Although I have sworn off posting here, I feel a responsibility to update my posting of a week or so back about the quality of spreader bars from speedway. This to inform of how they handled my return of the piss poor quality welding of the one sent to me which I returned to them, asking to refund my money, ( $100.00 ) plus, or send another of normally expected quality. I also asked them to let me know which these options they would do with just a simple email, which they did not do. I do this as an well meaning jester to inform and warn of Speedways current sales practices which IMO have diminished to greatly from a couple of years back when I purchased wiring harness, coil overs, etc. Yesterday I found at my door a crumpled Speedway box, with a replacement spreader bar rattling loosely around inside. This one is even worse than the first one sent. Pinholes at the intersection in the center are more numerous than the first one and the bracket welds at each end are indescribably of the worst welding , I have ever seen. They picture in their on line advertising a highly polished, smooth transitions at each weld seam, which isn't even close to what I have been sent. On the pick order paper work and order receipt is this instruction in all capital bolded letters, highlighted in yellow transparent ink: CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO PINHOLES OR BAD WELDS. It is very obvious that there is no quality control at the source of picking parts. I am of course returning this one also and have sent the following email to Speedway. ............................................................................................................................................. Please if you will just cancel the order: ORDER #10974829 for the 32 Ford spreader bar that I ordered from you. I am sending replacement back to you, the second bar you sent as a replacement for the first badly defective bar. The replacement is worse than the one it replaced. I want my money refunded please. Note below how the bar appears in the on line picture below. Where the end brackets are welded to the bar and where the bar is welded in the center the welds are ground smooth with the weld bead being flush with the surface and like wise the end brackets with no weld bead or holes showing and not visible and highly polished. This is not what this one is even close to being. The weld quality, like the first one I received, is quite probably the worst vendor quality I have ever witnessed. The packaging of this one was worse also than first one shipped. It is very obvious your parts picking and shipping folks need some education on what they are doing. 1) On the replacement order a note saying: CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO PINHOLES OR BAD WELDS. It is obvious the people picking the parts do not know, or care IMO, what either of these conditions are. 2) The paper within the shipping box that should be crumpled to take up open space and protect the bar was not crumpled andwas jus thrown in the box like flat newspaper. I do not think I can trust Speedway with ordering anything in the future. I posted on the most world wide car building web site,: THE HAMB, how Speedway treated my first order, sending an impossibly poor quality part, and now another black mark will be noted world wide about how I was treated even worse when receiving the replacement bar. ORDER #10974829 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have a spreader on order from Tanks inc. in Idaho calling them for assurance that theirs is of the finest weld and fabrication quality. This is my first knowledge of Tanks. They have a great web site, anxious to know more of there quality. Now that I have violated my own self imposed suspension, doing so in hopes of passing on what purports to be of good quality, at least in spreader bars, I adjourn to my cave once again.
I don’t need to see it. If what your saying is true I have no reason to doubt you and the included paper highlighted answers all the questions to me. You gave them 2 chances.
Tanks sells quality products but they are in Iowa. I've used a bunch of spreader bars from Roadster Supply in my chassis business and they've also been high quality to date.
At first the "Pic's folks pissed me off, then I took a second look. I have these questions. Do you think I'm lying ? Are you being funny? Are you so sold on Speedway that you think this can't be right? Anyway there are no pictures. To much trouble getting them posted. I have been accused of being honest to a fault by many in my life. I assure you with a hand on the bible that this is the truth. If you have a problem with that, then that is YOUR PROBLEM. So I go away feeling sorry for you and your lack in your faith in your fellow man.
Speedway is like Wally Mart. They have what you need at an affordable price. Sometimes you need to spend a few more bucks and call a quality supplier and get a precision made product when the first one doesn`t cut it. Accept it. Be happy they had one in stock as the supply chain is messed up right now. It`s not gonna get better anytime soon.
I've personally still not had a Speedway order that had an error that wasnt in my favor, nor a product of less quality than I expected. I guess Im getting ripped off
Thanks for the heads up Larry. I don't know the status of current management since Speedy Bill passed away. Does anyone know if they've been bought out, reorganized, etc? I haven't purchased anything from them for a few years, but I always thought their stuff was middle-of-the-road quality, and service was good, but from what I've seen on here recently, they've taken a nose dive overall. Any insight?
I have already spent way to much time here this morning but I have to say thank you krylon32 for this and correcting me on where Tanks is.
"The worst welding I have ever seen" and ... no pics. My guess is they weren't interested in judging YOU, they were interested in judging the welder Well then, if that's the game we are playing , I was at the topless beach today and I saw, hands down, THE BEST boobies (.)(.) I have EVER seen ... to quote Seinfeld, "the were real and they were spectacular". Sorry, no pics
I guess I got screwed on the grand I spent with them last month as well. I'd post pics of the quality items I received, but it's too much of a hassle to validate my complaints, you'll have to take my word that they were just what I ordered.
No, Jerry didn’t say that, the gal did! And I believe it was “They’re real, and they’re spectacular “! Aw, I miss TV sometimes....just sometimes But back to Larry’s post, pin holes are pin holes. Heck, I don’t need to see a pic of pin holes that he can see. I don’t need to see a bent rim, if someone tells me it’s bent. But now if you’d pm the pic of those other things, I could make a professional assessment
I have in excess of 50 years welding knowledge, on almost all metals, and on everything from simple flat welds to the most complex including electro-slag, (welding 6inch square weld in a single pass) on simple flat position common fabrication to the building of nuclear containment structures, I do know how welds should appear to the eye.
....................................... Thank you but I'm not back. Just wanted to follow up on what has happened. Lurk, lurk, lurk.
My final comment on this thread ... I had to change the Teri Hatcher quote slightly since I was speaking of someone else's boobs, not my own (although for a small fee I could possibly be coaxed into removing my Manzier long enough for a couple of pics ). I too have decades of welding experience. Started with oxy/ace and arc and presently own both mig and tig. I don't believe anyone is suggesting you (the OP) are incapable of assessing a poor weld but you should keep in mind HOW you described the welds ... "The welding literally looked like a first ever weld laid down by a first ever welding student" and "the bracket welds at each end are indescribably of the worst welding , I have ever seen" ... with that as a description, who wouldn't want to see pics? No pics, no worries, I just thought I'd try to explain a possible reason WHY (and the reason I would like to see pics) people may be interested in seeing pics Have a good morning and incase I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening and good night
Goes back to the old sayin, “if you want it done right then you gotta do it yourself” and also brings up the other old sayin of “you get what ya pay for!” Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
A couple of months ago I had a thread asking about Speed Way and there parts. Most of the responses were positive so I was interested in the parts you have received. But after this response I can see you're a hot head and it discredits your first post. I don't know what your expectations are for a $100.00 chrome part but personally I would not expect quality. I don't understand why you would post this here with out settling with Speedway. You look more like the customer no one wants or needs. Like they say without pictures it didn't happen.
Here's some of the worst welding I have ever seen and it was on an aircraft fuselage that had been flying. Pleasant dreams on that note.
The Jalopy Journal
