Learn about the differences between parts you get at the dealership compared to an independent auto repair shop

I have wanted to write about this for a while.  Some time ago, one of our very loyal customers was trying to recommend us to his good friend.  The friend was resistive because he always used the dealership.  The friend explained that he wanted to get OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts that the dealership uses for repairs and maintenance.  He reasoning made him believe that the dealership was simply the smarter place to go for repairs and maintenance, because “they know my car best.”

After the conversation, our customer asked us the questions too.  He trusted us, but wanted to hear how we handle the question so he can answer his friend’s questions.  The following is what we told him and others that ask the same question.

Independents get to choose the parts they use for your repairs

All independent auto repair shops choose where they buy the parts for your repairs and maintenance.  The issues, however, each shop chooses differently.  Some shops focus on profit margin and a cheap price, so they will choose a cheap part.

At our shop, however, we choose the best parts for your particular car and much of the time it is the exact same parts that the dealerships use.  When possible and proper, we use OEM parts for our customers’ cars, and we often have a better price than the dealership.

Additionally, we have other options that are much better for our customers.  For example, a manufacturer may recommend a particular OEM brake pad for your disc brakes.  We have found that with some cars, they don’t last as long as other after-market products available; which mean you will need new brakes more often.  Some of the after-market products greatly exceed the manufacturer’s recommendations, so we use them when it’s appropriate – the dealerships don’t.

We also know your car as well as the dealership

The year is 2011 (as of the writing of this blog article).  In this well-connected Internet era, we have the exact same (sometimes better) resources and knowledge bases about your cars as the dealerships.  Additionally, we have equal equipment that allows us to diagnose and repair your car like the dealerships.  We can look up your car to see if there are any recalls, troubleshooting tips, Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs), wiring diagrams and just about anything you would ever need to service your car like the dealerships.  One more thing, we are also connected to tens of 1000’s of other independent auto repair shop mechanics online that share knowledge that helps us troubleshoot your car faster and with much more accuracy.

Our bottom line about dealerships?  Because of great parts that equal and exceed the OEM parts and we live in the Internet age, there is no reason to go there for your repairs or maintenance anymore.  Independents offer faster service, friendly and more personal service and we really get to know you.  Well, at least our shop does these things.

Learn about saving yourself trouble when your suspension is modified

Modifying the suspension on today’s cars can add excitement, performance and improvements that many people want.  The aftermarket industry that develops suspension modification kits for your car has been making a lot of happy customers that get lots of compliments on their cars.

However, too often, suspension modifications mean trouble for the car owners.  It can be quite difficult to get all of the car’s alignment and suspension adjustments just right for your car.  This is especially true for cars and trucks with modifications for Baja racing, street racing and racetrack racing.  The suspension must be perfect, high-performing and dependable.

We regularly hear stories from our new customers about the troubles they have experienced after adding a modification kit to their vehicle.  This includes those with lowered cars, lifted pickup trucks, and cars modified for racing.  They tell us their shop went back to the shop numerous times until they finally gave up on the shop and tried someone else.  Of course, because this is one of our specialties, we helped them out and the troubles were gone!

Why is suspension modification commonly problematic?

Cars and trucks are developed by the manufacturers with exact specifications that keep them level, safe, aligned and performing with precision.  When you change one part of the suspension system, the complexities of other components have to be considered and other adjustments need to be made.  This includes alignment adjustments much of the time.

Every type of vehicle needs different adjustments and modifications to make the modification trouble-free.  For example a pickup truck modified for Baja racing needs much different care than an Asian import car modified for canyon racing.  The same holds true for 4 wheel drive pickups, family cars, exotic cars, vintage cars and others.

At Valley Pacific Frame & Suspension, we have 40 years of experience with suspension modifications on all these types of vehicles – and more.  We have seen it all from Mini-Coopers up to Kenworth trucks.  And in our years, the experience we have accumulated helps us with each and every car we service for suspension modifications.  We know the adjustments, we understand the numbers, we understand how the car is going to be used and more.  For example the same suspension kit may be used on the same model of car, but for two different owners.  If one owner wants the car for the racetrack where almost all of the turns are left-hand, we will make certain adjustments to aid the performance.  While the second driver may want to race the canyons and curves go right, left, bank up, bank down and need super-quick braking.   These two same cars need our experience to make sure the modifications are done properly for them.

Great alignments that make your car feel perfect are challenging to accomplish on many vehicles.  This can be especially true with vehicles that have modified suspensions.  Lowered cars, lifted trucks and suspension modified cars for performance can be especially problematic to get an exact alignment.  This is also true for cars involved in a collision.

Many different types of companies offer two-wheel and four-wheel alignments. Many even utilize very sophisticated laser alignment equipment.  However, too often, customers complain that the car still doesn’t feel right, pulls or causes tire problems after their alignment.

This makes sense when you examine the how the complex adjustments that are truly needed to get the alignment exactly right.  Too many companies, especially tire shops, don’t understand these complexities and therefore only do part of the job.  Many shops simply adjust the tow of the car.  While tow adjustments are the most common and can remedy improper tire wear, often other adjustments are required.

