Speedway Parts

[herman]

Hi Guys: Let me tell you a story about Speedway motors. I just finished
my bucket last weekend and I drove it for the first time. I took a short
jaunt to set the speedo and came back and got the wife. We took a short ride down to the weigh station. Can you say COOL!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway I
turned around and headed home and gave a little goose job and the rear
hairpins folded up and tried to shove the pinion through the floor. Now I bought top of the line stainless pins front and rear for the car. $500.00.
I called Speedway on monday a talked to (Brian) and he informed me that
they don't recommend 27" rods for the rear of cars as nobody use them
in the back. I informed him that BC had been doing that this way for 10
years and that if the quality of the steel was good this would not happen.
He told me he would call me back in a conference call with BC and he would show us how we built the car wrong. Its thurday and I still haven't
heard a word nor has BC as I talked to Josh yesterday. I would strongly
suggest that no-one on this forum or any other deal with this company any longer and if so inclined, call and thell them we don't deal with people
that don't stand behind their products. My father in law works at a truck
shop where they build transfers and I took the hairpins out to the shop
and we put them in a vice and bent them back by hand. Now that's what
I call quality...........Also I had purchased a winshield kit from TP before
they were bought by Speedway and when I went to finish the windshield
the chrome was peeling and I called two weeks ago and was told they
won't warranty and products from TP unless you bought the parts when
they owned the company. So now I have been screwed for 750.00 from
these supposed hot rod people in Nebraska. Please dont deal with them
and if so inclined call and give them your opinion....Tks Herman Oregon

PS pic of car enclosed. I didn't build a POS

 

[Youngster]

sorry to hear of the problems with Speedway. I have been buying parts from them for daymn near 40years and have not had but one shipment that was messed up. They corrected it right away and everything was cool. I hope you can get this resolved with them.

Ron

 

[captainjunk]

if im going to buy any radius rods or welded brackets im contacting our own RPM made in america with quality steel ,

 

[butch27]

Same thing happened to Thomas and he got his with the kit. Ron made him some strong ones.

 

[donsrods]

I've been dealing with Speedway for about 25 years and have conservatively spent $30-$40,000.00 with them, between my two Sons and myself. Have had absolutely NO problems except for the steering arm that snapped, and they jumped right on it, pulled them from the line, and refunded my money that day.

They also free of charge sent my Son new Wilwood rotors, pads, and a proportioning valve to cure a dusting problem he has with his brakes, and he didn't even ask them to do that...........they volunteered it.

Sorry to hear about your problem, but maybe you used the product in a way it wasn't designed to be used. Not saying that was the case, just maybe. As for them not standing behind something you bought from TP, no company I know of assumes an liability for something that happened before they acquired the other company. Your gripe should be with Mickey Luria. Call him at his new Daytona Beach location and see how far that gets you. :lol:

I'm sure you are PO'd at Speedway right now, but for every story about how they screwed someone you will get 100 or maybe 1000 about how good they treat customers.

Don

BTW, I just looked at your photo. Those are not designed to be used on the rear, they are way too spindly. As builders we have to take some responsibility for making engineering decisions too. Bigblock power and sticky fat tires are way out of proportion to those radius rods. You can just look at them and see they are going to wrap up under torque. They don't even have any bracing between the two tubes.

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Great looking hot rod you got there Herman.

I too have had nothing but good experience with Speedway. In addition to several thousand dollars worth of other parts I've bought from them with no issues, I have ordered and returned three sets of rear springs from them while experimenting on spring rate on my Jag rear end. They never winced once about the returns.

Just today I called them to have them overnight me a brake light switch so I could get my T on the road this weekend. This was at 4:00 this afternoon, right after I realized my old switch had gone south on me. The sales person was very friendly and accommodating, and when I told him I needed it overnight, he said the normal cut-off for same day shipment was 3:00, but he would go back to the warehouse and make sure they shipped it today. He said if for some reason they didn't get it out tonight, the shipping and the part would be on them! 'Course, the part was only $6.99, but the overnight shipping is $21!!

I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Don (and Speedway)... those hairpins just weren't intended for that kind of load.

