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-   -   A/Os 1/2 ton axle rebuild and SASsy thread -with a pic or two (https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1165375-a-os-1-2-ton-axle-rebuild-and-sassy-thread-with-a-pic-or-two.html)

alpha/omega 08-05-2012 09:51 PM

I hate hearing people on teh interwebz bash Ballistic. I have literally been ordering through them for years and have never once had an issue with the commonly reported problems- slow shipping, incorrect orders, poor customer service and back orders. I ordered this stuff on Friday afternoon and it came in the following Thursday. It doesnt get much better than that from AZ to SC. Prices are better than Dans or Blue Torch also.

This all boils down to one chief dingaling on Pirate having to wait one extra day or getting one little bracket wrong and running with the bash. Things happen. You'd be surprised how often Building Supplys run out of 2x4s or 16d nails. Multimillion dollar plants run out of metal necessary for day to day repairs. Again, things happen. Its very unfortunate that a few people bashing (regardless of the level of truth behind any of it) can almost cause a business to close their doors, not to mention a very tainted reputation on the interwebz - Id be willing to bet most of the bashers have never spent one cent with them anyway.

Newcomer 08-05-2012 10:11 PM


Originally Posted by alpha/omega (Post 12136618)
I hate hearing people on teh interwebz bash Ballistic. I have literally been ordering through them for years and have never once had an issue with the commonly reported problems- slow shipping, incorrect orders, poor customer service and back orders. I ordered this stuff on Friday afternoon and it came in the following Thursday. It doesnt get much better than that from AZ to SC. Prices are better than Dans or Blue Torch also.

This all boils down to one chief dingaling on Pirate having to wait one extra day or getting one little bracket wrong and running with the bash. Things happen. You'd be surprised how often Building Supplys run out of 2x4s or 16d nails. Multimillion dollar plants run out of metal necessary for day to day repairs. Again, things happen. Its very unfortunate that a few people bashing (regardless of the level of truth behind any of it) can almost cause a business to close their doors, not to mention a very tainted reputation on the interwebz - Id be willing to bet most of the bashers have never spent one cent with them anyway.

Unfortunately for me, I have only ordered from Ballistic one time in my life and it was a bad experience for me. I ordered the most simple of items that I had a gut feeling I should have just made myself anyway. I ordered two GM 1 ton TRE insert sleeves from those guys, they were $12 a piece. I placed the order online and everything was fine. I waited 6 or 7 days because I knew they were coming from AZ. After a week I called them and got a young girl on the phone and inquired about my order, she could not find it at first, put me on hold for 10 minutes then some other guy gets on the line and asks me what I am holding for. I re-explain the situation, he puts me on hold and then comes back and says my order did not go through, (even though I had a confirmation email for the order, just no shipping confirmation) So he re-submits the order and all is suppose to be good. I get another confirmation email about the order and nothing about the shipping, I wait another 5 or 6 days and by this time I am angry because I can just make them myself. I called again and get another guy on the phone, I explained the whole deal and he was very concerned with it, I could hear it in his voice, he said he had no idea what the problem was, and I should have had those parts just a few days after the order was placed. I guess he was a manager or something. He puts me on hold and comes back on in 2 minutes, he says "I have both of them in my hand and we have dozens of them on the shelf, someone dropped the ball." I told him that someone dropped the ball twice!!! He apologized and sent them to me 2 day.

Anyway, it took me 15 days to get two TRE sleeves that I could have made myself. I am not saying I will not order from them again because I probably will, only becaue the last guy I talked to made it right. But I do think they have some lazy people who answer the phone.

Side note, the last TRE sleeve I needed I made myself on the lathe at work.........

alpha/omega 08-07-2012 08:50 PM

Mo' progress...

took the rather bent front passenger side fender off.
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-14-32_246.jpg

bought a new fender
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-14-47_970.jpg

I guess I didnt take a pic of it bolted on.


Seat bracket cut down 1 3/4" to lower it and painted black.
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-27-34_748.jpg

Floor board wire wheeled.
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-27-51_518.jpg

Floor with some spray on bedliner deal and the seats bolted in
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-32-08_714.jpg




Traction bars tomorrow

alpha/omega 08-08-2012 05:22 PM

bling blang!

Frame brackets - 3x3x1/4" angle and 1/4" tabs from Ballistic - 5/8 hole
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-43-18_502.jpg

bolt that shat up! - 3- 1/2x1 1/2" grade 8 bolts per side
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-08-04_617.jpg

Cut 2x.250 DOM to make bushings out of poly chebby leaf spring bushings.
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-07-07_468.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-08-04_617.jpg

Traction bars - 1.5" x 11ga square tube x 66" total length.
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-05-21_342.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...5-42-51_84.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-19-52_182.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-20-22_229.jpg

Bolted up with 1- 5/8x4 grade 8 bolt on the frame end and 2- 9/16x4 grade 8 bolts on the axle end
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-24-35_162.jpg

Bolted up the fender after shooting a little red paint on the back side and around the edges. Hes painting the truck red after Im done.
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-35-35_786.jpg

New dash pad deal
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...-57-06_103.jpg

hav24wheel 08-09-2012 08:56 AM

Unacceptable.......













Red is not a good color for any pickup. Lol.

alpha/omega 08-09-2012 05:26 PM

Haha. It wont matter when its covered in mud

fatdan460 08-09-2012 05:44 PM

agreed dave. i hated the color on my f350. lucky for me it oxidized and turned pink....

hav24wheel 08-12-2012 10:21 PM

Guess if it's always covered its good to go.












Also, on another note, got a little box in the mail with some goodies in it today.
Thanks!

alpha/omega 08-13-2012 11:27 AM


Originally Posted by hav24wheel (Post 1216012)
Also, on another note, got a little box in the mail with some goodies in it today.
Thanks!


Enjoy






On another note where do you guys buy your mig wire? I need another 33lb spool of .035" solid core

fatdan460 08-13-2012 11:59 AM


Originally Posted by alpha/omega (Post 12161509)
Enjoy






On another note where do you guys buy your mig wire? I need another 33lb spool of .035" solid core

local welding supply, used to be called boc gas, think it's rockwell industrial gas now. grin and bare the price. you usually run out at an inopportune time where cost savings isn't an option.

hav24wheel 08-13-2012 01:23 PM

Lowes. Cheapest place around that I have found.

kjett 08-13-2012 01:32 PM

All the local Home Depot and Lowes around here only carry the 5 and 10lb spools. If you want the big 33lb, you need to find a local welding supply or get an account at a Grainger.

hav24wheel 08-13-2012 01:43 PM

Is there American welding and gas around there?

77mud 08-13-2012 02:22 PM

theres a National welding and gas local here.... bout 25 mins or so from me... they carry every thing... but my little wire welder only holds a 5# roll

hav24wheel 08-13-2012 02:25 PM

My little wire holds a 10 lb roll. Heavy welding I do with a 220 stick...


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