Axle Swap = Insurance Dropped. Desertfab Motorsports Fucked Me!

[ChicagoDII]

About a week ago someone hit and run my truck in the parking lot, and since its my DD and I want it to look halfway decent I called up my insurance company.

Turns out my insurance adjuster didnt really like the quality of work that Todd from Desertfab Motorsports did on my axle swap. I paid him up front, it took 3 months longer than promised, and the amount of shit he fucked up is immeasurable. My truck has never tracked really straight since his "axle swap"

So now I find myself trying to gather up the cash to do a D60 swap and swap them under myself, using good quality brackets, and quality welding. I really wish I had a house last year instead of an appartment, but oh well.

So Todd, I hope you see this, so you can tell me, and everyone else what would possibly make my insurance company want to drop my coverage?

I think its got something to do with this, but I'm not sure. My favorite picture is the last one, sorry its sideways, but it shows Todd's lack of basic math skills, that radius arm and entire bracket is 2" too close to the knuckle. You can tell, because the gray swaybar link should be perfectly flat with the picture being sideways. Also check out the one of my rear spring, notice how the spring seat is not centered below the top spring pad?

Defend yourself and your business Todd. You illiterate shithead.

[ChicagoDII]

I should follow up by saying I did not post this with the intention to get money or compensation from Desertfab. I was trying to be the better man in this situation and not post up anything on a public forum, but rather just re-build all of his booty fab myself and just suck it up. However, having to pay for tuition and D60s has got me quite angry.

[Dookey]

why do you have massive amounts of oil all over your junk? Why would desertfab know why your insurance wants to drop you? Ask your insurance agent/adjuster. If your insurance company has a problem with the work they did then have them go after desertfab. I don't understand the problem?

[ChicagoDII]

Originally Posted by Dookey

why do you have massive amounts of oil all over your junk? Why would desertfab know why your insurance wants to drop you? Ask your insurance agent/adjuster. If your insurance company has a problem with the work they did then have them go after desertfab. I don't understand the problem?

At the time that picture was taken, it had a blown pinion seal.


The insurance company said it is my responsibility to fix my vehicle. The problem is the axle swap job Desertfab butchered. Like I said in my 2nd post. Im just angry that his booty fab continues to cause problems for me, so I wrote this thread to show people the quality that desertfab does. That and I would like Todd to give me some input as to why he felt it was acceptable to let a street driven vehicle leave his shop as shown.

[bigbroncojeff]

Originally Posted by ChiagoDII

At the time that picture was taken, it had a blown pinion seal.


The insurance company said it is my responsibility to fix my vehicle. The problem is the axle swap job Desertfab butchered. Like I said in my 2nd post. Im just angry that his booty fab continues to cause problems for me, so I wrote this thread to show people the quality that desertfab does. That and I would like Todd to give me some input as to why he felt it was acceptable to let a street driven vehicle leave his shop as shown.

i'm not defending the work... but you let it leave the shop when you paid and drove away

[XZettle]

In that first pic are the welds that sh1tty or is that just cause the pic is blurry?

Which insurance co do you have? Just wanna make sure mine wont drop me if I swap my axles out....

[ChicagoDII]

Originally Posted by XZettle

In that first pic are the welds that sh1tty or is that just cause the pic is blurry?

Which insurance co do you have? Just wanna make sure mine wont drop me if I swap my axles out....

The pic is blurry, it actually makes them look better than they are in person.

I dont really want to post up my insurance company. Lets just say that I think an adjuster from any of the major auto insurance companies would have an issue with this.

[el ranger loco]

Wow, desert fab actually did that? It looks like something out of a high school shop class in Arkansas. Pics of the whole rig?


Has anyone actually talked to Todd or Dave personally or do you guys just talk shit on the internet?

