my LJ. never had any problems at all. Ilean did an excellent job for me!

 

[DAA]

So, just a quick update on this.

I'm still waiting for an RMA to send the stabilizer back.

I take back what I said about feeling better about Tera customer service. I mean, I did tell Dan I wasn't in a big hurry. But, still, come on... Taking weeks just to get an RMA? This is sadly about average in my experience with Teraflex. I'm disappointed in the products. I'm disgusted with the service.

- DAA

 

[Johnny Quest]

Hey Dave, you have an email.

 

[Chicken Corners]

DAA, any update on this?

 

[DAA]

Not yet. Dan got a shipping label to me on Monday. Tracking says Tera rec'd it on Tue. Haven't heard anything from them though. It's going to end up being at least a month after first talking to Dan and sending him pics to get it fixed. At this point I'm not totally sure if this is just how Teraflex rolls, or they want to send me a message that the squeaky wheel can shove it up his ass. Previous experience says it's just how they roll though, nothing personal. They always say this right things, but they have always been very slow following through.

I will put the stabilizer back on when I finally see it though. Decided after paying that much for it to begin with and going through this much hassle to get it fixed, it would be dumb just to let it sit on the shelf.

- DAA

 

[Greg]

Not that it'll make any difference here, but after loosing Sam Falkner to a virus that took his life in a matter of hours, the Teraflex family is taking the Coronavirus situation very seriously. They stopped all travel for their employees, had most of the employees working from home and just recently started to bring people back into the building.

I don’t know if that's part of the reason your shock return is taking awhile, but its worth understanding their very delicate history and what's going on with the company.

 

[DAA]

I only had the pleasure of meeting Sam once. Went for a noise diagnostic ride in my LJ with me. Six States had apparently not put any preload at all in when doing the ring and pinion so I had Teraflex re-do the install. Sam took the time to take a ride and listen, decide where to start looking. They had it opened up to see the issue right away. Told me how long it would take and how much it would cost and it went as planned. I had a really good experience. Lot of good miles on that R&P since.

Looking back, I realize that Dan has set no explicit expectations at any point in the last month. So, any expectations I may have had, were inferred, by me. My bad.

If they aren't functioning at anything near a normal level due to the virus, that is worth understanding, but it might be a good idea to communicate that to customers. Just tell me, "I'm talking to you now, not for the first time, but, due to Covid, it's going to be a couple more weeks before I give you an RMA. Then it will take me another week to get you a shipping label. You won't here from us after we get it back from you. So just be patient. ". Just tell me. Set some expectations. It's just a steering shock, I'm not freaking out about it.

Just seems business as usual for them. To me. But, if it's not, say something about it, maybe.

I don't want to be "that guy" who just harps on and on about something. So, I'll be silent on this stuff from here out. It isn't getting anyone anywhere.

Unless the stabilizer pops off again, I'll have to post that pic if it happens .

- DAA