I don't know the declining quality for a fact, just what I have read here over the past year or so and on other forums discussing gear boxes. I don't know what has changed at RedHead, but something has for sure as they are getting a lot more complaints then they used to.

In addition to that, what the literature says on their own site about shipping and core charges just turned me off to them and more toward MotorCraft.

 

The core charge thing does seem a little raw.

 

I read a couple complaints coming out of the group buy on this site a while back- even from some very veteran members.

I seem to recall some static getting them fixed, too?

I know of at least one member who popped smoke and decided to just buy a new Motorcraft than deal with Redhead for warranty, shipping, delays, etc when his Redhead failed in short order.

That was enough to cross them off my list of potential upgrades when the time comes.

This isn't exactly the group you want to take advantage of. All products can have problems, but those costs and terms- on top of their premium pricing- isn't really in favor of the consumer, IMHO.

But there are some who are quite happy with their product, too. YMMV

 

There was a shop in western PA that someone recommended about a year ago that does transmissions and steering boxes. I looked around and can't find anything on it, maybe someone else can remember or find it. I thought it was something like Jim's but the only Jim's I can find in that area only seems to to manual trans.

 

Mark, I believe this is the shop you were looking for.

Joe's Transmission and Differential Service

Phone 724-284-0031

http://joestransmissions.com/

 

That is the only one I could find but I recall looking at their website at before and it showed steering boxes and (I thought) AT's. But it could have been only MT's. Steering boxes were definitely part of his program at that time.

 

I don't really see an option to view them, but the steering gear reference is still in their business description.

 

I try sending message and see what they say. Message doesn't look like it's sending though so I'll keep trying.

Edit: His fleabay store shows manual transmissions only, no AT and no steering box.

 

Perhaps try their Ebay store message too? As a last resort, their phone number is listed further up.

 

Has anyone actually had the open and frank discussion with Redhead about their declining reputation and what they're doing to counter it? I mean, I keep seeing the comments being made, but never see anyone talking about having talked with them directly about the issue. My steering is getting sloppier by the month, and at 295K miles, I really do not expect the adjustment screw to be able to make very much more than a very temporary improvement. I'm going to call them and be respectfully blunt about what I've been hearing about their "recent" decline in reputation and reliability. How they address the issue will have a significant impact on whether or not I'm willing to try their box as a replacement.

 

I have never had any luck on such an endeavor but I would like to hear how you make out.

 

Pete, I have not spoken to RedHead. I will try and find the post from a few months ago where the one customer was getting a huge runaround from them. I was a bit turned off based on the price, but I am more than willing to pay for a product even if the price is 3x the competitor as long as it is 3x better.

The core charge was another nail in the coffin and the literature on their website specifically states that unless the gear you are returning is OEM, you will not receive your $200 back. Then you have to pay for shipping both ways, and those things are heavy. Now, tack on the declining reputation, that was enough for me to lean toward MotorCraft if/when I need to replace the 2nd Duralast gear.

Let us know what they say. If you have time and are willing to on behalf of the FTE, give Joe's Transmission a call as well and see what they have to say.

 

OK... I just spent ab out 15-20 minutes talking with Redhead's Tech Support guy, Steve, and just plain asked him about their failure rates and "what's changed" in the recent couple of years. Below is the gist of Steve's responses to my questions, and I have to say that what he said makes good sense to me, and I'm willing to give them a shot at my gearbox replacement -- assuming that I'm willing to spend the extra coin when I pull the trigger on that purchase (roughly a $145-$165 difference -- less -- for Motorcraft reman from Rock Auto).

DISCLAIMER >>> Steve's "answers" below are my summarized version of what Steve told me, and you cannot quote it verbatim.

One more thing, let's all admit that bad news travels fast, and it is generally the bad news which gets repeated the most often. That just means that part of what we could be seeing is one of two things... a mismatch between customer expectations and reality, and/or a misrepresentation of just how often there are Redhead failures in comparison to Redhead successes just because the failures are talked about more often.

==========================================

OK... my questions, followed by Steve's answers, rephrased and summarized by ME..

1) I'm hearing and seeing more posts about Redhead's reputation and reliability having declined in the recent year or so. What's up with that? How does Redhead see this issue?

Well, our return rates for failed units has not really increased over the recent years as compared to beforehand. There have been no changes in our manufacturing or QC processes except we have stopped magnafluxing the shafts.. We stopped magnafluxing because every time we saw something in the magnaflux, we had already sen it in shaft balance while spinning it on the lathe. Since the magnaflux was not giving us any new or more helpful information, we stopped that testing process because the dynamic responses during lathe work was telling us the same things we saw while magnafluxing.

Most of the problems we've had has been associated with people not understanding the fact that we can, and do, only warranty the items for one year. We sometimes "help" someone with a particular warranty issue, and some folks are happy with that while others just keep whining "But your supposed to be THE BEST, and THAT'S ALL YOU CAN DO?"

2) One of the complaints I've read about is several broken shaft problems. How do you explain that?

Shafts break even on new boxes. Typically, we consider a shaft break an abuse situation because it can happen just by bumping a curb while parallel. Or, at least, it can crack during that bump and then break or fall out when it does break "for no apparent reason" several weeks or months later. Ford boxes are not super strong, and we only rebuild boxes... we're not manufacturing brand new boxes. It sounds crappy, but that's the truth. Dodge went through that in the mid 90's, and Ford has had some of the same experience.

3. So is anyone, Redhead included, making beefier steering gear solutions as a retrofit?

Yes, we even have an updated design that is meant to be sturdier, beefier, and more reliable. They are more expensive. The design has only been out for several years, so we cannot yet speak to their long term (5+ year reliability). Cores are harder to come by, so the units are not always available, and that is why we don't advertise them yet on our website, but they are available (sometimes). By design, they should be better. Only time will prove it either way.

==========================================

All in all, I felt like Steve was straight up, and never got the impression that he either didn't know what he was talking about or trying to blow smoke. So, like I said above, I'm personally willing to give them a chance with my box as long as I'm willing to put the extra money in it when the time comes.

 

Pete, thanks for taking the time to call and ask some good questions. You are 100% right that people don't normally get online to praise a part or vendor, they do the opposite because they are pissed off.

Did Steve happen to mention the name for the gear mentioned in your 3rd question, or a price range it is at when it is available?

 

Sous, I did not get a specific model name or price for the "updated design". Given Redhead's already higher price, shipping cost for core, etc., I just didn't take the inquiry that far because I expect most folks wouldn't spend the extra money, and if they would, it would be better for them to call Redhead directly to work out their own deal.

OK... Stand by for input from Joe's Transmission in PA. Dave's initial response was "We generally don't do steering boxes any more because of liability, we just focus on drive line work, primarily the manual transmissions for the 99-03 SD's. In fact, we don't even have any cores any more for the steering boxes. However, let me walk out into the shop and talk to Joe and see if he'd be willing to rebuild a steering box, but it would require shipping us your box and then you waiting for it to be rebuilt and sent back to you."

UPDATE: Well, Dave said he would call me right back right away, but since it's already been about 20 minutes, I don;t expect to hear back from them based on the fact that they "no longer do that kind of work."