Yeah, the LCA's are a huge upgrade from my shitty FE1 LCA's...lighter, stronger...CAB's I'm not sure I'd do, but it was a thought I had.

I won't be doing anything major though. I think I'll wait and see how far I get with everything, but I will for sure do the front sway and endlinks, hopefully down the road the LCA's themself as the stock FE1 CAB's seem to have issues as well. So the FE5 stock ones as is would be so much better. That's probably going to be the extent of my front suspension.

I'll just watch the forums for those parts to be for sale...all the part-outs I keep asking about those things so far no luck though. I just want to make sure I get my endlinks replaced while I've got my suspension being changed. I can deal with the front sway later this summer when I have more time and money.

I need to be studying for my exam tomorrow...Culligan Bottled Water is part of IBWA (International Bottled Water Association) and they have a certification for Plant Operators. I have the exam tomorrow (3rd time taking it...last time was almost 3 years ago). I know so much more now than I did the first 2 times I took it and I only missed by 3 or 5 questions the last time so I better get it this time. My 5 year anniversary there was last Sunday and so if I pass this I will get a decent little raise which I need plus I have my review due now (my boss is always behind on that stuff), but if I get the Certified Plant Operator stuff out of the way, then my raise for my review will be more since it's percentage based on what I make (and 1.5% or 2% is going to be more with the certification on it than it would be now).

So I need to be getting to bed soon, but I need to cram a little more first.

 

/\ So do you deliver Culligan out to companies (drive the truck around) or are you more on the business side of things?

 

When I started, I loaded the route trucks, then went to production after a year/year and a half. Stayed there for about a year. All of 08 and the beginning of 09 I became a Route Sales guy. I later was lucky enough to stick with the company when they downsized from 13 to 10 routes. I became relief at first, but I didn't like it and fucked around and they were going to let me go, but my supervisor and boss from the warehouse said they wanted me back so I got to stay part of the company. I basically got lucky twice. Since then, I've been back in production. I'm one of the guys making the water...run the bottle wash, in charge of QC, make sure the final product is what it should be, help with all maintenance and repairs needed for our equipment. Between the 3 of us back there, there isn't anything we can't fix ourselves. We have to have our electrician from outside and a plumber from Minnetonka Culligan available to help us with certain things, but we can take care of everything ourselves. I'm hoping to go to school down the road for Electrical Engineering and then I'll be able to work on our Fanuc Robot as well.

Was nice having my own route though...first year I only made $38k, but it's commission based...all routes have a base of equal customers/water delivered so they are guaranteed around $40-45k starting and sales and other stuff will get you unlimited potential...our top 3 are over $75k a year. I only made $38k because less than 6 months after starting I lost Aveda Corp in Blaine (that was a HUGE account..they went all green and got rid of bottled water, otherwise I would've made the $45k mark). Anyway...a number of route guys think I can get another shot at it down the road if I keep with the company and don't **** around again. They use me to run relief when they are missing people so they still trust me to do it and I can get the job done, but I will just have to wait for the opportunity to come. Until then I plan to learn ALL areas of the job I'm in which means CPO and cooler department (cleaning and repair)....that's the only thing I haven't been able to do yet because we are short handed.

Great small company when I started, but since our GM has since retired and they brought in the **** who thinks he's our GM, things have changed a lot. It's not the same as it used to be. We used to be one of those places where you could have a beer or two at lunch and there would be no problem. We had company parties with alcohol, we had "No Sick Dinners" that would be 3 times a year at a fancy restaurant where we could bring a guest and it was probably $100 per person or more. The new GM nixed that as well. So now we all take sick time as much as we need..the company has to pay WAY more for us being sick 1 day than they did to treat us for not being sick...my first 2 years I was only sick 1 day because of Strep Throat...also out for funeral leave for my dad and my daughter but they didn't count that against me. In the past 3 years, I've probably used 4 weeks of sick time all together because there's no incentive not to use it. If I don't feel good or my kid is sick, I am going to use it without a second thought. The new GM just wants to make a name for himself. The more money he saves the company, the more money goes in his pocket come bonus time. He is even working on trying to turn our routes from commission to hourly and make them just delivery drivers because I think he feels threatened that they can make so much. The problem with that is they have incentive to get their routes done and make sales...if they make an hourly wage, they will not care about getting things done as quick as possible. Plus he's a huge proponent of alcohol so that puts a damper on even our yearly company party/picnic. We have had a Christmas party or summer picnic every year, but he will only allow one now at a place that doesn't have alcohol...WTF is that? It's a company party, but if we want to buy our own drinks, that shouldn't affect anything. He is the reason our old Sales Manager quit as well. And the new one is a younger version of him which sucks ass.


