Author Topic: Started a new venture (Read 3892 times)

Farmer Jon · « **on:** March 12, 2016, 08:25:14 AM »

We don't have any livestock anymore. The cattle prices are crazy so we got out of that for now. The hog sheds were all in disrepair. Needed all new gates and fence. SO when the place where we got our little pigs closed we quit. Tore down the buildings. With grain prices the way they are in the dumper and tons of spare time My brother and I persuaded the boss to buy some trucks and side dump trailers. Got to work and bring some income. At least earn our wages.

We went out and got 2 brand new side dump trailers. Then we went truck shopping. My brother got a 93 Kenworth. Heavy haul set up. Day cab. 2 speed rears. 425 horse 3406 mechanical Cat 18 speed. Straight from California. Good clean truck.

I found a 06 mack vision. 460 mack engine and 13 speed. Little rough but it has 870,000 miles. rebuilt engine and trans.

Both trucks went through the shop and Sioux City Kenworth and are good to go!

We been hauling for a few days and I noticed that the Mack likes to sway a little bit. Talked to the mechanic. He said its got brand new tires they can do that sometimes. Then I noticed the brakes were getting bad. I should have seen that before we bought it. Thats on me.
In the process of doing the brakes my brother seen the crack. In the frame. Then we found 3 more. Over a foot long over each spring shackle. Then 2 broken cross-members. The dealer had painted the frame with a nice shiny thick black paint that hid the cracks. I was pissed. I called the sales man right away. He was a little pissed himself but no help. Now I get to spend my Saturday in the shop tearing apart a truck.

Pics to follow IF I can get my phone to work.

KensAuto · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2016, 10:17:59 AM »

Well darn, that's a sad post.

What are you guys hauling?

Sammconn · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2016, 12:37:04 PM »

Wow, that's a raw deal.
Hopefully is an 'easy' fix. I use the term loosly as I know what you're dealing with.

Farmer Jon · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2016, 11:17:33 AM »

Right now we are hauling AG lime out of the quarry for ourselves. We will likely be hauling a lot of manure out of the feed lots around here. Dirt, rock, whatever someone will pay us to haul. There is another trucking outfit near us that has dump trucks with aluminum boxes. There are things they cant haul so we can help them out. My boss has some friends that haul and they already asked us for help. They are actually the ones that helped my convince the boss to do this. So I hope we can stay busy.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2016, 01:15:06 PM »

Yep, thats a crack!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

KensAuto · « **Reply #5 on:** March 13, 2016, 02:34:28 PM »

..and yep, I bet the dealer knew about it.

Wilbur · « **Reply #6 on:** March 13, 2016, 03:14:22 PM »

Well that really stinks on the Mack....which dealer painted it? The Sioux City one? I have to believe that is fraud to sell a truck with cracked frame....THAT YOU PAINTED OVER SO NO ONE WOULD NOTICE. Yeesh!

If it was Sioux City I would make sure I was there every day (assuming you are close by?) asking in a louder and louder voice (in the showroom) why they sold you a truck with a cracked frame and had painted over the cracks? I find that the louder you say it in front of customers the better the response. Couse I never had it happen on a semi but on everything else I have responded that way I have gotten results.

Good luck! I hope you get that fixed and stay busy hauling.

TexasRedNeck · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2016, 06:31:24 PM »

^ and call their corporate office too

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Farmer Jon · « **Reply #8 on:** March 14, 2016, 07:48:09 AM »

They use an independent detail shop. Thier job is to clean, polish wheels and paint. They had to have seen it. We found fresh paint behind the broken crossmember. Why didn't they say something I don't know. Its not their job. They are paid to paint so they paint.

It was close to closing time Friday when I called and told them about it. I'm going to wait until after lunch today and call them back.

Farmer Jon · « **Reply #9 on:** March 14, 2016, 07:56:20 AM »

Ground a groove in the crack inside and out. Welded it then ground it smooth. Put this plate in there and reinforced the cross member. This plate is 3/16 the same thickness as the frame. Replacing the Hucks with frame bolts. If it happens again we are going to double frame it.

cj7ox · « **Reply #10 on:** March 14, 2016, 09:40:52 AM »

D@mn! That sucks! Hopefully you get some satisfaction from the dealer.

Farmer Jon · « **Reply #11 on:** March 14, 2016, 09:29:18 PM »

Started the brakes and found a wheel seal out. Started the wheel seal found a bad bearing.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2016, 08:33:05 AM »

Quote from: Farmer Jon on March 14, 2016, 09:29:18 PM

Started the brakes and found a wheel seal out. Started the wheel seal found a bad bearing.

Of course, the upside is you're finding out all the things that are bad! :-)

JR · « **Reply #13 on:** March 15, 2016, 10:51:03 AM »

We did our own glider kits back in the 80's and many had the DI cats. Nice motors.

Ca trucks will be flooding the market with the new carb rules.

Frame issues should be covered miles or not. If they cleared a safety check for sale, they knew.

stlaser · « **Reply #14 on:** March 15, 2016, 11:26:04 AM »

Correct who did the dot inspection?

Farmer Jon · « **Reply #15 on:** March 16, 2016, 08:17:58 AM »

I called the salesman again yesterday. He pulled the paper work. It was suppose to have an inspection but didn't get done.

I think the mechanic went to inspect it and said I don't want no part of this crap and passed the buck.

Some of these companies underestimate the power of the internet. If I don't get satisfaction there will be pictures show up on Facebook, twitter, Instagram, and whatever else I can find. I even have a pintrest. There are many trucker groups on Facebook and there are TONS of forums.

What really burns my butt is we bought 5 trucks there. 3 brand new ones 2 years ago. Now its oh we might be able to get you a couple hundred bucks.

cj7ox · « **Reply #16 on:** March 16, 2016, 09:21:33 AM »

Is there a law stating a tractor/truck like that must pass a safety inspection before being sold? I would think the DOT would have something like that concerning the sale of commercial vehicles. There's no telling what would have happened if you'd had a catastrophic failure on the road while hauling a load. Especially with the brakes!

JR · « **Reply #17 on:** March 16, 2016, 10:33:10 AM »

Yes, I would check on that too. If the state lists an inspection should be done they have no recourse. It could be a normal part of any truck sold in your state?

Wilbur · « **Reply #18 on:** March 19, 2016, 06:06:01 PM »

I am thinking I might go pay them a visit and have your attorney generals office on the line on your cell. That bad frame cause a wreck that kills a family and that dealer will WISH they took it back, paid you in full and gave you a deal in the reolacement.

Mrwoody · « **Reply #19 on:** May 03, 2016, 10:03:55 AM »

So what was the final outcome of this deal?

Farmer Jon · « **Reply #20 on:** May 04, 2016, 07:56:07 AM »

We basically got stuck with it. Got it as is where is. There was no inspection done before we took possession. I didn't see the problem before we took it.

One thing we did get was free parts. It seems like just about every time we order parts I go pick them up to find that the salesman took care of the bill. its not much but something. I just got my air dryer rebuilt for free. It wasn't the best deal but it was a learning experience and we are getting some free parts and labor.

JR · « **Reply #21 on:** May 04, 2016, 10:42:26 AM »

Lesson learned but seems like they are doing something short of buying it back.