 

[AZCOWBO]

Many of their parts are manufactured in China, where there is little quality control on steel production on many items. That is the reason when you buy hand tools made in China, they are inexpensive, along with cheap labor of course, and they wear out or break easily.

 

[herman]

Hey Guys: I agree with all the comments and I also have been dealing with Speedqay for ten years and no problems. I raced modifieds for years and no problems. So when I called I expected more help.. Yes I think the rods are cheesy too but Spirit calls for 27 inch rods and had they said not recommended for rear use I would have paid attention....No disclaimer and
saying nobody builds their cars with these is just wrong... Spirit has a tape of an 871 blower on a 350 with thses rods and no problems at the strip. I can bend these things by hand in a vice and that is crap metal plain and simple

It is what it is and i am done with them................. Herman

 

[Lee_in_KC]

I'm confused. I have a Spirit chassis and my hairpins are 31". Well they were before I put the Jag IRS in. I had an S-10 rear end with 31" hairpins, a 6-71 blown SBC, 3.31 gears and 18" wide tires. I could stand on the loud peddle all day and never bend the hairpins (although they probly shoulda!). I think you got a bad batch or sumthin. Speedway should be a little more accommodating, but I can see how they would be a little, um, stand-offish.

 

[Duke]

How about a picture of your car so we can see what you are talking about - besides we like pictures. :lol:

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Umm Duke, if you just mouse over the thumbnail in his original post you would see this...

I really like this car. Wheelbase and stance really appeal to me. I also really like the wheels. Are those from realhotrodderswheels.com?... ALUMINUM

 

[Duke]

Duh - I think I need a nap or a Rum and coke, or both.

 

[herman]

My point exactly about the rods... Bad batch..... Spirit has seen this
already and Speedway won't acknowledge it... Duke the pic is attached to the first post.... but here is another.....

 

[GT63]

I'm confused. I have a Spirit chassis and my hairpins are 31". Well they were before I put the Jag IRS in. I had an S-10 rear end with 31" hairpins, a 6-71 blown SBC, 3.31 gears and 18" wide tires. I could stand on the loud peddle all day and never bend the hairpins (although they probly shoulda!). I think you got a bad batch or sumthin. Speedway should be a little more accommodating, but I can see how they would be a little, um, stand-offish.

I have a Spirit Chassis and my rear hairpins are 27" without the clevis' and heim. I had mine made by LRS. They are made from aircraft grade stainless and have a support welded between the bars. They've never even flexed when I nailed the blown sbc 350.

 

[Brucer]

That's the reason all 36inch ladderbars have a support welded in, if I'm not mistaken even the 32inch ladderbars have supports welded in.. ..
I bought a set of rpm radius rods also, but I'll also weld a support on the rear bars to keep them from wrapping up on me...

Also some bars you'll see on cars are made from solid bar stock and not tubing... If I had to have bars without a support they would be made of solid stock...

 

[RPM]

BC and Josh have had a lot of problems with the 27" hairpins bending, just as you say. We have been suppling them with ours and had NO PROBLEMS at all.

We are at the Nats in Lenoir right now, but give us a call on Monday and we can build you a set that won't bend.

 

[herman]

Ron: Thanks for the answer.. Josh and I have already got a pair of your 1"
bars heading for the chromer.... I also have your tank in this car. Works great and fits great... Still dosen't solve the problem of Speedway selling me Chinese junk and charging me large dollars for this crap... Herman

PS I am starting on my 3 window chopped and no parts will come from Neb.

 

[Lee_in_KC]

I have a Spirit Chassis and my rear hairpins are 27" without the clevis' and heim.

Oh, I was including the clevises and heim. I assume mine are 27" then (at work, can't measure them).

 

[Youngster]

Herman, that's an awesome looking car! Great stance and balance. Don't be afraid to post pics from your '32 build here. I, for one, would like to see them.

Ron

 

[hulkamania]

Spirit has used the hairpin radius rods ever since we started building t buckets and have only had some problems with the hairpins recently. We have since been buying RPM radius rods. We are also working on getting a "S" made up so we can weld between the hairpin rods. We also offer a spirit style radius rod that has a brace already welded between the rods.

Herman your car looks good.