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My experience with Tillman Speed and Granatelli

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Old 12/11/08, 10:54 PM
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My experience with Tillman Speed and Granatelli

I thought I’d share with everyone my most recent purchase experience which involves a couple of vendors that most everyone has heard of on the boards. I want to preface my story with a couple of comments. First, I am not one normally who will mince words when it comes to either complimenting or criticizing a vendor. I worry sometimes that vendors who post on various boards, or who are nice individuals, or who contribute to the website occasionally get a pass when their products or service is not up to par. There seems to be a honeymoon period that may even last forever when a vendor is an active participant. I believe that the best service a board can provide is to allow the participants to post their own experiences with various products so that others can make informed decisions when it comes time to pick a product. Having said that, I also realize that one person’s experience is not everyone’s experience and you cannot categorize a vendor based upon one story alone. More information though is always better and knowledge is power.

I also realize that vendors have a tough job dealing with the broad variety of customers that they service. Purchasers range from master mechanics with decades of installation experience to the first time do-it-yourselfer who may be way over their head. Having spent the last few years working in an IT environment, I can’t count how many times a complaining party, having submitted a lengthy vitriolic rant decrying the quality of a program or piece of equipment, was found to be the primary problem. User error accounted for the majority of issues in my experience. Therefore, I am sure many vendors have to bite their tongues when a customer complains about something they bought and tried to install knowing that the problem might well not be the part, but the person. Now, having pontificated enough let me share you my in-progress story.

A while back I decided it was time to start upgrading my 07 GT/CS. I started by reviewing the various vendors known on the boards for a variety of products. I checked out BMR, Steeda, CHE, American Muscle, Spohn, J&M, FRPP, Stang Suspension, and many other websites comparing products. I gave Chris Rose a call at Tillman Speed to discuss some of my interests. After several long helpful conversations, I decided to purchase a FRPP Bullitt intake, SCT X3 tuner with 3 custom Tillman tunes, Steeda Ultralite springs, Steeda ProAction struts, a Steeda HD upper strut mount, and Granatelli front and rear sway bars. In a separate purchase from CHE, I bought the extreme adjustable panhard bar and brace along with CHE anti-squat brackets, but that isn’t relevant to this review.


Once all of the products arrived, I began my install. I installed the springs, struts, and strut mounts with no problems. Later, I installed the Bullitt CAI and tunes. When I prepared to install the sway bars, I ran into a problem. The front and rear bars that came bore no resemblance to the pictures on the Granatelli website. The front bar had a ˝” welded on collar on each side whereas the Granatelli bar was completely smooth. The rear bar was shaped differently than the Granatelli bar and the ends looked to be mounted the same as a stock bar, or one of the other available aftermarket bars. The Granatelli bars mount differently and have two different holes for adjustability. However, the hardware I received did look to be the Granatelli hardware for their sway bars. Before beginning my install, I did some research and determined that the sway bars were FRPP bars, but the hardware was Granatelli. The sway bars mic’ed out to 35mm for the front and 24mm for the rear. The Granatelli bars are advertised as 1 3/8” for the front and 1” for the rear. Below you can see pictures of the different bars.

After figuring out I had mismatched parts, I decided that maybe it was no big deal. I had planned on purchasing FRPP bars anyway and the only reason I went with the Granatelli was Tillman was having a sale on them. I figured all of the various vendors’ bars would be similar in quality and all would certainly surpass the performance of the stock setup. So, I began installing the front bars. I removed the stock bar and attached the end links to the new front bar. However, when I went to bolt down the two center poly bushings and brackets, the brackets would not line up with the bolts. The brackets were too wide on the bar and could not slide closer together due to the welded on collars. I had to remove everything and put the stock bar back on. I did not bother to try the rear bar since I was forced to clean up the new bar, bushings, and brackets as I had lubricated everything in preparation for installation and I didn’t want to have to clean up even more if the rear bars did not fit either.
I measured the distance between the inside mounting bolts and found them to be 26 inches apart. I then put the provided Granatelli brackets and bushings on the front sway bar and measured the distance from bracket hole to bracket hole center and found it to be 26 ˝ inches. Although the bracket holes are slightly larger, it is not enough to compensate for the ˝ inch.

