just

I contacted both Diazen and TM Engineering and here's the response:

"To all concerned parties:

These are within tolerance, I just measured them and they are around .070 difference from stock, well within spec and acceptable sizing.

Not sure who dictated that they are too "loose" but they are all "loose" to start with. How else could the bolt go through? Through holes normally have a minimum of .020-.030 clearance anyways, and that could actually be too tight for a piece like this. If it was an exact fit, it would be extremely difficult to assemble. For an assembly line and field serviceable item, that is completely not practical.

If it is tightened, there is absolutely, positively no chance for it to move, so there is no alignment issue. If you have documentation to show otherwise, please provide it, but I doubt this is quantifiable. Sounds to me like some pseudo engineers who think too much and know too little.

As far as cutting with a hacksaw, I don't think it would be possible to cut that metal with a hacksaw. The finish is different due to possibly different cutting methods for production, but as far as I can tell it is to spec and should operate properly. I welcome a hacksaw demonstration to produce a part like that.

I'd say if you don't like the product to return it, heck return it to us we'll give you the credit back. In fact, please return it to us here

TM Engineering
1129 E. Dominguez St., Suite B
Carson, CA 90746

We'll just handle it as a warranty and refund you.

Honestly, if you don't like it, don't buy it. Nobody is forcing you to buy these parts. Many, many of these have been sold, and we have installed close to 100 maybe by now (and sold many more via mail order), and no problems. Not one. In fact one was just done this this week. No problems and a happy customer.

Your assumptions about any flood of "inquiries" seem to be just that, an assumption.

Please don't forget to include the return address for refund.

Thank you!

TM Engineering
"

What idiots! No sense of customer service. I'm returning mine and never doing business with them again!!

rra640

What were your expectations? They are offering to refund you for the parts even though they don't have to. I think that's pretty good customer service.

Yes, their reply was not worded as good as it should have been, then again, you are leaving out your message to them.

They are offering you a refund. I think that's pretty decent.

blue99GS4

Hi all,
I'm disappointed with this response from tmengineering. I have a master degree in Mechanical Engineering and have been working in this field for 7 years. There are many knowledgeable members on clublexus who earned my total respect. I'm not sure we should be called "pseudo engineers". In addition, as consumers, asking questions about products is what we're supposed to do, why do we have to be insulted?
As far as design goes, for an assembly like this, you can do one of the two things: keep tight tolerance on your piece parts (poly urethane bushings) to ensure fitment = high quality parts with high cost; keep sloppy tolerance on your piece part and increace metal sleeve inner diameters to ensure fitment = low quality parts with low cost.
I just measured the OEM sleeve inner diameters, they are at 13mm. Could someone measure their Dazen sleeve inner diameters and let us know what are they?
Thanks,
Steve

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I'll try to get my buddy to measure the current daizen sleeve, and the previous batch.

bwilder10h

I just received my kit from Sewell yesterday (after reading that response from TME, I'd send my entire order back to them... that guy is a jack@ss...)

I measured the inner diameter of the sleeve and it's 14mm on one and a little more on the other but not quite 15mm. Neither look anywhere near the quality of the one shown in the DIY. I'm guessing Daizen got dug into a hole with all the backorders before the first of the year and got loose on quality to meet the demand.

400DGRZ

iTrader: (2)

Could someone post a pic of the supposed 'bad' batch so we can compare to the one in the DIY?

rra640

I received mine recently from TM and they were fine. Can someone post a pic of the new vs. the OEM?

I would post one of mine, but they are already installed and I didn't keep the OEM ones.

blue99GS4

The second batch should have the metal sleevings in "metal" color. The DYI thread show the first batch, which have the gold color sleevings. Everthing else should look similar.

rra640

Mine were gold color, but I received them mid-December.

just

Here is my email to the TM engineering after Daizen told me that they were not aware of any changes to the sleeves or the issue.

> Please see the thread below for complaints on the issue.
>
> https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=326458
>
> I'm assuming that by now you've received inquires from other
> people
> about this?
>
> It appears that the hole where the screw goes into is much
> larger then
> the original piece. This is the concern. Also, the quality of
> the
> metal sleeves is very disappointing. It looks like someone just
> hack-sawed a piece of metal pipe and threw it into the box. You
> should
> really audit your quality control. Also, I'm surprise that you
> were not
> aware of the parts substitution in your own production. Please
> investigate. Attached is a picture of the previous batch. I do
> not
> have a picture of the current sleeves.
>
> Please let me know the results of your investigation as I will
> share it
> with other members.

blue99GS4

I don't see why they seemed up set in their response. Well, I guess they have helped me to make up my mind about whether I'd like to do business with them in the future.

Navaz

I orderd mine on dec 4 2006 and payed. I am still waiting for them. On top of that i have left over 50 (im not kidding) messages and no response. I am very dissapointed.

ATL_GS430

So let's say that the O.M bushings are 13mm and, worst case, the new batch Daizens are 15mm. Would the 2mm difference be enough to throw off my alignment and cause my steering wheel to now sit slightly off center?

natnut

I have to speak up for Daizen. I received and installed my steering rack bushings from across the Pacific Ocean last year and I installed my Daizen sway bars 2 years ago.

I have also corresponded with TM Engineering before. The boss of TM can come across as curt in his communications sometimes but my general impression of him is that he knows his stuff and is sometimes impatient with "laymen" like ourselves. He does not seem like like a sloppy or dishonest gentlemen--we need only see the archives of his past posts to see what I'm talking about.

The manner of his reply was unnecessarily curt but the content of his reply--that he would make a full refund for unsatisfactory products is more than fair.

Needless to say, I'm driving around on his products and loving every minute of it....

blue99GS4

We're looking at 4mm different diametrically. I think it could affect your alignment. In addition, I don't think this could be fixed by getting a new alignment job either (please correct me if I'm wrong).

As it stands, I am still waiting on response from Daizen and Sewell Lexus. I'm not sure what they can do? My plan B is to have a machine shop to make me some sleeves to my liking. Could some one do me a favor? Please measure the outer diameter and length of their uninstalled Daizen busings and let me know the dimensions?

Thanks.