As I have been reading several different sites with regard to aftermarket toyota products, I have noticed numerous threads and statements from people regarding their dislike of products made by Trail-Gear. Can someone explain to me why there seems to be such dissatifaction with them. Are their products prone to breakage, bad customer service/support or what?

 

as far as i know personally, i have had great luck with trail grear, the only problem i have had with them they have resolved quickly and smoothly.

the only problem i am seeing with there company is the seem to be rushing products a little, and they could uses a little better quality control methods.

but overall i still think that they are a great company and i will still shop with them, but they do have room for improvment as of right now

 

all i know is the bearing are cheap chinese made

 

They are just fine. The dissastisfaction comes from several places: One, they have used low quality springs in the past, but they seem to work well, and so far, I've never heard of people having issue with them.

Probably the main reason that people are unhappy with them is that, Trail Gear was founded by a guy who used to work for Marlin, and before that All Pro. People feel that he ripped them off, and just hurt Marlin and the others by leaving and offering up their products. I personally don't subscribe to that, but because of it, there has been a lot of animosity directed toward them.

The other reason is that one of their sponsored FT guys was caught on camera driving all over creation, by which I mean, he climbed a tree in his FT. They dropped him and issued an apology, but the damage was done. Again, I'm not sure what they could have done, and don't really hold the company responsible for the guys actions, but it is still a focus for anger.

The reason I personally don't care for them is that they made SAS kits so cheap that a bunch of idiots who have no business with a SAS can now afford one, and now there are a bunch of swapped trucks in the hands of people who can't really drive.

 

I have had no bad experience with TG...they have great prices and customer service.

 

I just bought rock sliders from them and had to change my order to include the gussets, they changed it and shipped my order right away - but that's just customer service, not sure about the quality yet until I get them on the truck. Prices are awesome though...

 

X2

 

Smart move getting the gussets, their slider quality was everything I expected. Happy camper here

 

I don't subscribe to that either, especially since Marlin seems to have so much business they can't even answer their phones half the time.

 

I have ordered many products from Trail Gear and I am satisfied with the products that I have ordered from them. Their Chinese bearings have held up so far (I only used the wheel bearings as I had a bunch of Koyo spares from Marlin Crawler).

 

Yuuuuuppp! Everytime I've called, they never answered.. I was like WTF? 4 times?! So I never bought anything from them. I got my trail-gear sliders through Scotty @ Addicted off-road. Scotty has great great service & the sliders look very nice & beefy. I'm happy!

 

I can attest to the low quality of Chinese steel--Thier steel doesnt compare to ours or other major countries. US has some of the best steel around--though expensive--it is the only kind of steel a major low bidder will buy (US military). Without getting technical--if i depend on it as a major component-it better not be chinese.

That said--i got sliders from them and besides having to shorten the supports to the frame--they have worked out great. No complaints

 

Opinions and preferences vary and are as numerous as the stars.
Remember that for every 1 complainer about TG you will have 99 silent satisfied customers.

The fact of the matter remains that as a TG dealer I have had nothing but prompt, professional and reliable dealings with all the folks at TG. I am a matter of fact person and I don't put up with crap or junk, and if TG was either I wouldn't deal with them period. They sell top notch products in my book and have done wonders for the availability and competitiveness of the market in Toyota off-road products.

On my new F-toy build it will be nothing but TG products wherever I can use them.

 

I too have had zero problems with TG... They are fast to react and great products. there are a couple of dealers on the board, myself included. Let me know if there is anything i can do to help you with, or if you have any more questions.

 

They dont have a problem with (usally) service. And their product is decent.

Most of us that have problems with TG revolves around their business ethics. Most people dont have a problem with them, but then again most dont have a problem with Wal-mart either.

As for Marlin, well I dont beleive there is a better company in the business! They used to have problems with the phones but it seems lately that have hired some people to releive that stress as I have gotten through every time the last couple months. HOWEVER, the reason it used to be so hard to get through before was because you were talking to the guys in the shop. The guys who really knew their stuff. Plus they would talk your ear off. It was great!!!

Now I see alot of new comers to the scene being lured in by the prices. And it will likely be those same people complaining if Marlin gets driven out and Trail Gear gets to fullfill their dream of being the "4wheel parts" of rock crawling. The source of the problem is Chris Geiger. If you dont beleive me just talk to the people along the long of trail of back stabbing he has left over the years.

 

Chris Geiger stole intellectual property from AllPro and Marlin (bad), and used some good business savvy and marketing to sell the same/very similar parts for cheaper (good).

AllPro and Marlin have been the innovators in the industry, allowing us to do more with our rigs than we would be able to without them (good), but didn't do a very good job at all of protecting their intellectual property with patents and other means (bad).

I also agree with 4rnr's comment above about the turnaround at Marlin. Since hiring two people, it has been MUCH better, and as a result I have rewarded them with some of my business.

 

I bought some rock sliders and they are fine. Good price, fast shipping.