Bad Solid Diff. Covers for ford 8.8 axle

Buyer beware of soild covers not fitting and bad customer Service

I bought the Solid diff. cover for my 94 Ranger on 01/16/2012 and finally had time to go out and install it, but to only find out that it wouldn't clear my ring gear. Clearance was about an 1/8 from bolting down and I tried calling Solid to see what was going on but only got to leave a voice mail with my phone number and then sent a E-mail to them to only get a reply back from Matt at Solid covers asking me what did the axle come out of that was over 2 weeks ago and no replies from solid and i have sent 2 more e-mails since then. So i would not reccomend buying from Solid covers

Inclosed are copies of the e-mails to Solid

If your not going to responde to my last e-mail, Then please send me a return order number to send it back. That way i can order a cover from another company like riddler, Ruff stuff, Blue torch fabb
Thank you, Steven Reed



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Matt Martin <matt@solidaxle.com>
To: aahomerepair]
Sent: Mon, January 30, 2012 9:08:42 AM
Subject: RE: Website Contact Form


What is the rear axle out of?



Matt



SpynTec Industries LLC.

Phone: 234-759-3105

Fax: 234-759-3306



[url]www.solidaxle.com[/url]

[url]www.spyntec.com[/url]



-----Original Message-----
From: [email]info@solidaxle.com [mailto:info@solidaxle.com]
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 1:52 PM
To: matt@solidaxle.com
Subject: Website Contact Form



FNAME:
Steven

LNAME:
Reed

EMAIL:


PHONE:


attn:
info@solidaxle.com

countrycode:
US

COMMENTS:
I just bought a Ford 8.8 Differential Cover from your company and went out to install it this afternoon and it won't clear my ring gear. It's about at least an 1/8 inch from being able to bolt down my sales no. # is bought on 01/16/2012

image.x:
9

image.y:
12

I got a reply today.

I just got back from a desert race. The only axles that it seems not to fit are the early Ranger / Crown Vic 8.8’s.

Matt

SpynTec Industries LLC.
Phone: 234-759-3105
Fax: 234-759-3306

www.solidaxle.com
www.spyntec.com

Ya well Jon. I just got a responce back from matt also. But it didn't even say that it wouldn't fit the early rangers and Crown vics. Just said i have been out to a race and that left us short handed and so no one to answer the phones. Come on it has been since the 30th of january since Matt's last reply until now and only reason i think i got that was because i told him i was posting feed back about the Solid Covers on all my Ranger and Explorer sites that i'm a member of

I was out at a race leaving us short staffed on the phones and obviously couldn’t respond to emails.



I have had exactly 4 instances where covers will not fit an 8.8 axle. Considering that there have been thousands sold, it’s difficult to pinpoint the problem to a specific brand of gears / year / model.



If you would like to return the cover, we’ll gladly refund your money.



Matt



SpynTec Industries LLC.

Phone: 234-759-3105

Fax: 234-759-3306



www.solidaxle.com

www.spyntec.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Reed [mailto:aahome]
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 10:48 AM
To: Matt Martin
Subject: Re: Website Contact Form



Well i can assume that i'm not going to get a responce from you about why the Solid Cover won't fit the 94 ford Ranger 8.8 Diff. with the 4.56 gears and lock-right. So i guess that i will have to make a spacer to shim it out, so be fore warned that i'm a member of about 7 ranger and Explorer sites and i will be posting feedback for the Solid covers there and have already with copies of these e-mails. I just hope no one else get's stuck like i did and I even called your company and left a voice mail with my phone # before my first e-mail to your company and have not received a call back yet





Notice nothing about paying the return shipping costs of about $17.00

Matt

Yep. It seems most of these businesses are operating websites and selling parts just so they can play at KOH, instead of playing at KOH to promote the business.
I linked Mat to this thread. We'll see how important this is to them.


It's a business guys!!! Someone needs to stay home and run it while you go play.


You too can end up like thses guys if you play the same cards



Same thing different name.

Well let's see, how many covers did they have made on the first run of production my order # was over 3400 and then to start receiving complaints that the covers wouldn't fit. Wouldn't it have been real easy to change the molds to add a 1/2 inch to the thickness to make sure it would clear all of the 8.8 axles and there isn't any postings in tech spec's to the fact that they will not clear the ring gears for the early model Ranger or Crown Victoria's that was only supplied to Jon a Moderator for the Explorer Forums . Just burns my a$$ when i have to save my money to buy from some company to only receive Customer service like this

going over to Pirate4x4.Com Now

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1188764&posted=1#post1188764
http://www.ranger-forums.com/showthread.php?p=1953511#post1953511

Besides the dimensional issue of the product, the initial problem appears to be communication. If the company at hand knows that product A does not fit application X and Y, they need to publicize this caveat (on their website?) so that customers know not to buy product A if he/she has X and/or Y.

Should be in this page:
http://www.solidaxle.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=34&idcategory=7#details

what's wrong with this picture i found listing the same solid cover from another vendors site (see bottom of page in Red) :scratch:

http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/Ford-8.8-Differential-Cover-p-2678.html

Looks like they have started to cover their butts by editing existing or making new ads. Hopefully this has drawn enough attention to them that they will honer your cover costs and shipping fees, then include the info needed on all of the advertisements for this cover.

I wouldn't try to make an adapter shim for it either. Cheaper/easier to just buy one that fits from another company.

88comingup said:

what's wrong with this picture i found listing the same solid cover from another vendors site (see bottom of page in Red) :scratch:

http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/Ford-8.8-Differential-Cover-p-2678.html

Click to expand...

Having dealt with PolyPerformance a few times, my guess is that the note was added by PP based on their own experience with the Solid 8.8 cover -- PP is pretty straight and up-front with their customers.

IZwack said:

Having dealt with PolyPerformance a few times, my guess is that the note was added by PP based on their own experience with the Solid 8.8 cover -- PP is pretty straight and up-front with their customers.

Click to expand...

Last sentence is 100% acc!!! Holy crap!

The first post you said you were an 1/8" away from bolting it down. I've never seen one of these covers in person but are they thick enough to clearance them with a grinder? I know you shouldn't have to but probably what i'd do to save the headache of dealing with Solid.

Needs to be thicker not thinner I believe.

Edit:
Derp...Grind the back of the cover where the ring gear hits.

I you where an 1/8 inch from bolting it down you would need at the least another 1/4 inch clearance between the cover and ring gear to get proper oiling to cool the ring gear, so if it is 3/8 thick what would you have left, nothing but a hole in the back of the cover and alot of metal shavings in your new 4.56 gears and locker :thumbdwn:

Or you can grind down the ring gear Since the contact patch to the pinion never really goes to the full length of the teeth but more towards the middle -- just a wild crazzzzzy idea.

EDIT: voila (different axle though):


Results:

I remember seeing those pics but it seems like many many years ago...

Snicker...

wood1 said:

I remember seeing those pics but it seems like many many years ago...

Snicker...

Click to expand...

Let's not put dates or associate people to those pics k?

Hate to see that ring gear out of round.

Pretty sure whomever did that would have been pretty careful to make sure it was still round. I would have spun it while grinding... but that's me.

wood1 said:

. I would have spun it while grinding... but that's me.

Click to expand...

yeah i think thats how the guy did it. Plus the guy said that being out of round doesnt matter too much even if it throws the balance off a bit because people have been notching other ring gears to get the center pin on (ex: ford 8.8) -- as long as the contact pattern isn't touched.

[/hijack]

Makes me wander about the solid diff cover sitting in the box waiting to be installed if its going to fit