Update: Okay Bill Todd gets full credit for calling me to talk to me about my review.
But Bill seems to want to claim that I am responsible for everything? He claimed that I was the one that told him to replace the "front" tie rods. In fact all ll told him was the previous owner of my vehicle had purchased tie rods, gave them to me, saying "tie rods" needed to be replaced.
Bill Todd still claims he was right in that he found the outer tie rods were bad but the tie rods provided didn't fit. Yet, Hinson's found that an inner tie rod was bad? I asked him why he didn't see that and Hinson's did? He claims it was "hidden" within a bellows? How is that Hinson's saw it without starting any work? Because they had it up on a rack? Does this mean Bill didn't bother to put my vehicle up on a rack? And I asked if the tie-rods I provided (which he said didn't fit so he had to special order the from Ford) might not have been inner tie rods? In and case he claims the outer tie-rods were shot and he did do that repair properly according to Hinson's. Maybe he is right? But I didn't tell him to go after outer or inner tie rods I just told him I thought the tie rods were bad? So, why didn't he check them all? Because?? Oh he "doesn't do alignments"? So, shouldn't he have sent to me to Hinson's from the get-go then?
So, I watched a U-Tube video on replacing tie-rods and after removing the outer tie-rod the mechanic in the video showed how he immediately detected the inner tie-rod was bad because it was loose? In the video he said its best to replace both the outer and inner tie-rods. He shows the location of the "bellows" which is another rubber boot, (which Hinsons's told me was shot on one side). In any case Hinson's felt one did not have to be replaced but they would have to, again, take off the outer tie-rod to get to the shot inner tie rod? So? Was Todd's garage thorough? I leave that for you to consider gentle reader.
Bill claims that parts go bad when explaining the warped thermostat housing. Nelson's garage didn't seem to agree. Who would you believe?
Bill doesn't want to listen to why the customer might be put off and he gets miffed when he isn't thorough and blames the customer. IMO Todd's garage really needs to refer all tie-rod, suspension, and alignment work to Hinson's as they appear to have competent, and thus, better mechanics when it comes these issues, given that it is their speciality.
As for the thermostat and housing? I drove to Placerville from San Luis Obispo and back with a warped housing and a coolant leak? Nelson's told me I really should only be driving locally under those conditions? I sure hope my engine wasn't damaged. But Todd's garage did manage to get me through the smog test although he had me test twice even though I already knew (from the previous owner) that the light on indicated the thermostat had to be replaced. This is a case where I did ask Bill Todd to just replace it. Instead he gave me an argument and wanted to run the smog test first so he could see what the code was. The code came back indicating that the thermostat was bad. That meant I had to pay for two tests at $49 + $22 when one was really only necessary. The point I am making is that I could have forced this issue but instead went with the advice of the mechanic? As I did with the tie-rods? I am not sure what else I could have done? read more