At this point, I contacted Chris Rose at Tillman to inform him of the problem. This is where dealing with a vendor can become a nightmare, or be resolved satisfactorily, albeit time consuming. My initial dealings regarding this issue were strictly with Chris Rose at Tillman. During my purchasing, I found Chris to be very helpful on the phone answering questions and making recommendations. I don’t think I asked too many questions, but I did try to be thorough. The products came fairly quickly from Tillman and I received e-mails from UPS regularly notifying me as products shipped, when they were scheduled to arrive, and when they confirmed arrival. When I had questions on the installation, Chris took plenty of time on the phone to answer any questions that I had. I even called him as I drove around trying out the different tunes on the car.
I will compliment Chris and Tillman for excellent phone customer phone service. I will say though that when it comes to e-mail responses or private message responses on the forum, there is room for improvement. I believe Chris is probably very busy at the shop.

I also realize that not everyone likes or uses e-mail as extensively as others. I work and live in and around the Silicon Valley so e-mail is a way of life for me. I prefer e-mail for much of my correspondence as it can be archived, re-read as needed, and removes the “I never said that” argument. However, I know lots of people don’t like e-mail, especially some in sales. I would recommend though that this aspect of Tillman’s customer service see some improvement.
When the issue though of the sway bars came up, I found myself calling Chris initially about once a week to see what was going on. Chris said he was trying to communicate with Granatelli to see what had happened. According to Chris, the sway bars and hardware came from Granatelli boxed, which Tillman then forwarded to me without even opening. If this was the case, the mix-up would be on the Granatelli end.

After several weeks of no resolution, Chris admitted that he was not having any luck with resolving it with Granatelli. I asked if I could contact Granatelli myself and see if I could kick-start the process. Chris asked me to wait a bit longer but after another week, encouraged me to do so.
I then sent a comprehensive e-mail to Granatelli to explain my problem. To Granatelli’s credit, two people responded back to me immediately. I began corresponding via e-mail with Joey Granatelli and Alex Clochiatti. Both of these guys have been very cooperative with fixing the problem and respond quickly to any e-mail sent to them directly or via their website. I have boxed up the bars and will be sending back them, along with the hardware, to Granatelli directly at their expense. Joey also offered me an upgrade to the billet front brackets at no charge to compensate me for my headaches. Although Granatelli seemed a bit skeptical of the situation, I believe they will see what I am talking about when the bars and hardware arrive back to them.

Although this event has not come to a close as of yet, I felt I would share with you my experience with Tillman Speed and Granatelli so far. I do not know what the issue was between Tillman and Granatelli that caused such a delay in getting a response and I will let them work that out. I wanted to report though that dealing with both Tillman through Chris Rose, and now e-mailing Joey Granatelli and Alex Clochiatti (do I hear violins in the background?) has been a predominantly positive experience. Both vendors have at least said and done the right things so far to provide good customer service for their products. I was disappointed at the delay in resolving the situation, and I would hope that my experience with receiving mixed up parts is an aberration rather than the norm. However, when these things happen, it truly reveals just how good, or bad, a company really is. A company can make the best products in the world but if they have really poor customer service, the item becomes irrelevant. I will report further on this saga when Granatelli receives the products back and let you know if all promises are fulfilled. So far, two thumbs up for good customer service fromTillman and Granatelli, although admittedly the final chapter has yet to be written.

The first set of bars are the Granatelli's, the second from FRPP, and the last, what I received. Pretty obvious I didn't get Granatelli bars. The two other pictures illustrate the stock measurement of 26" between studs and the 26 1/2" between the brackets on the bar I received.

Attached Thumbnails My experience with Tillman Speed and Granatelli-received-swaybars.jpg   My experience with Tillman Speed and Granatelli-measured-stock.jpg   My experience with Tillman Speed and Granatelli-measured-sent-bars.jpg  
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Old 12/12/08, 12:00 AM
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Jezz, that was a long read to find out that everything is already being taken care of. Simple mistake that probably took slightly longer to fix than need-be, but hey, thats the world we live in. Hope everything works out from here on?
Old 12/12/08, 06:29 AM
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Originally Posted by 07 GT/CS
According to Chris, the sway bars and hardware came from Granatelli boxed, which Tillman then forwarded to me without even opening. If this was the case, the mix-up would be on the Granatelli end.


