Craddocks lies in it's advertising Land Rover 109 springs

 22 Oct 2024

      I didn't want to write this until it was settled, now I am angry!

 Middle of Summer I noticed my 109 had a lean to the left, when looking from the rear. I sent an email to Alcan, (USA) and received no reply. I looked at Jones Spring UK and it didn't look like they shipped overseas.

     So I looked at other Rover parts suppliers and Craddocks offers HD 109 rear springs "British Made" for the same price as Jones. I figured they were selling Jones springs and I ordered a set.

Shipping was almost the cost of the springs.

They got here and it was late afternoon so I opened them the next day. Only to find they were marked with India as country of origin.

In case you don't know this is a spring factory in that part of the world;

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-AiIMehEiOs

Not only were they not British Made they were not to proper dimensions. I lined up the eyes and inserted a bolt in one end and a bolt would not go through the other ends as it was off.

So I debated for a day figuring out what to do. Craddocks has a 14 day return policy and the calendar was was turning. I decided to send them back. I wrapped them good in packing tape.

I spent some time on Fedex website and found I could ship them back for around $200ea.And here is where the frustration began. I drove them down to my local Fedex place, 13mi. they couldn't take them as they were not Fedex but a private business with Fedex drop off.

Another 5 miles to the Fedex store. Once there they couldn't find the same $200 price I had found and I got some run around, Had to open a Fedex account and even though I could find a similar price it wasn't as cheap. After almost 2 hours there I packed up and went home. Once there I found a confirmation that you are opening an account email click on this link to activate account. Which I then did. Only then could I find the "last minute" shipping rate of now $240. So I paid and clicked for a pick up the next day.

    I went down to my neighbors and printed out all the shipping paperwork.

The next day The Fedex truck came by and picked them up and helped with sorting out the paperwork and putting it on. That was a Saturday. Sept 21. Annd I waited, The tracking number showed in transit for a few days.

    Figuring all was good I waited for Craddocks to reply before 14 days. Meanwhile checking the tracking number still showed in transit. 

   When filing my claim with Craddocks I told them I would accept either British made springs or a cash refund.

   Then about a month after my shipment went off Fedex was once again at my driveway and dropped off 1 spring with a different shipping number and tape job.

I figured it was 1 of my replacement springs, where was the other? It said 1 of 2 on the label. Then I checked that tracking number and things got weird. Noone had sent it.

So late afternoon I opened it up, inside was one of the springs I sent away, complete with my shipping labels. WTF.

Next I did a deep dive into my tracking number and finally found the shipping log. It showed a damaged parcel on 1 Oct. in Burntwood GB. Then on 2 Oct it was On the way and again Oct3 On the way.

I got no notice from Fedex about the shipment. Half of it just came back.

When I opened it to check for damage (it's a road spring, how do you damage that?) I found the packaging on one end was damp and difficult to open.

The spring itself is undamaged.

   I have since been in email contact with Vicki at Craddocks, who while being polite is not being understanding of the situation. Craddocks advertised and still advertises these Indian made springs as "British Made". While she accepts the spring in my possession is undamaged accepts no financial responsibility for its return. In my eyes they should reimburse me for all my costs of buying and shipping both ways.

 Fedex has done nothing except deny my claims. One for shipment not to destination and another for damaged shipment.

At this point it stands Craddocks has 1 spring and I have the other, I will not buy another thing from Craddocks. 

I will not knowingly use Fedex again.

30 Oct 24 update;

    Craddock has reimbursed me for the 1 spring returned to them, no coverage for any shipping by me.

I discovered by finally finding my invoice that Fedex charged me $1,15.68 for the shipping back to me.

Charge Summary

Transportation charges	$957.60
Special handling charges	$201.08
Total express charges	$1,158.68
Total ground charges	$0.00
Total late fee charges	$0.00
Total other charges	$0.00
Total Invoice Amount	$1,158.68
Total payments and credits	$1,158.68

AND the spring was 6 miles from Craddock at the time. 

4 Nov 24

Today I received a refund from Fedex for the above claim.  YAY!!

Comet hunting 2024

 14 Oct 2024

I went out to see if I could see C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) .

