I normally don?t post much on specialstage, but I feel this matter needs the attention of the USA rally community. This post is very long. I feel that I must share with you all the details in order to be fair to the company. As many of you are familiar with, my team competed and won the national drivers championship in the SCCA production class last season. We campaigned the silver #72 VW Golf TDI. It was a great season! Like many National competitors, my team when possible supported the contingency sponsors. When it came to suspension, my three major choices were: VW Motorsport, DMS, and Bilstein/Eibach. We were very successful in 2001 using the Bilstein/Eibach combination on my early Gti. The cost between the VWMS and DMS was pretty similar. I choose the DMS since they were a contingency sponsor and heard many good things about their performance on this list.
Initial cost was $2500 and I received them from Dave Clark Motorsports. Dave was very helpful and we received the suspension just after SnoDrift. We were looking to improve over the Koni suspension we ran there. The suspension looked great, fit well and felt well during testing. We dialed the car in and prepared for Cherokee Trails. Performance from the start was excellent. You can really feel the DMS work under the car. An annoying ?creak? from the RR suspension plagued our confidence until on stage 7 the upper shock mount gave way and we lost the RR spring and ended up bending the shaft on the DMS shock. Post mortem found what seemed to be a over stressed upper shock mount. After discussing the problem with Dave Clark he suggested we fabricate an axle limiter to solve the problem that occurred. Fair enough I paid to have the shock rebuilt and for a new spring. Cost to me $435
Unfortunately the shock had to be rebuilt in Australia so we would not have it for RIM. I called up Bilstein and had them re-valve some new rear shocks to my specs. Cost to me $300 for the pair these rear shocks worked excellent in conjunction with the DMS springs. I liked them so much the stayed on for RIM, STPR, Maine, and Ojibwe.
After each rally we removed and evaluated the suspension for damage and then reassembled. Things looked great until Ojibwe Forest. The last stage on the first day was a decently long stage. At approximately 8 miles to the end we smelled intense burnt rubber. Of course flat tire comes to mind. We pull over very dumbfounded since Michelin ZE?s don?t normally puncture especially since we had no offs and the road was no all that rough. We changed the flat and forged on. Not more than 1.5 miles later, the same thing! We had to limp the remaining stage miles and then to service. Service found that the DMS strut housing was cracked circumferentially around the weld. We were totally amazed. With the strut housing cracked the car had random camber, most of which was very negative to the point where the tire rubbed the spring. We made it back to headquarters very late and in last place. We immediately handed the strut to a very surprised Dave Clark. We explained the case to him and a dozen or so other teams congregated around the scoring table. Dave assured us that this would be taken care of since it was so blatantly a manufacturing failure. What is unsettling about the incident is that because of our poor performance at Ojibwe Ken fell way behind in the co-driver points where he could not catch first.
We were very lucky to have Mad Mike at the event and he very thankfully loaned us a new DMS front strut to finish the event.
Wild West was our next event and only three week away. We still had Mikes front loaner since we were unable to get the front back from DMS. We put the rear DMS shocks back on for this event since we heard the rocks could be a challenge. We ended up in first place at the end of the weekend and enough points for me to win the drivers championship. Post mortem of the suspension found the LR shock this time had failed and was leaking fluid badly.
Dave Clark informed me at this event that Jamie Drummond was not going to replace the front strut even after Dave expressed the events leading up to the failure and that it was obvious manufacture defect. This went on with occasional phone conversation between Dave and myself until February of this year. I felt time enough had gone by and I am trying to prep the car for it?s next event. I contacted Jamie Dummond myself. The call lasted almost 18 min and cost me $52 in long distance. I explained how his product served us well to a drivers championship but also lost us the codrivers championship. I told him the conditions over again. He said the shaft in the strut was bent. We both agreed this was caused by us driving 10+ miles with a broken housing. There was no other damage to the car, tire or wheel to have caused the bent shaft before the housing gave way. I told him I can care less about my contingency money I won that I still haven?t received for winning two events. All I wanted form him and his company is to make the situation right! He agreed and told me he would warranty the strut. I thanked him and contacted Dave Clark several days later. Dave stated that what Jamie told him was that he would warranty the housing but would still cost me more that $425 to get my shock back. I was shocked! I let the situation go again.
This past week I contacted Lance who in now the new DMS distributor out of Texas. Lance talked with Jamie Drummond and got the same answer Dave Clark did. I called DMS against my better judgment this after noon and talked with Avon Drummond, Jamie was unavailable. I explained to her my teams dedication to their product and the very high failure rate?three failures in six events?Bilstein none. I told her how frustrated and disappointed I was with their commitment to me the customer. I told her that if this is how they handle customer service that there company will go to hell in the USA. She hung up on me. I called back and she was very offensive with me. I told here I have had no problem owning up to repair and replacement of shocks and parts that I somehow could have caused damage too. I told her I don?t care about the contingency money that hasn?t been paid. I just want the company to make their error right. What upsets me the most in this case is how I have been treated! I had to contact the owner himself, spending $52 on 1 phone call, to have him tell me he will send me a replacement shock because It was probably manufacturing defect. Then not to own up to his promise! I have wasted an unbelievable amount of time and money and I am left feeling frustrated.