Sounds like Granatelli simply put the wrong product in the wrong box. I can't imagine a vendor like Tillmans or any other for that matter opens up sealed boxes from manufacturers' to verify what is inside. I'm sure you'll get this worked out to your satisfaction.
Old 12/12/08, 06:56 AM
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Thanks for the info and good luck in getting it all worked out!
Old 12/12/08, 07:50 AM
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Cliff notes LOL??
Old 12/12/08, 07:53 AM
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Crap man.. I thought you were going to tell me that you like the Granatelli CAI after you found something disatisfying about the other. But the time it was evident that you didn't ever have the Granatelli CAI, I was already half way through the story, and too late to turn back. My company doesn't pay me to read only half a story. I need to be thorough.
On a serious note, I've read other posts about Granatelli, including by Joey himself. I have not been left with the impression that don't care about their customers. Much to the contrary. Perhaps Santa will leave me enough cash (after he cleans me out on gifts for the wife and daughter) that I can get my own goodies... I won't hesitate to deal with Granatelli.
Old 12/12/08, 08:09 AM
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You should have got the right product from the begining. I dont know what it is with some vendors when you call them and tell them something is wrong with thier product, they make you feel like they are doing you a favor for fixing thier mistake. I hope everything will work out for you but again they should have taken the time to check the product before it went out to you.
Old 12/12/08, 08:42 AM
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Originally Posted by SlamMan02
Jezz, that was a long read to find out that everything is already being taken care of. Simple mistake that probably took slightly longer to fix than need-be, but hey, thats the world we live in. Hope everything works out from here on?
It is a long read and I was worried about writing too much. However, since the amount of money that many of us are investing in our cars is considerable, I just wanted the information to be out there and available for anyone preparing to spend their hard earned cash. I tried to do as much homework as possible before I made my purchase. I also will update the story as it finishes to let everyone know if Granatelli comes through with what appears to be excellent service so far.
Old 12/12/08, 08:56 AM
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Originally Posted by tom281
Cliff notes LOL??
Somebody at Tillman or Granatelli screwed up my sway bar order. Both companies responded appropriately, Granatelli is trying to make it right so far.
Old 12/12/08, 09:00 AM
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Originally Posted by 300GT
Sounds like Granatelli simply put the wrong product in the wrong box. I can't imagine a vendor like Tillmans or any other for that matter opens up sealed boxes from manufacturers' to verify what is inside. I'm sure you'll get this worked out to your satisfaction.
Interesting though that I got a set of FRPP sway bars with Granatelli hardware. I don't even see FRPP products offered on the Granatelli website so that was an odd twist to the event. I'm wondering if Granatelli's supplier screwed up. It seems Granatelli and Spohn buy their sway bars from the same source as they are identical, at least in appearance and design.
Old 12/12/08, 09:18 AM
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Originally Posted by 07 GT/CS
Interesting though that I got a set of FRPP sway bars with Granatelli hardware. I don't even see FRPP products offered on the Granatelli website so that was an odd twist to the event. I'm wondering if Granatelli's supplier screwed up. It seems Granatelli and Spohn buy their sway bars from the same source as they are identical, at least in appearance and design.
No doubt that is an odd twist. I was simply trying to point out that at some level the vendor needs to trust that the supplier (Granatelli in this case) has put the appropriate product in the appropriate package. I can't imagine CR sitting there in the shop opening every package from every supplier they deal with and taking inventory to make sure all the correct parts are in the box before he ships it out to the customer. If I received a box that had obviously been opened and then resealed I would be inclined to think the vendor was trying to sell me someone else's return instead of a brand new product. So perhaps in this case the problem occured further up the food chain and Granatellis supplier screwed up. It is good to hear that every one you have dealt with so far seems to be trying to make it right.
Old 12/12/08, 09:31 AM
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You are right, I wouldn't expect a re-seller to open each box and confirm the contents. There has to be a level of trust that the box contains what it is supposed to contain.
Old 12/12/08, 12:17 PM
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I wish Granatelli was this responsive when I bought there Super loud rotors a few years back. What junk they are but I'm glad you worked things out.
Old 12/12/08, 01:47 PM
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I wonder who makes them. Did you see the other thread called "new slotted rotors/ceramic. possible problem?"
Old 12/12/08, 02:30 PM
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I wanted to chime here with some personal thoughts

I actually sat in the Tillman speed shop where Chris Rose aka CR works for several hours one day. This young man has the phone sticking out of the side of head from the minute he steps foot in the place. He is in high demand and I think Tillman Speed is lucky to have him. So if he doesn't get back to you in a maner anyone considers timely, I am sure it is because he is buried in phone message hell.

I met the Tillmans and they are very thougthful family run business and I doubt they would ever do anything underhanded and if a product they sold was less than perfect, I am sure they will work to resolve these issues with the supplier like any reputable company.
Old 12/12/08, 04:17 PM
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Originally Posted by zipperhead
I wanted to chime here with some personal thoughts

I actually sat in the Tillman speed shop where Chris Rose aka CR works for several hours one day. This young man has the phone sticking out of the side of head from the minute he steps foot in the place. He is in high demand and I think Tillman Speed is lucky to have him. So if he doesn't get back to you in a maner anyone considers timely, I am sure it is because he is buried in phone message hell.