[ChicagoDII]

Originally Posted by bigbroncojeff

i'm not defending the work... but you let it leave the shop when you paid and drove away

Like I said, I paid ahead of time, Todd told me it would get done faster. That, and his promised 1 month that took 3 really fucked me over. I just had moved down here from illinois and was living in an appartment going to ASU. I had no way to get to my job for 3 months. When it was finally "ready" aka it could make it down the highway at 70 with only minor steering shimmy and a few more vibrations than what I started with, I had no choice but to take it back, I didnt want to keep mooching rides.

And if Todd or Dave from Desertfab come on here trying to make me look bad, I should probably just clear a few things up. Yes I was around their shop alot, only because after 3 weeks I saw no progress, and he had my money, and my truck, so of course I kept showing up to see what the deal was.

The only thing that I made him fix before I took it back, has to do with the picture of the shock. In the configuration they were in, the bodies would hit the brake calipers, so I asked him to fix it. It took 2 more weeks, and he butchered it too. After the axle swap was initially done I did have an insurance agent look at my vehicle since I was changing companies at the time, and he just peeked his head under the truck for a minute, and said "the shocks look like they hit the brakes" Thats it, he didnt really look closely at any of the booty fab, the guy was kinda dumb. The insurance company I have now seems to care that the welds on my axle look dangerous. I told Todd what he said, and only then did he actually "fix" the shock mounts. And Todd whined like a little bitch the whole time he had to re-do the mounts, which should have been done in the first place. Funny thing was, he actually cut the pass. side arm, same one he welded in 2" off target.

Also, last May I did call up Desertfab asking for money. I tried to sell a pair of custom front radius arms. These are Land Rover forged I-Beam shaped radius arms. Todd decided that instead of calling me to ask what to do about a steering problem, he took it upon himself that it was 100% necessary that my tie rod behind the axle needed to be bolted in on the top side rather than the bottom side of the knuckles, only a .75" height difference. When bolted to the bottom of the knuckles the tie rod clears just fine, when bolted to the top it hits the radius arms. He took a 1.5" long section out of the bottom of the I beam radius arm, making it into a T. Only to show me when I get there that he said it was too hard of metal to continue to grind, so he said its ok on the bottom anyways.

To be honest, I guess I overlooked how extremely dangerous that chunk out of the bottom half of my front radius arm was, so I never bitched about it until I tried to sell them, and no one would buy them because of that cut. I paid $375 for them, so I called him asking for $375. Figuring that even though everything else was fucked up, this was no excuse. Todd told me to "Fuck you kid, go to hell, sue me for all I care"


That was the last time I talked with them. I kind of just wanted to forget about everything that had happened with this axle swap project. Todd proved himself to be unprofessional, rude, and a downright fucking moron

However, my recent financial problem of having to have this fixed within a month, has made me reconsider keeping this stuff under wraps, I am being burned again, and no one else deserves to deal with this BS.

There is NO SLANDEROUS INFORMATION targeted at Todd or Desertfab, only the facts are contained in my posting. Thats both sides of the story that you just read. If you see this Todd, I dont want help, money or shit from you. Just explain to future customers why they should trust you that their vehicles wont look like this. There you have it, so Todd, GET FUCKED YOU ASSHOLE Maybe I should sue you, you told me to. Now thats customer service.

[howyadoin]

There seems to be a continuing theme in this formum?

[dusmcbro]

i know it's a bit late, but that truck should have gone to Absolute offroad and yes a recurring topic on this forum it seems. I know where not to take my vehicles. On the bright side your loss is other folks gain. yet again haven't seen any responses from this business owner with any of the problems that have been brought up on this forum. sorry to hear about your luck

[ChicagoDII]

Originally Posted by dusmcbro

i know it's a bit late, but that truck should have gone to Absolute offroad and yes a recurring topic on this forum it seems. I know where not to take my vehicles. On the bright side your loss is other folks gain. yet again haven't seen any responses from this business owner with any of the problems that have been brought up on this forum. sorry to hear about your luck

Ya, this has been a pretty reoccurring topic lately. I know I should have taken it elsewhere, but I didnt do proper research, and Todd promised the lowest cost, and the shortest time. In the end, his "work" has cost me more time and money than I ever imagined.

