Bonus Built Dot Com | Since 1996

When you buy parts that will radically change your car or truck you want to install them correctly. You assume that since the parts are so important the manufacturer would provide you with good directions to ensure that you don't hopelessly screw it up.

In actual fact, that fancy kit that costs $300 or more may not come with any directions at all. What's worse is that it might come with just plain wrong directions. Sadly this is the rule rather than the exception.

I bought a master cylinder bracket for my truck. It fit all models of Ford, Chevy, and Dodge from about 1935 to 1955. The directions failed to mention that the bracket needed extensive grinding to make it fit my frame. Oops. I figured it out pretty quick.

I bought a power steering kit. I love the thing and recommend it to people all the time. What kind of directions did it come with? A very un-specific magazine article about installing the kit in a late 50's Chevy. Magazine articles (in most publications, unfortunately) are designed as advertisements for the part. If I already bought the thing I don't want an ad, I want to know how to put it on correctly. Luckily the directions were good enough and it's a very simple installation.

What if it wasn't a simple installation? What if I bought a hub to hub IFS kit for $3000? I'd be expecting a set of directions the size of a phone book but wouldn't be surprised if nothing but nuts and bolts fell out of the box. Where do I cut? Where do I weld? How do I know it's right? Trial and error isn't a good option, but too often it is all we have.

When you buy food, there are clear directions on how to cook it. I bought a telephone once and it actually had directions saying to pick up the receiver and say "hello" when it rings. These are no-brainers. Cooking a can of chili isn't rocket science, but making a car nearly is. Where are the priorities? You can die and take lots of people with you if your suspension or engine aren't in right. Do the manufacturers of these parts realize that any decent lawyer can draw a line from lack of directions to somebody's death and bankrupt them? A very able lawyer could probably even push for criminal charges (or do I just watch too much Law & Order?). Think of all the things you buy that have directions and warnings on them. Common sense tells you not to put Preparation H in your mouth, but there's a warning. Common sense tells you that your coffee at McDonalds is hot, but there's a warning. Common sense tells you that your fireworks are flamable, but there's a warning. Common sense might not tell you not to reuse old lock washers and cotter pins, but there's no warning. Installing IFS is hardly intuitive.

Sometimes it is only a person's extensive automotive experience that allows them to finish a project. Yes, many people have a lot of experince and can work their way out of problems. That doesn't mean they wouldn't appreciate clear directions that would help them avoid those kinds of problems.

What about people who don't have extensive experience? Through this website I receive dozens of emails every week and can authoratatively tell you that a lot of people are working beyond their abilities. To be blunt, a few people have their thumbs jammed straight up their asses and have no clue how an automobile works, yet they've got theirs torn apart in the driveway. These people can't figure out how to solve engineering problems on their own. These people are the reason that hot coffee has a warning on it! These are the people who will cause your untimely death when their front wheels fall off on the freeway, bouncing twice before crashing through your windshield and pulverizing your head.

So what do you do if you get bad or no directions with parts that install in a less than obvious manner? First, call the manufacturer and ask for clear directions. Many people find that they don't get very good results from the manufacturer, so feel free to use my Law & Order logic on them. Apart from that, here is my advice when installing any parts, even if you have good directions but especially if you have bad ones: Carefully plan the project in your mind or on paper. Visualize each step or draw pictures if you like. Think it through and see if their directions make sense. You can even get under/in the truck and run through the directions while you're looking at whatever you'll be working on. You can catch a lot of potential problems that way.

If you get a set of bad directions, or if you get good ones by calling tech support, post about it on the message boards. People visit here all the time looking for information like that.

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