For this stinky pile of bull dung...



My truck is finally free from this shoddy half-assed death trap you call a steering system.

Woohooo!

I thought you had manual hubs on your X.

so what your saying is that some of there stuff sucks....

Nah, havn't seen the need. Never blown an auto hub, and I have an extra auto hub just in case I do.

So.... What'd you go with?

RX

[sarcasm] maybe your just too stupid to own their products [/sarcasm]

x2.. Cuz that was the exact part I had problems with.

BTW, I can't quite make out what you're pointing at, bitch (sorry, I didn't want to end a sentence with a preposition).

Just how long is Calmini's 2 weeks anyway? I've been waiting (by my count) 49 weeks for my replacement idler arm now.

Yeah, I guess I didn't see the invisible "for off-road use only" sign they claim to have.

SLR full system.

My Calmini glorious steering system will be going bye bye when the SAS happens in 2 months...perhaps I shouldn't bother selling it to anyone...maybe I should send it back to Calmini with a nice little "brown present" in the box?

Nyah nyah nyah nyah...

My Calmini steering system, besides making my steering pump moan, has worked flawlessly for about 80K now, original bushings and all.

Not sure if it was the Mobil1 Grease, but while all of the other's with Calmini Steering Kits fell to their deaths with bushing failures, mine kept plugging away unscathed.



Usually, I have no luck...with this item, I lucked out.

Now, if only I had a running truck....

Smart move, some folks had issues with the delivery time (not me) but their products are STOUT.

I wonder how long it will be before the "blue man group" deletes this thread...

True....My SLR steering has been plugging away for a very long time, very well.

They won't delete it, they'll just call you a web wheeler and a fucktard, and try to make it look like it's your fault, and you don't deserve that precious blue "painted" metal on your truck.

It seems to me if they are haveing issues with there steering set up I would most certainly be carefull about replacing my whole front end with their SAS set up.

I know there is another company designing an SAS set up for the X, I know Im in no hurry. Ill just wait to see what the OTHER company comes up with.

Xterra in Hi, you have a PM.

thanks airb..

how SOON is this OTHER company gonna release it?
and HOW much MORE is this OTHER company gonna charge for it? if it cost more than calmini, then i will go with calmini.

from what i have gotten no details. but from their other products I would say it would be cheaper then Calmini especially if they went leaf..

Ya' know, I said that when I was looking at 3" suspension lifts 2 years ago. I said "why should I buy SLR if Calmini is cheaper?"

Yeah, well I learned my lesson the HARD way. Shitty unsafe steering system, crappy rusting T-bars that sag like my grandma's titties, UCA's that won't align in to spec because they wern't designed correctly, shackles that snap grade 8 bolts because they were desinged as a split unit vs. a solid unit like others, leaf springs that mis-aling themselves and have lost most lift, I could go on and on and on.....

Hey!! I like your granma's titties that way!! J/K In all seriousness....how has this thread gone on this long?? CM going soft now that he's married or is there a new wind (ie: someone not renewing their sponsorship of the site) blowing in the air??

Sad that the truth has to be hidden like that. I wish I had seen a thread like this 2 years ago.

Let the truth be heard you damn "true blue" communists.

I didn't violate the rules of the forum. :rolleyes:

Hey -

Don't be insulting the Blue Man Group by associating them in any way with Calmini.

BMG rocks.

I have never been one to censor peoples thoughts about one vendor or another.

However since this post is not really here to start a conversation with Calmini I have moved it to the ALR.

WOOOOWWW there are sooo many other thread here on XOC that are far far worse than this, yet they stay put.

good job admin, good job or something.

I mean, he never said it was to start a conversation with Calmini, he posted a picture of him being pissed off at their products and you move it to ALR?

actually it was directly addressed to Calmini. The title of this thread is "Thanks CALMINI."

He goes on to tell Calmini :
Maybe it was addressed to me but Wolfman accidentally called me CALMINI instead of my real name. Honest mistake I guess.

hey, i feel your pain, but i think you missed the point. what im saying is if the slr 3" lift is the same in cost as the calmini SAS, why the fuck would i spend the same money to remain IFS?

SNAKE!!!!!!!!

I don't really have a problem at this point with putting a Calmini SAS kit on my Xterra...for one reason, it's lack of options for a bolt on, ready to go kit. When someone puts out something cheaper, I'm sure others will get it, evaluate it, and make recommendations based on its quality and their experience with said "option for another SAS kit". I know of one guy that had a problem with the trac bar shearing off, and it caused him to roll his Frontier about 7 times on the highway...this is the same guy that's doing the swap for me, and I'm pretty sure he knows what to look for now from experience. He's done about 5 SAS projects now using Calmini's kit...those trucks are still shiny side up today.