My plan was to leave my house around 6pm and pick up dinner from Foster's Freeze, yum crinkle cut fries! Then drive up behind Big Basin State Park, California's first State Park! Where there is one of the few places in the Santa Cruz Mountains to see Westward unless you go to the coast.

Upon arriving I set up my camera, a point and shoot Fuji, and a chair then I dug into my tucker as the sun set.

Yesterday some pics were taken around 7:10-7:20 so I was up there and ready by 7pm. By this time the moon was also rising.

Venus was the first "star" to come out by the time I just finished eating.

Here I have to say my Fuji was worthless and all these pics are from my phone an i7. With it I tried to get artsy-fartsy.

It wasn't until around 7:25pm that the sun dipped enough for me to see the comet tail in the darkened Western sky. I'm afraid the almost full moon was so bright it really faded the comet out.

I tried eventually it became futile to even see it so I packed up and came home.

I only saw 2 cars the hour and a half I was there.

Land Rover side steps, non-factory

 20 Sept 2024

     Over the years some of my passengers and in some instances myself, have struggled to get in my 109. Mainly due to the 24in tall first step.

  To assist my passengers I usually carry a portable folding step. This shortens the distance.

    While I would really like to install a rock slider/step, the cost and weight keeps me from doing so. The weight would be around 200# for the pair of sliders with tree slider/step. That is 200#'s taken away from my GVW.

     Now I look at YouTube. I watch Trail Mater go on recoveries in the Moab area.

 https://www.youtube.com/@trailmater

Rory has some chain hung steps on Trail Mater and I decided to see if I could make some for my 109.

22 Sept 2024

Starting out looking and measuring things in a feasibility study.

 It was determined that it would be relatively simple. Next was a trip to the local ACE hardware and I picked up 4' of  1" x 1/8" angle iron and 4' of 3/4" square tubing and 24" of chain. Cutting off enough to go an inch past my existing bolts on each end I found the centers and punched them for the drill.

1/4" holes were drilled in both brackets to be.

I cleaned them up and then cut the "step" out of the square tubing the same length.

My feasibility study determined that an 8" drop would be the best option. Including a test fitting of the bracket and measuring the distance to the fuel tank. I didn't want the steps to hang too low.

The step was laid out on my welding table, I needed 10 links per side or 20 per step.

It took a lot of clamps to hold everything in place as I welded the chain to the bracket. Then the bottom chain link was cut and I marked out on 1 of the tube sides a slot for the end chain to sit and get welded in. I welded the top side to the chain on the outside and the inner chain to the bottom inside the tube.

Keep moving, These are not the wonderful welds you want to see.......

I got the first passenger step done when I realized I needed more chain, 10 more links to be exact. I soldiered on! The luxury black paint out of a can, was applied after wire brushing and final grinding to make things look more nice, nice. After drying I cut out a bit of a self stick sanding disc and applied that. Then I hung the bloody step up!

 I didn't test it, it was hot out! A couple hours later I asked a local dogwalker to try it for me and give me some feed back.

She thought is was fine and maybe needed some orange paint on the step and grab handle. I tested it after her, I'm 5'10" she is 5'4". I had no problem getting a foot in and boosting myself up, I did find it awkward to get my second leg in and hips turned to the seat.

The following pics show how it relates to my portable step and how it looks hanging there.

23 Sept 2024

I waited until this morning to go buy the missing links. (see what I did there?) Then I finished making the drivers side step.

On the way home one of my neighbors was out walking her cat, in a stroller actually(the cat not my neighbor). I asked her to try out my passenger step and give feed back. She put one foot on it and said No, no, it's too loose! She wouldn't go any farther. So 50-50 at this point.

Here is when I noticed that the driver side bolts are 1/4" while the passengers are 5/16" WTH?

Just as well, I grabbed another 1/4-20 bolt and nut and washers to replace the missing one. It all bolted up fine and looks the part hanging there.

Of course I had to try it out. It does swing inboard when you step on it, making it a bit awkward. Methinks it will be more useful on uneven ground when the floor is a meter up. Now I have to see if my neighbor with the stroke can get in, or will he still need the portable step. He rides the most with me.

It's pretty useless for getting out.