The reason you have not seen any response from Todd of Desertfab Motorsports is because TODD IS A FUCKING PUSSY, or just too dumb to read. Someone please email him and let him know that he should respond to my thread, and the few others about his lack of quality and business ethic. I am sorry for the language and personal attacks that I've written in this thread, but Todd has chosen to represent himself to me with the same lack of professionalism and character, so he can EAT SHIT

[howyadoin]

Originally Posted by ChiagoDII

My nine year old just vomited...

[ChicagoDII]

Originally Posted by howyadoin

My nine year old just vomited...

Todd go clean that shit up.

[rube bonet]

Originally Posted by ChiagoDII

I know I should have taken it elsewhere, but I didnt do proper research, and Todd promised the lowest cost, and the shortest time. In the end, his "work" has cost me more time and money than I ever imagined.

blah blah blah:

.

[lancetkenyon]

Wow, another one..........

[oc1paddler]

Scary! Would love to see some kind of response!

[ChicagoDII]

Originally Posted by oc1paddler

Scary! Would love to see some kind of response!

If Todd doesnt work up the balls to respond to this thread, I'm going to post it in general4x4 tomorrow and let him get ripped to pieces. He deserves it, and people deserve to know to stay away from Desertfab Motorworks.

[supersize75k5]

its 4 days after tomorrow

[glenn_7_1069]

First of all, RULE #1 ,you never ever ever pay for a job upfront before the job is even started. RULE#2, make shure the job is done right the first time before it even leaves the shop and before you pay the bill (($ )). And as for "desertfab", i have herd some bad things about them from other people on other forums. MAKE SHURE YOUR HAPPY WITH THE JOB BEFORE YOU PAY THE BILL.

[Arizona_Jeep]

Well to me, Todd sounds like a moronic asshole that can't fab worth of shit. I know I ain't going to take my shit there. Between this and homecourts thread. And has Todd coughed up the balls to reply to either of the threads? Or is he a pussy?

[TOY84TAN]

had kinda same issues with them.scheduled an appointment 3 weeks out so i could have some work done.dropped the truck off and they waited 2 weeks more before they even started on it.work was half n half.whom ever did the crossover and welding did a great job,i know which guy did that and he was great to deal with.but who ever welded up my rear bumper and front diff guard was a hack.hell the front diff ended up leaking cause they burned thru the housing and it had to be re-welded.not bad for them having the truck for almost a month.

[FatBob309]

Originally Posted by Arizona_Jeep

And has Todd coughed up the balls to reply to either of the threads? Or is he a pussy?

Todd will not post to threads like this. He told me that a long time ago. Why should he. The only thing that will happen it that it will become a game of he said she said... Thats all that ever seems to happen.

[oc1paddler]

Originally Posted by FatBob309

Todd will not post to threads like this. He told me that a long time ago. Why should he. The only thing that will happen it that it will become a game of he said she said... Thats all that ever seems to happen.

Well I have never had work done at Desert Fab but I would think that some kind of response would be in order? As you know he is all over the AZVJC board offering his services. I'm sure lots of people would like to know if they think that its ok to turn out dangerous booty fab that might hurt someone or if they are being accused unjustly. I will reserve my judgement until I see some work in person but I have heard from enough disgruntle people to give me pause about their work.

[desertfabmotorsports]

Response!!

I have not been in business for 10 years by screwing customers over. I do everything with in reason to make customers happy. But if customers NEVER contact me with any concerns than what do you do. Homecourt never contacted me with any concerns. Starts a thread 4 MONTHS later
ChicagoDII never contacted me in 2 YEARS.
There are 2 sides to every story, and it is nobodies business but between Me and the customer.

For all of you that like to call names behind a key board here is the shop address: Will be happy to discuss any issues you have face to face.

4961 S Pinal Dr #2
Apache Junction AZ 85219

I will not respond to this thread again. Have a great day!!