There are things I'm not using from Calmini though because of repeated statements of disappointment in those products (i.e. rear springs packs, and front driveshaft). The front driveshaft I can have made for cheaper locally, and the leaf packs I have on my X now, which are custom, are going to get SOA'd to add the lift in the back. So, the back half of my X will be mostly SLR and Alcan, while the front half will have just the things it NEEDS from Calmini to make the SAS possible. I'm not going to wait for something else to come on the market...quite honestly, we don't know when that's going to happen and I'm in a place financially where it makes sense to do the SAS in January...who knows where I'll be months or years down the road...things change, and I'm not sure I'll have the money or time to spare at that point.

From what I've seen and heard it would be a good idea to put that bolt in double sheer. SLR has actually done one such modification on a truck for a young lady that was concerned about that bolt backing out.

(Hey, check out those welds!)

Nice welds. I tell you "if" SLR came out with an SAS kit Depending on a few variables they my be the way to go.

Trust me, I tried to get them to do so. Who knows, it could happen.

I'll give you for the welds but a double for the safety wire job. That has got to be one of the worst I've ever seen. Would never fly in the Air Force.

It's also not going to fly... it's not a jet

Call and talk to Spencer, he may be working on it.

Calmini has not posted on this board in a very long time. I doubt that they would start back up by responding to a thread showing someone flipping off their stuff and posted in such a way to be nothing more than a slap in the face.

So for those of you bitching that it got moved to the ALR. Try posting something similar in fashion about 4x4parts or similar board and see how fast the post disappears and or you get banned.

Sure, why would Calmini need to stand behind their products. They sell enough to not have to care what the customers think.

God this has been covered so much. Get over it. I have had some problems with about every supplier out there. You dont see me bitching about it, I found another solution. Now everyone just get over it.

It has huh? Hmmm I havn't seen it. I consider it performing a service to those who are unfortunate enough to think that cheaper is better.

Must be working on something because it's not my headers that I ordered 3 months ago! Good thing I don't have the money to put them in yet or I'd come unglued!

This is the lamest ALR thread ever. Even lamer than Chia's shit.

You fucking assholes need to get your asses in gear.

I think its because the discussion was not that heated, and the name calling in frustration that would normally occur when one side would not concede a point was not happening.

It really didn't even need to be moved...still pretty tame and under control, even here.

It wasn't a thread that was intended for the ALR, but since this is a last resort stop loss type of thread depository, it ended up here.

talk about de ja vu, i was just thinkin this morning about this thread and thought it would be funny if there was decal of calvin pissing on calmini.

Shut the hell up ya mouth-breathing, gargoyle-looking, stubby-fingered freak.

I'll pass along the message to your mom, you fuckfaced cocksucking shitbag of a loser son. I thought you were going to do us the favor of killing yourself already!

maybe now we have reason for the ALR.

What the fuck kind of post is that, you stoopid fucking noob?

wow that was totally uncalled for you mutha fu^&in peice of !@@#$%^&*()(*&#$%^&*(

And how the fuck did your dumb-new-ass become a moderator? What in fuck's name does someone need to do to become a mod here? Looks like they'll let every swingin' dick-with-or-without-an-Xterra-who-hasn't-visited-the-joint-in-a-year-and-a-half have moderator status. WTF is up with that?

:p

All you retards are fucking assholes!

Now I forgot WTF we were talking about to begin with! :rolleyes:

No fucking way....You kiss your sister with that mouth?

hey, whats with all this you dont have an exterra shit lately??? i own an exterra car god damnit.

so what if im a mod you yous gotta frickin problem wit dat byotch?

Dumbass.....What's your attention span?.....about as long as it takes you to rub one out while surfing porn?

We're talking about how shitty some folks think Calmini shit is....I think.

Goddammit....pay a little fucking attention next time before firing off with your typing finger.

:rolleyes:

whats your deal, you all cock strong and shit jus because you gotsa mufuckin ladder on yo shit yo?

Now, leave my porn addiction out of this you freak! Wait, what did you say again... I forgot already! Butthole!

damn, you rubbed one out that quick?

You fucking bet......That shit rocks. And it's not blue (politically correct disclaimer: Not that there is anything wrong with anything blue, and I have no personal problems with the company/companies being discussed in this thread).

:p

Holy-Buddy Jesus-on-rollerskates.....You just blew one quicker than a Muslim extremist loses his mind. The guys down at the Pink Pussycat must love you when you roll into town in your big-assed lovetruck.

yea what he said.. I have an exterra and it can go from 0-60 in 4 seconds..

Yeah, but I can do it over and over and over and you're just jealous! Ask your wife how well it works! I bet you can't even get it up you spineless pile of shit!

