MAF

[alaskacruiser]

I have seen a few posts around here complaining about the service ppl received at MAF. Can some of you please expand on your experiences? Are there a few "good" people to ask for over there? The reason I ask is I'm thinking of heading over there to get an OME suspension and ARB air locker installed. It is convenient for me since I am in SoCal. Let's hear it...!

 

[Mr.Bryan]

I had a coupon for 10 or 15% off an ome suspension (hence the reason I ordered from them) I also bought some DBA slotted rotors from them. Each time I talked to them they have been very courtious I had no problems at all. I think they are quite nice to deal with. But, thats my personal opinion. Other people may think diffrently.

-Bryan

 

[theferg]

I've never had any problems with anybody I've dealt with there. I've purchased from them several times over the past three years, though I haven't really bought any big ticket items... Have heard good and bad about this and that and there are things I know I would NEVER get from them.

-Ferg-

 

[landtank]

Bought quite a bit from them without any problems. Junk is really down on them, but it's his usual all emcompassing slap down, nothing specific from what I remember.

 

[BigMac]

I bought my bumpers from MAF (ARB front and Kaymar rear) since they are nearby. I drove over there without my front bumper and installed the ARB in their parking lot - they hauled off the big box and didn't give me any static about working beside their building, which I appreciated very much. They all seemed like nice folks to me, but the youngsters I've dealt with there are clearly just employees, not like Christo Slee and his dedicated gang of cruiser maniacs. BigMac

 

[cruiserdan]

My one and only experience with them was a bit odd. I called to inquire about the long range fuel tanks and also the Safari turbo(already had a blower). We started on tanks, the fellow I spoke with was very lost and couldn't tell me anything about either tank, other than how much of my money it would take to own them. We switched to the turbo and he proceeded to tell me how the TRD blower was an utter POS and only an idiot would opt for one over his bad-a$$ turbo :-\ .
Needless to say, he lost a sale . At the end of the conversation I thanked him for his time and added that I had a TRD blower on my rig and thought it was OK. He started to back-pedal and I dropped the reciever in the cradle

I'm sure it was a one-time event but I've never bothered to find out.

D-

 

[Wrench]

Man-A-Fags!

 

[Big_Moose]

Numerous complaints over the years of very questionable shipping practices. Stocking fees, shipping charges, wrong parts - refuse to take back, etc. Personally, I have had no problems with them, but I generally drive out there [I'm in So. Cal] to get something. SOR is closer for me, provides higher quality service, and have developed a repore with the owner.

Joe

 

[Junk]

[quote author=landtank link=board=2;threadid=7628;start=msg63952#msg63952 date=1069031459]
Junk is really down on them, but it's his usual all emcompassing slap down, nothing specific from what I remember.[/quote]

Uh, actually it's your momma I was down on dude. Seriously now, they are not as bad as the fawkers at SOR. I would never buy anything from them though.

 

[sjcruiser]

Bought my OME set from them - Nice people there...only to find out later that I got way over charged by "ARB raises their price this year..." explaination & the catalogue I had was for the prior year's prices. Really hate it when dealing with this kinda stuff...

Just my experience...
Frank.

 

[Junk]

explaination & the catalogue I had was for the prior year's prices. Really hate it when dealing with this kinda stuff...

uh, gee, yeah, I have this uh catalog from 1932 and uh, well can I still get the same price?

 

[Beast II]

I'm going to sugar-coat it. Sales people are absolute morons. Customer service is horrible. I've had to cancel three offroading trips because they said they had parts that they didn't, but didn't bother to let me know. So, I was left waiting for parts that were never shipped. I ended up calling Australia and ordering the parts myself at half the cost and 1/4 the time. There are just too many choices out there; I wouldn't buy another thing from them.

 

[Jim_Chow]

I've bought stuff on a couple of occasions. First was an OME suspension system (leaf springs, shackles, bushings, shocks, steering stabilizer). Since they didn't normally stock the parts, I had to pay ARB retail minus 10% since I bought the entire system. Malcom did the install. It took them all day, though. The rear lifted up so much (previously was sagging badly) that the driveline angles were out of whack. I had to return the following week and have the rear springs shimmed w/ 2.5 deg wedges), which brought it to about 1 deg off. Their labor prices are steep...$75/hr, I seem to recall, and I got charged even during the times when the mechanic was distracted by another customer.

Second time, I ordered a Kaymar bumper/carrier (listed in their catalog but not in stock for a 1st gen 4runner; I think I'm the first person to buy one, maybe in this country [bumper is exactly like the 78 series bumper in the Kaymar catalog, not like the hilux bumper]). They happened to be placing an order w/ Kaymar that week, so the due date was about 1 month by ship from Oz. Just about when it was expected to arrive, the LA Port shipping strike occured, so the bumper sat on a ship somewhere within view of my living room (I could see the ships anchored offshore from my old apt) for 2 months. I drove there and picked it up, installed it myself w/ no issues.

In retrospect, if I were to have any work done, I'd have Malcom do it...he's the most senior mechanic there and very cruiser knowledgeable. The guy I dealt with for ordering was Scott...seemed pretty knowledgeable, but doesn't get his hands dirty in the back. If I were buying an OME system today, since I have a lot more experience working on my rig, I'd do the install myself. Christos' instructions are written well...light years better than instructions by ARB/Kaymar (no pics, vague).

The MAF price on the OME 2" lift kit (basic kit) seems reasonable (older price). I haven't checked the current prices, but in the older catalog, for some weird reason, it was cheaper to buy the basic kit, then the caster bushings and steering stab. separately than to buy the medium-grade kit containing the caster bushings and stabilizer!

 

[Safado]

no complaints here.