I met the Tillmans and they are very thougthful family run business and I doubt they would ever do anything underhanded and if a product they sold was less than perfect, I am sure they will work to resolve these issues with the supplier like any reputable company.
+1 on that statement. I've had my car personally tuned by CR at the shop. I live about an hour away (give or take 15 minutes with traffic), and I drove down on a Thursday (my late date for work, as I like to be in my 1 pm). CR got a car off the dyno, and my car in its place, within minutes of me stepping inside. He created a custom tune for my car and got me in and out in less than 2 hours! I got to work by 1 pm, and the car was such a blast to drive on the ride home. I plan on returning in the winter for some more items done to the car (Steeda delete plates Chris ), and maybe even a trial of taking the MVT out of the Airaid intake tube. CR can tune a car with the best of them and I won't hesitate to take my car there. I even display the "custom tuned by Tillman Speed" decal on the back glass.
Old 12/12/08, 05:23 PM
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I concur with his ability to juggle phone calls. Although he is a tad bit lacking in th e-mail department, he more than makes up for it by providing excellent service through the phone. He is patient and helpful and does not rush you off the phone until you have the information you need. I have never had a problem reaching him when I call and I know he probably has a million things going but he takes time to at least stop and answer the phone, which is sometimes uncommon for a company that is always busy.
Old 12/12/08, 05:43 PM
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Very fair analysis of what happened. I wish I could have better helped you out in this situation. I am glad it finally got straightened away. I know it sounds like a lame excuse, but alot of the time the customers actually need to intervene. Manufacturers are usually scared of the retail customers when they start to get mad. They're done trying to please us once we spend that initial few thousand on the buy in! Sad world!

Thanks again for everyone's understanding. We've been extremely busy since we decided to open our second facilities. Here is what's in line business-wise at Tillman Speed and I think you'll notice it's going to change things for the better quite a bit!

1) Fully Functional Online Order System / Website Revamping - By End of January
2) Merging Both Facilities January 1st (Yes, 3 Weeks Away!) to our Dyno Facilities - Will Eliminate Multiple #'s and Commuting Between
3) Another Tech, Another Bay - Alleviate Packed Install Schedule - By End of January
4) Another Phone Sales Rep - Will Have To Train for S197 Knowledge, So Bear With Us!!!

This will free up alot of my schedule, and everyone will see a NEW Tillman Speed by February 1st 09 (GRAND REOPENING)! Again THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Jeff, Rusty, Paul, Alex, Drew, all of our regular supporters! We appreciate it and will ABSOLUTELY take care of everyone once we've gone through this transitional phase. We didn't know that we'd still be moving in to our facilities a full YEAR after it's grand opening!

Chris Rose
Tillman Speed Inc.
www.TillmanSpeed.com
610-497-5776
Old 12/12/08, 05:46 PM
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Originally Posted by TillmanSpeed
Very fair analysis of what happened. I wish I could have better helped you out in this situation. I am glad it finally got straightened away. I know it sounds like a lame excuse, but alot of the time the customers actually need to intervene. Manufacturers are usually scared of the retail customers when they start to get mad. They're done trying to please us once we spend that initial few thousand on the buy in! Sad world!

Thanks again for everyone's understanding. We've been extremely busy since we decided to open our second facilities. Here is what's in line business-wise at Tillman Speed and I think you'll notice it's going to change things for the better quite a bit!

1) Fully Functional Online Order System / Website Revamping - By End of January
2) Merging Both Facilities January 1st (Yes, 3 Weeks Away!) to our Dyno Facilities - Will Eliminate Multiple #'s and Commuting Between
3) Another Tech, Another Bay - Alleviate Packed Install Schedule - By End of January
4) Another Phone Sales Rep - Will Have To Train for S197 Knowledge, So Bear With Us!!!

This will free up alot of my schedule, and everyone will see a NEW Tillman Speed by February 1st 09 (GRAND REOPENING)! Again THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Jeff, Rusty, Paul, Alex, Drew, all of our regular supporters! We appreciate it and will ABSOLUTELY take care of everyone once we've gone through this transitional phase. We didn't know that we'd still be moving in to our facilities a full YEAR after it's grand opening!

Chris Rose
Tillman Speed Inc.
www.TillmanSpeed.com
610-497-5776
Hey Chris, glad to help out. I LOVE the decal on the car! Hey CR, since February 1st is a Sunday, any chance of an impromptu Car Show at the shop, to celebrate the "ReOpening" if the weather cooperates? I'm game if others are?
Old 12/12/08, 08:12 PM
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I wish I had a shop closer that was involved as Tillman, Brenspeed and Bamachips. As for vendors... I need money to deal with them.


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