At least it lasts longer than its fucking owner.....

For anyone interested in getting this back on topic, I had a couple comments.

I've had both steering systems...I had the SLR kit on my Frontier and wore out idler arm bushings with it about every 6 months - brass or plastic, it didn't matter. The good thing there was that the plastic ones were cheap from the dealership.

I also wore out the Calmini ones, but have received nothing but good service in getting a replacement. It sucks that others of you have waited so long. I know one of the issues Calmini has is having cores to replace bushings in. I sent my old one back right away when I got the replacement.

Something I haven't seen anyone post on is this: Installing a spherical bearing in the Idler arm to eliminate the bushings all together. That, to me, would be a helluva lot cheaper than going out and paying over a grand for an SLR system.

It would also be a permanent fix.

Also, even when that bushing did go bad on mine, the truck was far from being a 'death trap'. It did wander a bit on the road, but there's no way for it to come apart and fail completely.

I think that part is being exaggerated.

Sorry to interrupt your flamefest. Carry on.

Just like the Calmini Idler arms, I guess it all depends on which one you got.
Did you get one of the first kits SLR offered?
Maybe there were still issues with it?

My SLR Idler arm bushing (bronze) lasted almost 2 years without greasing it, or even touching it.
And it never actually let loose or anything, just made a loud clunk when turning.
Swapped it out, and good as new.
Replacement bushings were $60 shipped.
And received it in less than a week.

It was the 2nd kit SLR ever sold.

The brass bushings came later, but I found the OEM plastic ones held up just as well....

I wheeled the truck hard in the Arizona rocks....

Ok, one of the guys in NJAX bought one of the first kits with the plastic bushings then switched to the bronze ones. I dont believe he had any issues with his system. Of course now he is SASed so he doesnt have that problem anymore.

My SLR system is holding up really well even with the 35's now.
Pika's is holding up well with his 36's (Q78's).
So it must have been the first run of steering systems that may have had some issues.

Someone already did that....
While better than the original Calmini adler arm, it wasn't a permanent fix for me when I did it.
Scroll down to Axle\'s post where his diagrams who the fix was made with the bearing...
My problem was that the sleeve wore (not the bearings) causing play in the idler arm.

Eh.....I tried the brass bushings......but I have since gone back to the plastic ones on my SLR. Easy and cheap as all hell to replace.

Ah well....whatever works for ya.

Wow...the more I listen to you guys try to play catch-up with your broken soccermommycar parts, the more I love my Toyota. For as much as you guys spend on mods, I got an OEM solid front axle, three diff locks, and a third row of seats, just like in Dad's minivan!

I'm just sayin'.

if you don't own an Xterra why are you even here?

X2

'cause I loiter on the Landcruiser forum..

I like it in here. It's warm and inviting.

I'm sorry...did my comment strike a nerve or something?

Nah, we just don't like you.

You're just bitter because you've discovered that underneath all that pretty blue paint is just tin foil, dried boogers and clumps of Steve Kramer's belly lint.

Actually, I'm surprised. I've been to Calmini, talked with Steve, I've owned a few of their products, and I've always felt like they put out quality stuff. I'm surprised that their steering system didn't hold up better.

Are you sure it isn't because you 'wheel like a goddamn maniac? Parts tend to break when they're thrown with great force against immovable objects.

Does a Frontier count????

At least a Frontier is the same species

genus.. :p

My steering originally lasted 3000 miles and one day of wheeling, and I was taking it really easy that day (trail run with stock Xterra's)

Yeah, it's just no good any way you look at it

Yeah - Genus might be more correct than Species...albeit it might be possible to interbreed the two, possibly making them sub-species, etc.

Well then that would make them the same species then. If they can breed, their chromosomes pair and segregate correctly to make gametes and give offspring, then they are one species. Kinda like dogs.

Yes and no....

A species is a group of organisms characterized by anatomy (sharing like/similar features) and can only breed sucessfully with each other (that is they are reproductively isolated either physically or geographically and produce offspring which are reproductively viable)

Then there are hybrids which are combinations of 2 species which may not be reproductively viable.
A mule is an example of a hybrid; it is a sterile animal (cross of a donkey and horse) incapable of reproducing.

Sub-species are organisims that are geographically seperated but could be considered members of the same species based on their characteristics; you could move a member from one region, mix it with a population in another region and not be able to tell the difference.

Dogs are speciated, but then there are hybrids of the species (mixes) which may or may not be reproductively viable.

I got the Carne Asada, it is Awesome!

Right - you could take a Navaro and an X and combine a lot of the parts, etc...but not all...so its hard to determine if that would be considered able to reproduce.

Maybe for trucks, its if they can be built on the same assembly line?



