It has been a while and I have noticed that SLR moved shops and they also had been appearing on NOR answering questions. Has anyone here purchase/spoken with any one from there lately. My reason being I am looking into one of their products, but I have emailed and got no reply.

Has their customer service improved (I was under the impressions from their NOR posts that they were working out some kinks, is it happening)? Anyone with personal experience? Thanks in advance.

They were merging with another offroad company, some company who specializes in HMMWV's I think. Spencer has never been the best with email but he typically was answering his phone, if he paid the bill, J/k. I would call him.

One member from my club did with no problems...

Wasn't like last week or anything but I ordered a set of stiffer Bilstiens from them like 3 months ago or so and they were great...prompt shipping, and answered all questions that I had....

I have been talking with Spencer on the phone and am getting ready to purchase the 1-4 susp. lift. Over the last several years I have seen the comments about him and his products evolve in a positive manner. I will let the XOC site know how things turn out.
If you look at the Suspension topic you will see how I have posted many annoying questions about SLR, all responces were positve. Ive been thinking about this for some time, we'll see how it pans out.

The new number for SLR is 951-688-2025.

Along with SLR he is working with a company named Porter Race Cars ( Porter Race Cars ) Porter makes super expensive high end ($300k +) race cars and trophy trucks. Like this one:



Porter has a giant space and had an entire wing of their shop that was open and available so SLR moved to California to have more space and to be closer to the hub of the sport.

Well not 5 seconds ago I ordered my stuff I hope his move doesent complicat things.

On the same lines as the SLR part of this thread, anyone test out their replacement Big Bore throttle body?

As promised I said I would keep XOC current on my dealings with SLR.

I ordered my lift on 4/02/05 and today they caleed my house first and my wife told them they could find me at the Hospital, and well, they did. They told me that my order will ship out either 4/06 or 07/05. They were waiting on supplies to make the leaf spring pack.

So, so far so good. I'll keep the updates coming.

I should also mention an XOC member called and spoke to Spencer and told him to "treat me right", and it seems he is so far.

Thanks again to that member.

You guys have no idea how strong we are when we are organized through clubs like XOC, MXO, HXOC, SWXC, ect, ect, ect.

The shops want to please us and make us happy, because they know that the word gets around the community.

When they screw up, people find out and they lose business. When they do things the right way (Like 4X4parts.com and Shrockworks), then people find out and they gain business.

When people like airbornenurse take the time to let us know what is going on with his dealings with SLR, it makes the whole process work.

Thanks!

Thanks Lincoln, but I cant take all the credit. Another member in XOC did the same thing with SLR and he had positive results so I figured lets keep the ball rolling. Not only that, but members that know these folks (aftermarket suppliers) in a nut shell say hey there is another sell coming down the pipe, so do it right and more are sure to follow.

Sure since I've been a member I have seen alot of negative jive with SLR and so for, not just my experience but others, it seems he is realy trying to turn things around.

I say the more suppliers of aftermarket garb the better,.

Is that April of 2006 or July of 2005? OR April 6 or July 5?

Thats April 6th or 7th of 2005. I see the confusion.

I have been trying to contact SLR for nearly a month now with zero luck. I placed an order for headers at the begining of March knowing that they weren't back from the coaters yet, but they haven't responded to e-mail and their phone number doesn't work. I see from an above post that there is a new number, but I'd think as a business owner that if I changed my number I would update the website as well.
I have been happy with past business with SLR, but now I am a bit disturbed. I have been told two different stories about why the headers aren't ready since February, and in Janurary was told they'd be ready in two weeks. Aparently that wasn't the case.
Does anyone else have any news about the headers?

Well I got the AAL today (4/13/05), no complaints, but if I had just one minor bitch it would be that the box was almost broke open and that was more than likely from the trip. Its not like the leaf packs could be broke, unless they tried REAL hard.

Partialy there

I just ordered $1800 worth of goodies from Spencer... Nice guy He's sending me a sticker too !

If you are spending 1800 bucks you should get a sticker. Why act like he is doing you a favour? Its advertising for him.

So does this mean that SLR is going to be making even less of their own product now that they will be living in someone elses shop? I know that he was already having a few things outsourced to other manufacturing companies.

