Unfortunately yes. TM used to be a well respected Vendor on CL, he helped a lot of people and if you look back historically a lot of people did business with him and spoke highly of him, but those days are gone. He still has a "helpful" sticky in your SC suspension section under his screen name Doublewhoosh. In a past life he was an IASCA Pro Class Champion and the cars he designed and built were featured in many magazines. Can you tell he's always been a one man operation?

I just realized that I've known him for 20+ years. I have some insight to his personal situation which I will keep private, but all I can say is that I’m saddened as to how things are today.

 

per a phone conversation we had awhile ago glen, i know you two still see each other right? can you ask him what ever became of the daizen camber kits for the gs that has been under development for years now? i have ALL their other bushings but im still interested in them

Rear Camber Correction Kit NEW! Part # G2-2021

i even posted a thread on it a year or so ago,

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...amber-kit.html

you even commented on it, but if you wouldnt mind and you recall it one day, will you ask him about it for me please? thanks

 

B,

Regarding the camber kit, Todd helped Daizen develop all their products, but as I can best recall, the camber kit design did not pan out to their expectations. I suspect the rear camber kit design would of been similar to the rear SPC kit currently out. That kit has a very limited level of improvement (~ 1 degree?), which is why I suspect Daizen never released their version.


Back in the day, Todd was already a hard person to reach by phone. We understood that as a one man operation, it was difficult for him to get work done and keep answering the phone. He had A LOT of business back then and for a bit he did have some administrative help, but YOU KNOW how people want to talk directly to the man. When I called, my discussion would be short, to the point and then I'd let him get back to work. I knew of others who couldn't get a hold of him very easy, but he'd usually pick up FOR ME when I called. I wonder why that is? If he didn't pick up, I would leave a message and sit tight and usually not call back because I knew he would eventually call me back.

With all the complaints about his service today, it leads me to believe that he is overwhelmed with e-mails and questions and people bugging him relentlessly and taking up his time for the sale of what are relatively low dollar parts. Though I don't support his new found attitude or behavior, and though I know that answering questions is a part of doing business, it seems apparent that after a customer "sucks up" a certain amount of his time, you get on his bad side. I can only speculate that if you **** him off enough, that he'll just refund your money back and tell you sorry "THEY" are "PROBABLY" out of business. I don't know how he can afford to blow off customers and make a living and why sell a product if it is so much hassle, but it is what it is.

Excuse the long winded answer, but i needed to get that off my chest and the point of this is, even I can't reach him now. I do know of someone that has recently been in direct contact with him for a significant business transaction (not for a piddly bushing sale), so he's def still local and active, per se.

 

^^ oh well...it was worth a try to get him but if you cant get him no biggie

here's a thought why has noone ever attempted to take over this business from him? to become a second REAL daizen distributor?

 

PM Time

 

rmm gives a decent explanation. I had nothing but a good experience with him responding to emails a couple of months ago. I believe that if you want professional service, you have to be professional yourself, especially when you know a person picks and chooses who he wants to deal with by the CUSTOMER'S attitude.

 

todd didnt say it 2 other reps said they couldnt get ahold of THE rep so this is what they thought….

 

Thanks for the clarification.

So as I already suspected, NONE of the dealers can get Daizen anymore.

If you want Daizen bushings then you need to order directly from TM Engineering, and take your chances when or if you will get them.

 

I ordered the steering rack kit last Friday. I got the kit nicely in the mail on Wednesday. So I went and ordered the lower arm kit from him as well. So far so good as far a TM goes.

 

since you guys know more than i, since i couldnt get the set from ™ i just ordered all the new parts from sewell. since then i have found two other places on here to get the plastic style control arm bushings….. should i still take out the new rubber one that will be in the new control arms, or leave the oe in???? my 2000 gs rides like a caddy with the stock rims and tires but the 20 i just bought vibes at 55-60 so i took them off for now. would 18 do the same??? thanks

 

If you are lowering the car, then change atleast the lower bushings. The stock ones will last you 50k miles or more if you are lucky so it also may depend if you going to hang on to the car that long. It costs a lot less to change the bushing now versus taking everything back out and in to change the bushings down the road. Pay now or pay later.

If you change all the bushings, 20's are not an issue as long as you road force balance.

 

WOW less than one week turn?


Please Do update us as soon as the lowers come in. Steering rack is cake, arm bushings appear harder to keep in stock.

 

Where are these other two places?

 

I placed the order for the lower arm bushings tonight, I got an email from TM that the supplier (Daizen) won't be sending them a shipment until 2-3 weeks time. They asked if I wanted to hold the order or cancel. I'm gonna hold out until they come in as I heard about them being out of stock beforehand so it was no surprise. I don't daily drive my GS so I can wait to get the parts, I honestly just don't want to put OEM rubber bushings back into my car, especially after the rejuvenation in my steering after new lower ball joints and the steering rack kit.

 

http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/200...m_bushing.html is control arm

http://www.prostreetonline.com/oem/q...tion=002558682
is steering