Suspension modified and performance vehicles are especially challenging

If your vehicle has the suspension modified by an aftermarket kit to raise, lower or improve performance, it can make a perfect alignment much more problematic.  It also is much more important for the vehicle to have that perfect alignment.

Adjusting just the tow, as many auto repair shops and tire shops will do, is not your solution.  Most mechanics using the equipment don’t understand the numbers well enough to make adjustments outside of the norm.

At Valley Pacific Frame & Suspension, this is our specialty.  We are the alignment shop for numerous auto repair companies and tire shops in the San Fernando Valley because they know we get it right the first time.

Here’s how we get alignments perfect the first time

We start with enormous experience.  We’ve been specialists in alignments for 40 years here in Canoga Park.  In those years we have worked on all types of cars, light trucks, medium duty and even big rig Kenworth trucks.  Whatever we can fit into the shop, we’ve worked on.

That experience is mandatory if you want to do the job right. This is because exact alignment adjustments often fall outside of what many shops understand.  With our experience, we understand how modified cars and those involved in a crash or hitting a curb can impact the longevity and exactness of the alignment.

The next vital ingredient to a perfect alignment is the right equipment.  We have invested heavily into the latest, state of the art laser alignment equipment – as well as numerous other tools.  Without these tools, a perfect alignment would be chancy.

When you combine the right equipment with the right experience along with a serious dedication to doing alignments perfect, you get a perfect alignment the first time.

Why Valley Pacific for your alignment?

As you have read, we offer a better alignment that that is hard to find in the San Fernando Valley.  Here’s the big reason to choose us, though.  We’re very competitively priced!  We know how to get the job done right quicker than many shops and this allows us to keep the costs down so we are often the same prices as other shops offering alignments.

If you have ever been in an accident, had your car repaired by a body shop, and still felt something was wrong with your car, you might be right.  Many cars in accidents have bent frames that were undetected or improperly repaired at that body shop.

The car may not drive straight, feel crooked, or pull to one side or another.  Other car owners complain the car “just doesn’t feel right anymore.”  Some of the reason for this is that most body shops are not experts at frame straightening.  Today, some have frame straightening services in house, but their lack of experience or lack of the right equipment produces a poor result for your car.

Many body shops bring their cars to our company for frame straightening services instead of doing it in house.  Still, many of them do the repairs out of sequence which may result in improper frame straightening for your vehicle.

“In a perfect world a car involved in an accident should start here first” says Jim Gougeon, owner of Valley Pacific Frame & Suspension.  “Here’s why.  Some repairs due to a collision have frame damage.  Body shops usually know this and take steps to repair the frame.  The problem with too many body shops is they just R and R (Remove and Replace) parts.   These parts are put onto a bent frame and then brought to the frame straightening company or department.  Then to properly straighten the frame, those parts need to be removed, the frame straightened, then replaced.  Obviously, this is out of order and it is more expensive for the insurance company and the consumer.”

“Something more” Jim continues “very often the frame straightening job is done improperly because it wasn’t addressed first.”  Jim says that he recognizes that it isn’t a perfect world and body shops usually get the car first and try their best to fix the car in-house.  But, he feels the car-owners and the insurance companies are better served by starting out here.

Body Shop Vs. Frame Straightening Specialist

Another important issue that can cause your car to feel “out of sorts” is the quality of the work performed on the car after the collision.  Many body shops have purchased equipment and trained employees to straighten vehicle frames.  However, they are not experienced experts and this can make a real, tangible difference in the result of the frame’s alignment.

Valley Pacific Frame & Suspension has many body shops from all over the San Fernando Valley that bring their customers’ vehicles here for frame straightening.  They do this because they know there is a difference between a real professional with substantial experience and what they can do in house.

However, many body shops don’t do this.  They try to straighten the frame in house and their results are too often poor.  When you, the car owner, get the car back everything seems to be fine until you get out onto some roadways.  Freeways, long straight roadways and roads with curved in the center that drops off on both sides (for proper rain drainage) may illuminate the poor result.  Often many car owners return the car to the body shop and just say “It just doesn’t feel right anymore, it’s not like it was before the accident.”

A company with the right equipment, very experienced personnel and a dedication to perfect results is what a car needs when it has a bent frame due to a collision.

Jim says “We can fix about 90% of the vehicles that come in here back to original condition where the car feels like brand new.  The other 10% may simply be too damaged for a repair.  In recent years, we’ve even seen the insurance company paying for brand new frames on newer, more expensive vehicles because the cost of a new frame is small in comparison to “total loss” on the car.”

-          Jim Gougeon is the owner of Valley Pacific Frame and Suspension.  The shop has been in Canoga Park for 40 years and serves numerous high profile dealerships in the San Fernando Valley, as well as numerous auto body/Collision shops throughout the area.  Many car owners come to our shop first after a collision because they have experienced the above scenarios previously and feel it is much wiser to start with a straightened frame, then go to the body shop.