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Don't buy Godspeed parts camber kits!

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    Don't buy Godspeed parts camber kits!

    Alright, I have a confession. There is a car in my possession that I bought for a friend and I've done a few modifications to it. It's a '92 LX that used to be owned by Casebite here on the forums. I've put rear discs, a 16mm rear sway bar, Koni STR.T shocks and Progress springs on the car and I wanted to situate the camber as well. I expect payment on this car and these purchases eventually, but I have yet to receive any. That's a personal matter that I don't need any help or comments on because of my friend's extenuating circumstances.

    So, after all of these purchases, including the car, I've grown somewhat tired of spending good money on things. I looked to a cheaper eBay option for the camber kit and went with Godspeed parts because it's the cheapest option that still attempts to have a brand name. Well, it's crap. I've had the rear camber kit on the car for 8 months now and I have never moved the car. Not even rolled it backwards in the driveway within that time period. I'm a big hit with the neighbors. In that time period, the rear upper control arm ball joint boot cracked open. The car has been raised and lowered with a jack a number of times, but again, never moved. As the boot had cracked open I was able to peer inside. There is absolutely no grease inside the boot. In addition, the ball joint will flop around under its own weight when moving the arm around in my hand. I thought I was saving a few dollars by going a little cheaper on a part that I was having to buy, but in reality, I was jeopardizing the safety of my friend and his wife or anyone else that rides in the car with him when he finally takes it. Don't do it. Please. This is embarrassing that I drank the Kool-Aid, even though my own cars have Ingall's and SPC. It's also offensive that these companies care so little for your safety or even the quality of parts they produce. Here are a few pictures to help ease your decision making process. Keep in mind, zero miles and less than a year of sitting. Just sitting.



    I'll also add that I've never had a harder time getting a ball joint to release from a knuckle. I don't know what this gold coating is, but it has certainly failed as there was some sort of metallurgical bond between the knuckle and the ball joint. Rubbing the shank of the ball joint feels rough to the touch because of the irregularities in the metal that was once smooth.
    My Members' Ride Thread - It's a marathon build, not a sprint. But keep me honest on the update frequency!

    #2
    I was well aware that Godspeed parts are complete junk even without owning anything from them. But the confirmation is nice, now I have thread to be like "look, see? It's trash".




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      #3
      That boot looks like it has dry rot.


      1991 Accord LX .

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        #4
        It does.
        My Members' Ride Thread - It's a marathon build, not a sprint. But keep me honest on the update frequency!

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          #5
          Godspeed does have QC. Which is better than no QC.

          For the most part I think people see the price of their products which seem more reasonable to some, and they assume they are of higher quality. They likely are of higher quality, but I mean... the boots rotted of these in 8 months without the vehicle even being used. It speaks for it's self.




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            #6
            I had a similar experiance with my off brand front upper control arms,
            No grease in the ball joint sloppy in its socket and questionable metal quality.
            The first one broke tighting it to snug and I noticed when i was replacing them that the other one had no grease in it.
            I am testing out a set of BWR adjustables now and will report back on their quality after more abuse.(They are holding up to intial abuse testing)
            CB7TUNER.com
            Educating each other one car at a time.

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              #7
              I'm glad this thread was made. I like to research parts and brands before I buy. Now I know not to buy that brand.


              1991 Accord LX .

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                #8
                Don't these manufactures have to pass some form of quality assurance test with these parts? Can anyone simply make a suspension/brake/car component, sell it and not be held accountable when the part breaks and kills some people?

                This is what it seems like. Someone will say "it's up to the user to do their homework", but there has to be some standards to meet before mass production?

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                  #9
                  I don't think it has to. This is why many goods have "UL, EU, DOT, ASTM, etc..." designations on there. It's because some third party testing entity, usually with qualified professional engineers, has certified that the product will work toward its intended purpose, or at least it won't kill you if it's not effective. It all depends on the field of usage of the item you're talking about and which third party certifying agency looked at the product. In other words, it's a crapshoot even when they do, and they're not forced to comply usually.
                  My Members' Ride Thread - It's a marathon build, not a sprint. But keep me honest on the update frequency!

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Raf99 View Post
                    Don't these manufactures have to pass some form of quality assurance test with these parts? Can anyone simply make a suspension/brake/car component, sell it and not be held accountable when the part breaks and kills some people?

                    This is what it seems like. Someone will say "it's up to the user to do their homework", but there has to be some standards to meet before mass production?
                    I don't think so but if they were implemented you can bet your ass we would pay significantly more because of it. Kinda crappy both ways. IMO $85 is reasonable. $250 isn't. It's bullshit we have to pay $125-$140 for a front camber kit and $250 for the rears. But in order to not risk death we have to. There are not many companies for us to choose from but realistically, it's the same for every make and model. With very few exceptions. Then again, the cheapo companies stealing business with their deadly products also contributes to the high cost of "the good stuff". I don't have an idea as to how much but I'm sure it's fact.




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                      #11
                      Isn't 'Godspeed' what you say to someone about to embark on a life threatening mission...
                      Regards from Oz,
                      John.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by johnl View Post
                        Isn't 'Godspeed' what you say to someone about to embark on a life threatening mission...



                        Comment


                          #13
                          I used to experience this with Autozone UCAs. I kept returning them every other month because the boot kept tearing. I think they eventually switched suppliers and the quality improved tremendously. I haven't had to return one since.

                          Before the rubber looked like it was way too dry from the package and after tearing one open, i could see there was maybe a pea sized amount of grease.

                          Now they're decently quality rubber, I'd say at least as good as MOOG but not Honda quality, and a good amount of grease in there i can actually feel now.

                          But yeah, those are complete and utter junk, looks like they used the wrong grade of rubber for the boot.

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by johnl View Post
                            Isn't 'Godspeed' what you say to someone about to embark on a life threatening mission...
                            In this case, it needs to be "Godspeed to you getting those into the trash can!"
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                              #15
                              i thought godspeed was just a name someone stuck on generic ebay parts?

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