Boots Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Dear Rubicon Express customers and fans, Transamerican Auto Parts/4 Wheel Parts is proud to announce the acquisition of Rubicon Express. Inspired by the famous Rubicon trails of Northern California, Rubicon Express has a long history of manufacturing hard-core performance suspension systems. Off-road enthusiasts the world over have come to trust Rubicon Express to be the ultimate suspension system for their Jeeps. Customer feedback has been overwhelming, and we are committed to getting this fantastic brand back in the marketplace quickly. Furthermore, we pledge to use the same manufacturing process that Rubicon has had for years. All products will continue to be made in USA. We are working closely with many members of Rubicon’s team to ensure, long into the future, the same respected quality you've come to expect throughout the entire product line. Today, our goal is to have product available for purchase by August 1, 2011. Our first priority, though, is to you, all the loyal Rubicon customers. Please be assured that we will gladly honor any and all warranty requests, and replacement parts will soon be available. We will continue to partner with Rubicon’s off-road jobbers and distributors. Soon you will find high quality Rubicon Express in stock at your favorite dealer and out on the trails. We appreciate your interest in Rubicon Express and your understanding while we work to re-establish the one and only Rubicon Express. Greg Adler President & CEO Transamerican Auto Parts/4 Wheel Parts http://www.rubiconexpress.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Automan2164 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 There goes the neighborhood. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Exactly. My experience with the 4wheelparts conglomerate in its various forms is less than impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I can't comment much on 4 Wheel Parts, just all of the reviews about them. I did order my VR8000 through them as they offered free shipping and the same price as other Warn dealers. I placed the order and had the winch in 10days. Can't complain since shipping was free. It will be interesting to see what happens to RE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500 MJ Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Disappointed. What a waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1A1TankerTom Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 why all the hatred twoards 4wheelparts??? I have done business with my local 4 wheelparts store and have been nothing but happy. The manager always cuts me a lower price and they do great work, is this rare compared to other 4wheelparts stores? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkbruin Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 The last time I ran RE was back in 98-00ish, when XJers had to use ZJ 4.5 coils for a 6" front coil (no one was making an XJ specific coil over 4.5 at that time). Good stuff at the time, but I heard they took a reputation nosedive over the past few years. Not that it affects me at all... my next lift is going to be IRO, TNT, or pieced together from those two or Poly/Ballistic, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMJ Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 RE's metal choice is one of the best , however , in recent years , the bushings were the issue . They got a bunch of junk bushings and sold them to loads of people . Not really their fault , just bad luck maybe , or cheap outsoursing . They were quite good about sending customers who reported issues , new bushings free of charge . The new bushings were updated and better . More on these bushings . Fault by design . I will say , you will not find a bushing any easier to change than RE's style bushing . Is that a good thing ? Yes , if you don't mind frequent changes (they tend to oval around the sleeve and cause poor handling charactoristics) If RE is under new management , I will say one thing . If you went back to a stock style bushing on your control arms and track bars , I would consider RE again in the future . No change , me never buy again . :wavey: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 why all the hatred twoards 4wheelparts??? I have done business with my local 4 wheelparts store and have been nothing but happy. The manager always cuts me a lower price and they do great work, is this rare compared to other 4wheelparts stores? 4wheelparts, the physical store, is probably very good. Even though I like the couple of small, mom, and pop style 4x4 shops we have around here, a 4x4 'super store' could be fun to poke around in on a Saturday, and find some good deals without going online. But 4wheelparts the company is the JCWhitney of 4wd. They relabel cheap crap with their own branding, sell them at premium prices, while offering the true 'premium' products side by side at highly inflated prices. Look what transamerican autoparts (owners of 4wheelparts) did to Smittybuilt. Though it will likely be worse with RE, since RE has a much better/higher rated product to start with. I haven't seen anything taken over by 4wheelparts actually improve, and that includes messageboards (like JU). Better stop talking about them before they buy CC, and kick us off. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 :rotfl2: I received new bushings for my old RE arms 3 times. After each replacement they were shot witin a couple of months. Yeah, RE had decent customer service that did not hesitate to send me replacement bushings. The only RE parts left on my TJ from a VERY complete kit is the coils, bump stops and front trackbar. Everything else broke or wore out too quickly. From that experience, I hope 4 wheel parts does good to the RE name. I don't see how they could hurt them anymore, unless it is with worthless customer service. I did not know 4 wheel parts owned JU. I used to browse the classifieds over there long ago. Recently went browsing and noticed very little activity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990 Pioneer 4x4 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 After several people warned me about the Tacoma, WA - 4 Wheel Parts Store installations… I ignored them and took a chance; I should have listened and learned from other peoples mistakes… They fixed one of their mistakes, but then wouldn’t even take the time of returning my calls or emails to finish the job correctly. Sure, you might save a few bucks purchasing parts through them, if you want to support a shady operation. But if you