My God Adam. What did you order?

I ordered replacement Idler arm bushings two weeks ago and received them in about 5 business days. Spencer was easy to get a hold of and answered all of my questions, very informative.
This wasnt the first time I did business with him, and definitely not the last time.

Steering and Lift kit?

Basically a stage II lift and a steering system

When you go... go all out

Spencer is a little more expensive than the boys in blue, but for some reason, I feel better with buying from him.

I could have saved some money using the Calmini steering, but you can guess as to the decision process on that.

Hence the at the end of that post....

If anything this will benefit us the customer.

Outsourcing is a part of the business. My Deaver spring steel was manufactured in Pa. shipped to a spring plant in Pa. formed into leafs and then assembled and tested in Santa Ana Ca. Even Calmini gets their leaf spring matterial from someone somewhere. No one expects them to bang out set afgter set of Full Traction or Calmini leaf springs. .

Many SLR products , even if they are manufacturered by an outside vendor, are proprietary. Even if you knew who made the 300m SLR torsion bars they would not sell them to you. They are his products by his design made to his specs by a company that specializes in torsion bars and axle shafts made with 300M material.

But outsourcing to specialists is the best way to unsure that you are recieving the best product for your vehicle made by those that specialize in that product.

Let me clarify "living in someone elses shop."

Porter has a huge shop. They had an entire wing ( seperate doors and lift)that they weren't using for anything but storage. So SLR is subletting the space along with hiring new fabricators. They have their own machine shop, fabricators and engineers that SLR has access to and (I've witnessed first hand) SLR is sharing their tools with them as well.

SLR is a seperate independant business than PRC though. Although at various times they are free to assit each other and they do. It is a great working relationship in a very large, very busy off-road racing shop.

Porter is a first class operation that has build winning race cars and the very high profile Pfleuger race truck has doe a lot to bring them attention on a large scale. They are able to hire the best fabricators and engineers. With SLR having a close working relationship and this new access to tools, experience and man power, it not only means that more and better products will be made in-house but the quality of future products can only continue to improve.

Anyone who would question whether or not SLR moving to CA and hooking up with Porter is a good thing... is either ignorant or scared.

Good For Spencer.

Hey, anyone who builds Baja equipment can certainly build bulletproof stuff for my use....

thats my point.

if you don't know who Porter is than you are ignorant(not a derogatory term)

if you dont see how that partnership is a positive you are ignorant(derogatory term)

if you understand how brilliant that partnership is and still badmouth it... your scared.

Sacasm on xterraadams part would be my guess......lighten up dude.

I recently ordered a set of bilsteins from those guys and they were terible. A whole month passed after i placed the order and i had to phone them to see what the problem was. It took several calls on my dime(they don't have a toll-free #) and finally some guy that said he was Spencer Lowe
returned my call and explained they were moving, and that i would get my shocks in 5 days,5-days-no shocks. it finally took several calls before i did get my shocks, he called later to confirm my credit card and asked if i needed anything else i told him i had forgot the urathane bushings and he said he would send them right out. i am still waiting, no i would not do business with them again and would not recomend them to anybody.

Yes... there are just as many SLR customer service horror stories as there are for Calmini. And then there are people who have had excellent service from both.

It's a craps shoot either way... you pay your money, you cross your fingers, and you begin the waiting game.

Maybe the SLR outsourcing thing everyone's talking about will help out (BTW, There is nothing wrong with outsourcing IMO... It is like going to a specialist doctor rather than a GP... 'Course I have this opinion because I'm an outsource engineer).

I ordereed a full set of bilis in the middle of the move it was delayed a few days but no complaints awesome product. Great service.

Update on my lift from SLR:

I got a call from Spencer today He was just calling to update me on my order. Real nice guy he was honest and no Bull shit. I also got my shocks in today, Im not sure who is more excited my boys or me.

As I recall, I bought extended 20% stiffer Bilsteins all around, AALs and shackles...I guess I haven't spent enough money yet to get a free stinkin' sticker from SLR! I told them that it's FREE advertising for them if I sport an SLR sticker. They agreed.
(crickets)

Still waiting though...