And the Carne Asada is good.

Now, a Mexican Hairless and a St Bernard might both be dogs...and share a majority of genes...but breeding them would be, um, messy.

I've lost track here. Does Calmini still suck?

Yep!

Calmini still sucks. Carne Asada Wilson rocks. Sharam is the Puppet Master. And dogs like to screw. Thats what I got out of it so far.

Nope....Calmini gets "Thanks"....

SLR Sucks.

You Suck, They Suck, We Suck.

Good thing the whole world Sucks or we would all fall off!!!

So what you're saying is that sometimes "suck" is a good thing. Well, that explains a lot.

Frankly - getting screwed, things sucking...sounds like it should be a GOOD thing, No?

I dont get it did Calmini just take a nose dive in quality and customer service. I remember when SLR was the crap and Calmini was the top. Ive had a number of Calmini parts and never had any complaints. I guess it is the luck of the draw sometimes. Sorry to hear some of you are having such a bad time.

Tim

Nah, it's just that the Calmini stuff isn't passing the test of time. The stuff is failing, and people are seeing it. The biggest problem is that people are not willing to admit that they wasted money on a half-assed "eh, it'll work" product.

Hey, what ever lets you sleep better at night.

Thanks for clarifying for me....now im getting worried about my Calmini parts!!! Time to crawl under there and look for anything that just dont look right!!!! Thanks again.

Tim

I had steering bushings (plural) wear out too. And yes I finally found another solution. But everything else took a beating. I put about 50000 miles on it and its all still on the road just on other vehicles.

You guys need to wheel with other makes and understand that NOTHING is indestructible I dont give a shit what you make it out of.

I have seen the shackle bolts break becaus someone refused to replace the bushings in the mounts or in the leafs, it causes them to twist some.

Anyone who gets into 4 wheeling thinking "oh look I bought this part and now it will be indestructible forever no matter what". Well those people better get right back out. Shit breaks for lots of reasons. Also if you dont get under there and check for loose bolts or other signs of trouble then you are asking for trouble again.

So in closing:
1. If you think 4x4 is a cheap hobby, go buy a kite and have fun there.
2. Get under your vehicles on a regular basis(regular is not once a year or biannually), check for loose bolts, Loose steering, leaks, grease your zerks, listen for odd sound.
3. Type 4x4 now hit shift & type it again....

....$X$, that is part of wheeling.

Well said.

I'm not even pissed about money in any way. It's just how Steve runs his company with a "my shit doesn't stink" attitude.

OK, Kevin now you are saying my kite's and the hobby is cheap? You come down here and I'll show you what my kites can do... bet that SAS of yours can't hang

Hey, all aftermarket companies will have good and bad. Even the guys doing it all themselves have issues. Like Kevin says it's a hobby that takes time and money. Nobody will have a truck last long if all they do is wheel and add mods. A little preventitive maintenance goes a long way.

I just hope all the aftermarket guys continue to develope for us. We all need to report results too... just not RANT about them.

Well its gotta be cheaper than wheeling... unless you have a hang glider. :p

kites can be an expensive hobby. I've got a friend who is addicted. I went with him down to the sand dunes. He's around 250#, took one of those 36"+ duffle bags and filled it with sand as a 'deadman', cliped it to a climbing harness, just to slow his travel across the sand.

The kite sounded like a small jet when it went by. I was inbelievable to watch him with this amount of pull from the kite. He would have ended in Alamosa if he was not tethered.

He likely has a couple hundred kites. Keeps a whole bunch is a space case un his truck, just in case there is 'good wind'

I've enjoyed watching people along the coast with stunt kites. I've got a few kites, luckily I never got addicted like modifying the truck. Maybe if I was younger, I'd get more use out of it.

Todd

Yeah...I enjoy my kites!

It takes a true man to admit to having a Kite Hobby

well, atleast when you get pissed at somebody with a kite hobby, you can just tell them to go fly a kite and they'll go away.

Alright Dave, that was bad

and that was late

Yeah, My Calmini Steering lasted ~5K miles, 3 months, and 1 day of light wheeling before it was toast. That was with regular maintenance.

I'm not looking for indestructable, but my Stock steering held out longer than that POS did.

BTW I've been waiting now 54 weeks for a warrentied replacement idler arm from Calmini...still haven't gotten that or a refund, and I doubt I ever will.

I've got two really nice 2-line kites that I fly from time to time. One is a Lotus 3/4 - it'll give you 50-75lbs of pull (very rough guess) on a windy day. It's slow and it buzzes when it flies. The other one is called a 'mini dipper'. It's small and very very fast. Tons of fun somewhere like Florida where I bought it where the wind is very steady - hard to fly here in Texas where the wind is many things - but NEVER steady.