want their “experts” to install anything on your rig, don’t say you weren’t warned! :fs2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motion Offroad Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Just an update on this; We received a large shipment of RE parts earlier this week. Upon looking at them they are all identical (no corners cut) as the original RE parts. As of today (07/21) we are allowed to start shipping RE parts again. I can't speak for how the new RE customer service will be but I can speak for the parts that we have on our shelves and the quality looks the same as what they were in the past. We're told that RE should be back up and running fully the first week of August. It is good (to us at least) that they made good on their delivery time (a week early actually) for parts we've ordered. We're hoping that it was just a down-time and easy transfer to the new owners and RE will be back and what they were prior to the buy-out. Let's keep our fingers crossed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Is it possible that those parts were made pre-sale and just shipped once the paperwork was done? They may not have had time for new suppliers or corners to be cut....yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motion Offroad Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Is it possible that those parts were made pre-sale and just shipped once the paperwork was done? They may not have had time for new suppliers or corners to be cut....yet... 100% possible and has crossed our mind. However if that was the case I'd like to know why we never got a lot of the items we had on order with them 5-6 months prior to them filing bankruptcy when we placed stocking orders due to them being on "backorder". For instance we had some SYE kits on order with them (about 30) prior, even before Christmas. Never got them. We just took delivery of over 100 of them this week. If they had them in stock prior to the buyout why didn't we ever get them? Your guess is as good as ours; however it looks like only time will tell.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Is it possible that those parts were made pre-sale and just shipped once the paperwork was done? They may not have had time for new suppliers or corners to be cut....yet... 100% possible and has crossed our mind. However if that was the case I'd like to know why we never got a lot of the items we had on order with them 5-6 months prior to them filing bankruptcy when we placed stocking orders due to them being on "backorder". For instance we had some SYE kits on order with them (about 30) prior, even before Christmas. Never got them. We just took delivery of over 100 of them this week. If they had them in stock prior to the buyout why didn't we ever get them? Your guess is as good as ours; however it looks like only time will tell.... I'll remain cautiously optimistic. IMHO, I think they will, more than likely, cut some corners eventually, and ship some production overseas. Tho hopefully now that things are back up and running, they will see a ton of demand for parts, and decide not to mess with a successful product (I'm still not sure why RE failed as a company, but it wasn't due to lack of demand for their products). Either way, good luck, & I hope this is a good sign. :cheers: :USAflag: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camjeep3 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I'm still not sure why RE failed as a company, but it wasn't due to lack of demand for their products). Either way, good luck, & I hope this is a good sign. :cheers: :USAflag: :agree: They had the best all around entry level lift kit for a pretty good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyleag89 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I have been waiting for RE to open so I can buy a new hiem joint for my XJ but now the joint isn't even listed on their site anymore. Wonder why they would remove an item that is still used on the RE1600 TB?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 You can get that hiem joint from just about anywhere. It is a standard sized rod end. I ordered my replacement (not an RE part) from David at northridge4x4. Search online to find the proper sizing for the rod end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
65BAJA Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Rubicon Express is open. We are in the same building we were in before. The same staff is here now that was here before. We are also using the same vendors we were using before. The only parts that are changing are the bushing and the end ring that it goes in. Here is an excript from an TAP internal document concerning the bushing and endring. Rubicon Express has released a new improved control arm assembly for all control arms using super-ride bushings. The new feature is a contoured CNC machined end ring made from .500” wall DOM tubing. The Super HD end ring will provide a more precise center rib and shoulder for locating the hourglass bushing. The increased wall thickness will insure an indestructible connection between the axle and the chassis. Like all fabricated Rubicon Express parts these control arms feature a lifetime warranty against breakage. In addition to the new Super HD end ring Rubicon Express has revised the Super- ride radial hourglass bushing. The new design features a new material, Cross-linked PTMEG or Polytetramethyleneetherglycol. It will be an 88A durometer and is of a cross- linked molecular structure and is the toughest and most durable material available to us commercially. These bushings are easy to install, lubricated and service in the field. This new composition will add a new dimension of performance to a proven flexible design. Durability and control are the main improvements without sacrificing the extreme articulation our customers demand. These bushings are so tough they are covered by a lifetime warranty against failure. Everything that has shipped out of our facility in Rancho Cordova since May31st of this year has been new design product. If there are any questions please call us. We are here to help. Eric. Rubicon Express. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motion Offroad Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I have been waiting for RE to open so I can buy a new hiem joint for my XJ but now the joint isn't even listed on their site anymore. Wonder why they would remove an item that is still used on the RE1600 TB?? We have them in stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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