You have PM. RE: your bushings

I've ordered stuff from Calmini, SLR and 4x4 Parts...and, ironically, the only vendor that got every order right was SLR...Calmini and 4x4Parts all had various mistakes/unexplained delays.

I am happy with all three of them though, as all made things right in the end.

Frankly...ordering parts is one of those things where a rush on a particular part can wipe out a shop's on-hand inventory, and any vendor can be caught with his pants around his ankles when the suppler tells him it will be a few more days...so he tells his customers a few more days...and then no parts arrive because the steel never arrived at the manufacturer's factory, etc...

Overall - I think its safe to order from any of that group.

I'm sitting here at SLR looking at a box with your bushings in it all ready to go.

They just need your address.

Patrick.

Another update on my lift from SLR:
Several days ago Spencer called me at work and told me that he was haveing a hard time getting the torsion Bars and that if I wanted to see if I could find them elsewhere, then he would reimburse me. Well I looked at other sites for the T-bars, and there on back order on the other sites. That same night Spencer called me approx. 8ish in the PM (and I only point this out to indicate that he does call his customers regardless of the time) to give me the tracking number for the rest of my order.

And is far as what TJ said a couple post above mine is true, Mr. Murphy will rear his ugly head most times, in all situations.

Today I come home for work and not three days later I have the rest of my stuff.

I know I would order more of SLR' product and intend to. Im not sure if the bad experiences others had were "an old SLR" or what but so far I have 0, ZERO, NADA complaints.

How long total did it take you to recieve all your pieces?

I'm awaiting the rest of my stuff! I can't wait to install it.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by XterraAdam:
How long total did it take you to recieve all your pieces?

I'm awaiting the rest of my stuff! I can't wait to install it.[/QUOTE

I placed my order April 2. It may seems like a long time to get the stuff but I was in no hurry, because I was buying tools for the install and one of my buddies from work is going to help me out.

Spencer kept me informed the whole time and explained why the delays on some of the stuff. To me that spoke volumes. Im a nurse, and I have found that a patient can wait all day for a procedure, but so long as they are kept abreast of the situation then they are less likely to be pissed, in most cases. Theres always the few that are impossible to please.

I'm still patiently waiting.... I think my distance away from CA is my problem

If brown santa looses my lift, I'm going to be miffed!

I got to tell you I have had excelent customer service with SLR. Last night (4/30/05) I was still wrestling with the Deff. bushings and I called and left a message on SLR' answering service and he calls me today (5/1/05) at work on a Sunday, took the time to answer my questions and told me to call any time if I had any other probs.

to SLR

I ordered my UCA's, Shackles, and urethane bushings 2nd week of april... I am still waiting... and growing more and more frustrated...

I hear ya, it's been over a month here, getting a straight answer outta these guys is like pulling teeth! First the shocks were in stock, then OOPS! we thought you ordered the other size! Then OOPS! We had them in all along! Now OOPS! We thought we had them in, but they were destined for another truck blahblahblahblah...
SLR gets a big in my book.

OK, I want to get my .02 on this one. As a small business owner I have to deal with vendors on a daily basis. Even my BEST vendors can miss deadlines. This, of course, causes me to move up my own deadlines.

We all want and need to treat our customers with great respect and very diligently. However, you see yourself and your situation in your own light and may not see the whole picture. There is no excuse for not contacting a customer when deadlines are not met but there may be a very good reason for the challenge.

Give all these guys as much of a break as you can. They are, after all, providing a service to us also. Even if want to we can't use Jeep aftermarket parts on our trucks

So how long of a break do you suggest?. They doing US a favor???..let me know what I missed. Are they not in Business to make Money?. Do they not make a profit on the products they sell?

I operate a medium business to. Shit happens and we can not be perfect. Our clients understand that this is a factor of doing business...BUT the reason we can get away with it is we are PROACTIVE and UPFRONT with our client and do not leave them hanging.

- Shoot an email, place a phone call if you have promised something and are not able to keep it.

- Don't tell people you have product in stock if you have to get it drop shipped from a 3rd party, it does not create understanding for the process.

SLR has great products. but too many people are pissed off at poor service, it would not take much to turn it around and secure a loyal customer base...

Well said Clau... Lardnapkin