I share this information with you the rally community not to drag DMS through the mud, but to inform you how poorly I have been treated as a loyal customer. I have been very happy with the USA support DMS provides?just extremely dissatisfied with the manufacture and owner. I hope for the company?s sake my case is very unique and unusual. I hope you consider what I have been through when you are deciding which suspension to choose for your car. Good luck, I will see you on the Stages!
Jon Hamilton
2002 SCCA ProRally Production Champion Driver
#72 2000 VW Golf TDI
Initial cost was $2500 and I received them from Dave Clark Motorsports. Dave was very helpful and we received the suspension just after SnoDrift. We were looking to improve over the Koni suspension we ran there. The suspension looked great, fit well and felt well during testing. We dialed the car in and prepared for Cherokee Trails. Performance from the start was excellent. You can really feel the DMS work under the car. An annoying ?creak? from the RR suspension plagued our confidence until on stage 7 the upper shock mount gave way and we lost the RR spring and ended up bending the shaft on the DMS shock. Post mortem found what seemed to be a over stressed upper shock mount. After discussing the problem with Dave Clark he suggested we fabricate an axle limiter to solve the problem that occurred. Fair enough I paid to have the shock rebuilt and for a new spring. Cost to me $435
Unfortunately the shock had to be rebuilt in Australia so we would not have it for RIM. I called up Bilstein and had them re-valve some new rear shocks to my specs. Cost to me $300 for the pair these rear shocks worked excellent in conjunction with the DMS springs. I liked them so much the stayed on for RIM, STPR, Maine, and Ojibwe.
After each rally we removed and evaluated the suspension for damage and then reassembled. Things looked great until Ojibwe Forest. The last stage on the first day was a decently long stage. At approximately 8 miles to the end we smelled intense burnt rubber. Of course flat tire comes to mind. We pull over very dumbfounded since Michelin ZE?s don?t normally puncture especially since we had no offs and the road was no all that rough. We changed the flat and forged on. Not more than 1.5 miles later, the same thing! We had to limp the remaining stage miles and then to service. Service found that the DMS strut housing was cracked circumferentially around the weld. We were totally amazed. With the strut housing cracked the car had random camber, most of which was very negative to the point where the tire rubbed the spring. We made it back to headquarters very late and in last place. We immediately handed the strut to a very surprised Dave Clark. We explained the case to him and a dozen or so other teams congregated around the scoring table. Dave assured us that this would be taken care of since it was so blatantly a manufacturing failure. What is unsettling about the incident is that because of our poor performance at Ojibwe Ken fell way behind in the co-driver points where he could not catch first.
We were very lucky to have Mad Mike at the event and he very thankfully loaned us a new DMS front strut to finish the event.
Wild West was our next event and only three week away. We still had Mikes front loaner since we were unable to get the front back from DMS. We put the rear DMS shocks back on for this event since we heard the rocks could be a challenge. We ended up in first place at the end of the weekend and enough points for me to win the drivers championship. Post mortem of the suspension found the LR shock this time had failed and was leaking fluid badly.
Dave Clark informed me at this event that Jamie Drummond was not going to replace the front strut even after Dave expressed the events leading up to the failure and that it was obvious manufacture defect. This went on with occasional phone conversation between Dave and myself until February of this year. I felt time enough had gone by and I am trying to prep the car for it?s next event. I contacted Jamie Dummond myself. The call lasted almost 18 min and cost me $52 in long distance. I explained how his product served us well to a drivers championship but also lost us the codrivers championship. I told him the conditions over again. He said the shaft in the strut was bent. We both agreed this was caused by us driving 10+ miles with a broken housing. There was no other damage to the car, tire or wheel to have caused the bent shaft before the housing gave way. I told him I can care less about my contingency money I won that I still haven?t received for winning two events. All I wanted form him and his company is to make the situation right! He agreed and told me he would warranty the strut. I thanked him and contacted Dave Clark several days later. Dave stated that what Jamie told him was that he would warranty the housing but would still cost me more that $425 to get my shock back. I was shocked! I let the situation go again.
This past week I contacted Lance who in now the new DMS distributor out of Texas. Lance talked with Jamie Drummond and got the same answer Dave Clark did. I called DMS against my better judgment this after noon and talked with Avon Drummond, Jamie was unavailable. I explained to her my teams dedication to their product and the very high failure rate?three failures in six events?Bilstein none. I told her how frustrated and disappointed I was with their commitment to me the customer. I told her that if this is how they handle customer service that there company will go to hell in the USA. She hung up on me. I called back and she was very offensive with me. I told here I have had no problem owning up to repair and replacement of shocks and parts that I somehow could have caused damage too. I told her I don?t care about the contingency money that hasn?t been paid. I just want the company to make their error right. What upsets me the most in this case is how I have been treated! I had to contact the owner himself, spending $52 on 1 phone call, to have him tell me he will send me a replacement shock because It was probably manufacturing defect. Then not to own up to his promise! I have wasted an unbelievable amount of time and money and I am left feeling frustrated.
I share this information with you the rally community not to drag DMS through the mud, but to inform you how poorly I have been treated as a loyal customer. I have been very happy with the USA support DMS provides?just extremely dissatisfied with the manufacture and owner. I hope for the company?s sake my case is very unique and unusual. I hope you consider what I have been through when you are deciding which suspension to choose for your car. Good luck, I will see you on the Stages!
Jon Hamilton
2002 SCCA ProRally Production Champion Driver
#72 2000 VW Golf TDI
