Beware: 3D Offroad Fab Shop

[chevy559]

A couple moths ago I bought a project prerunner and I decided to use 3D Offroad in Visalia, CA to work on my truck because they are local and I prefer dealing locally. After a trip to the dunes I broke the shock tower so I went to them to have a new one built. Since they were taking the shocks off anyways, I just asked them if they could also pull off the front arms so I could have them painted. They told me it took them 3 1/2 hours of labor to unbolt and then install the arms and was $220 on top of the shock tower. After going back to the shop 3 times to pick up the truck, it was finally finished (11 days later). As soon as I got home I popped the hood and immediately could see that the cross bar was at least 1/2 inch taller on one side causing the whole thing to slant to the side. I then took it back and had them rebuild it.

After the second time I had them work on it, I was driving on the freeway to my house and all of the sudden the truck started shaking violently causing me to almost roll the truck. I pulled over and noticed that I could unbolt the tie rods by hand. I took the truck back to have them retighten the front end that they charged me over $200 in labor to install. The bolts were so loose it took them another 30 minutes to tighten them.

Once again, I went home and noticed that they didn't bolt my intake back to the throttle body (kinda a big deal). Was on my way back to the shop when the truck shut off. Started it back up and it started pouring out smoke and was knocking badly. I pulled the intake off only to notice that the end of the mounting bracket was broken off. Now I'm in the process of pulling my engine because it has to be fully rebuilt.

Somehow the newer version of the first shock tower has already bent and I haven't even driven the truck. Also they burned holes all the way around the back of the hoops that are about 1/4" wide.

The purpose of this thread is to inform anyone that is thinking about going to 3D. I have seen good work come from the shop, but if you are not a friend, you are not a priority to them. I had already told them that I was going to have them 4-link my truck and they still thought it was necessary to screw me over.

Pic 1: First shock tower from 3D
Pic 2: Second shock tower bent
Pic 3: Second shock tower different view

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[JPBart]

That looks more like hack work than bent to me. Garbage like that makes you wonder if they are capable of quality work.

[Brokenbronco]

Pm Fabunlimited. They are in Lemoore, and do some very nice work! Here's a link to his profile http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/mem...9-FABUNLIMITED

[chevy559]

Ya I had gone to 3D a couple years back and saw the Farris Motorsports truck that Dave was building. Some amazing work on that. I've been trying to find a way to contact Fab Unlimited so that I can go by the shop and get a couple of quotes. And ya I wasn't sure if they just kept the same angle when they had to shorten one side of it and then welded it on like crap or what, but I can run a better weld than that and I learned how to weld a couple months ago.

[chevy559]

And ya JP, when I got home the first time I couldn't even believe that they let something roll out of their shop that looked like that. The owner was telling me that he didn't see it, but when I took the truck back he immediately knew what was wrong. It wasn't just bad welding, but the angles were off too. What's sad is offroad work is a luxury to people, not a necessity. In this economy I would think they would be doing great work (especially since they had 15 days altogether it do it). Unfortunately the crap they did is gunna cost me around 3 grand, but they lost a lot more than 3 grand and it's all because they couldn't build a simple shock tower the right way.

[BitchinChevy]

Hahahah chevy559 you make me chuckle. Yeah i agree with you the first engine cage looked like but 3D wasnt the cause of your motor blowing that piece of crap intake was...

[95f150]

what ever happened with this thing?

[chevy559]

Hahahah chevy559 you make me chuckle. Yeah i agree with you the first engine cage looked like but 3D wasnt the cause of your motor blowing that piece of crap intake was...

Ok I'm trying to figure out what you meant. Did you not read that 3D decided it wasn't important to bolt the intake back on to the throttle body? Which caused the mount to break off and fall down into the engine. Bolt on mount=no way for mount to fall down intake. I have the pics of what was found in the oil pan while the engine was being rebuilt.

[chevy559]

what ever happened with this thing?

It should be done this tuesday before thanksgiving. While the engine was being rebuilt we fabed a new tower and it will hopefully be up and running. Ill try to get some pics up but it isn't working right now.

[95f150]

Wow some shady things going on over there. I would never bring my baby in there