possible emergency - advice needed

[autotransgression]

hello, all.

i recently had new upper and lower a-arms and springs installed on my 1980 spider. just today, i started hearing an intermittent rattling. it happened sometimes over stutter-y bumps, but usually over larger ones. my girlfriend and i were out shopping when we noticed it, so we slowly took surface streets home and stayed off of the interstate.

when i got home, i jacked up first the rear (where i thought the sound was coming from) and then the front, before finding the source. the spot welds of the piece pictured had all failed, and this little guy was just floating around, on top of the right upper a-arm.

is this structurally vital? if so, how completely unconscionable was it to attach it with a few crappy spot welds? should i absolutely not drive the car until i get the whole piece replaced? how can i test the integrity of the other side, short of just beating up from below with a hammer?

(btw, sorry, i did not realize on my phone that it was focusing on the ground and not on the piece.)

any advice appreciated. thank you for your time.

[SunnySideUp]

If it were me: Leave it parked and don't drive it until repairs are made. Call the vendor and have them replace or refund the part(s) (all a-arms you had installed that they provided due to questionable quality). IF they are a credible vendor, they should also pick up the cost of the labor to replace the part(s) AND a front end alignment.

Better to be safe than sorry - or worse.

[So Cal Mark]

the arms weren't even painted?

[Redline]

Not a lucky horseshoe...

[autotransgression]

If it were me: Leave it parked and don't drive it until repairs are made. Call the vendor and have them replace or refund the part(s) (all a-arms you had installed that they provided due to questionable quality). IF they are a credible vendor, they should also pick up the cost of the labor to replace the part(s) AND a front end alignment.

Better to be safe than sorry - or worse.

you just confirmed what i had assumed. thank you. and i really do hope they respond favorably about the labor. it was NOT cheap, getting them installed.

[autotransgression]

the arms weren't even painted?

with the angle that the sky is reflecting, it looks unpainted, but they definitely were painted black. toward the left side, you can see the transition to black, from the area that was spot-welded.

[DieselSpider]

You should not drive the car until this is resolved 100%.

Reporting this to DOT may not be a bad idea either so they will have the occurrence in their database. Too many of these things pass unnoticed until someone gets killed because the first few folks don't report them. They may decide to have all the arms from that manufacturer recalled due to lack of quality control.

The vender did not make the parts most times even though some do re-manufacture certain parts themselves. The vender is only bound by the TOS that was posted at the time of sale however with a defective part he should at least replace the part and pay the shipping with anything more than that above and beyond what was agreed to.

Keep us posted on how this turns out.

Be safe!

[autotransgression]

extremely happy update. i wanted to leave names out of this until i knew more, but i did just get an email back from our forum mate, Ramzi at autoricambi. he is truly a credible vendor, and sounds eager get this resolved quickly.

thanks, all who replied, and thanks, Ramzi.

edit: also, i meant to mention...i have become slightly jaded, when it comes to actual customer service, in our age of online purchasing. i do my best to stay positive and am basically an optimist at heart (if a cautious one), but it does get harder. but you know what? after a simple misunderstanding, our forum host offered me a wonderful deal on some important parts, and now in the wake of a part failure, Ramzi is offering to make me whole, and it all makes me even that much fonder of my lovely little spider.

[Ptoneill]

Ramzi has always provided outstanding support and products. We are lucky in that most of the dedicated suppliers for our 124's are honest and strive for customer support!!

[RoyBatty]

Hey now,
Csaba has also given me the same good service.
Nothing against Ramzi, but remember, they're a team. And besides, I think Csaba might be a little sensitive.
Just kiddin' C-man.

[courtenay]

I have had nothing but outstanding service from both AutoRicami and Allison's Automotive. We're in a world where shit happens and the real test of customer service is how the folks we deal with handle the shit. I have yet to hear of a situation where these guys haven't stepped up to the plate.

[tartan18]

Highest regards of both Auto Ricambi (Csaba and Ramzi) as well as Allison's Automotive (Mark and Greg). First class service all around! I have never been disappointed with them.

[autotransgression]

I have had nothing but outstanding service from both AutoRicami and Allison's Automotive. We're in a world where shit happens and the real test of customer service is how the folks we deal with handle the shit. I have yet to hear of a situation where these guys haven't stepped up to the plate.

perhaps you have said best, what the rest of us are saying. seriously, i have no qualms whatsoever about ordering Things I Need from autoricambi or allison's. and...my apologies to csaba. still too new to the forum to know who all is part of what.

[autotransgression]

many, many thanks to ramzi and csaba. they got the part out to me immediately and took care of the warranty labor. top-notch people to work with, even if my local mechanic is a bit of a pain...

anyhow. depending on how things shake out with my transmission, i might just need to buy one of their rebuilds next.

thank you all again.

[Ptoneill]

Depending how far out you are Bristow's Auto in Tacoma is very highly rated and has complete axels and transmissions in house for 124's and he gives a two year warranty.