Sorry, now I'm ranting...lol. I'm done.

 

$75k a year for selling water. Jesus christ.

 

Yeah, and with getting tossed back to my current position I'm only at about $30k. I took quite the pay cut. Once I pass this test (tomorrow) and I have a review, I should be looking at almost $32k for the year. That's why I picked up the second job at Domino's. My boss wasn't the one that wanted me to start so low hourly when I came back, that was the GM's decision.

I started at $12/hour. $12.50 after 1 year. $12.75 after 2 years. Went to routes and started at $14/hour, then switched to commission. Then when I got bumped down to relief I was at $15/hr. Now I'm sitting at $13.10/hour...nice kick in the nuts there...4 years and only $1.10 more than when I started. That's why I'm looking forward to passing this test tomorrow and getting the raise for that and for my review. I will be back up to about $14. Still not great, but better than before. If by the time my 7 year anniversary comes (and I'm still working there) and I'm not back up to a livable wage or working in routes again, I will find something else. With a Class B CDL, multiple skills, and certifications I can easily find something that will pay me $15-17/hour starting. I just like the small business atmosphere...we have less than 45 employees.


Of course in Aug. I have 2 401k loans that will be done with and that will give me an extra $150+ per paycheck and that will definitely help us out. I'm going to keep the Domino's job for as long as I can though because it's such easy money. In the 2 months I've been there, I've worked 102 hours. I've made over $1200 in cash (unclaimed tips). I've made $750 gross in hourly pay as well...netted $600 of that because I've claimed credit card tips which make my total gross $1100 since I've started there. Basically I'm making an extra $1000 a month or so and I'm putting in 10-15 hours a week.

 

Mike, maybe bad news for lca's
https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/suspension-67/im-pissed-f%2A-kin-control-arms-210828/

You should ask John Powell about how you can get good suspension. Maybe you'll have to just get all SC/SS parts.

 

My plan was to go with SS/SC FE5 LCA's from the beginning. Don't the CAB's work in the SS/SC LCA's? Or are the SS/TC LCA's the only ones that are aluminum? According to OTTP's site for the CAB's it just states: "These are designed for FE5 aluminum control arms. If you are unsure of which arms you have please ask."

Maybe I am in need of more reading. I thought the SS/SC control arms were aluminum as well.

 

Mike, would you be interested in ss/sc knuckles? ...I think they are different from yours.

I may be looking to sell mine soon


...And for those of you meet up the the ladies tonight, I want pics and details

Good luck guys!!!

Chris you better tax some ass

 

lol... I believe we are hitting up the Mermaid in Mounds View tonight... Me and Devin will be there for sure.... not sure about the rest of you gents...

 

What time you guys hitting it up?

 

mike - the cabs fit both, its just the part where the linkage goes is .03 or something bigger on the TC lca. otherwise I think they are the same.

I just bought twm shifter bushings and a hahn catted down pipe today

 

Not sure, still trying to figure that out. I just texted my cousin and I'm still at work until 7...

 

sounds like its gonna get late ...if my ass didn't have to get up at 3am for work tomorrow Id come out make the ladies laugh a little

 

Anyone going to be out on uni tonight?

 

Whats crackin playaz!!

 

I raced and beat some Turbo Civic today, he was only down about half a car up to 100, then i had numerous car lengths up to 120 when i stopped. I needz MOAR HP!!!! Time to order parts!

 

Full exhaust is what you want PRND3L...at least get headers.

Jeff, I may be wrong, but from my understanding the knuckles on FE1, FE3, FE5 SS/SC are all the same, SS/TC changed. Again, I might be wrong, but I'm not interested in upgrading my knuckles...at least not right now.

P, I didn't know for sure if the SC and TC LCA's both worked with the CAB's or not. I probably won't be upgrading any of that stuff this year. I think I'm just going to do my exhaust and save money to pay my car off. I'm starting to think maybe I need to be a little more responsible with my money.

I have Motor Trend in hand that says something about Cruze SS possibly having an AWD system and possibly using the LNF...something similar to what the Regal GS will offer. If that's the case, I may want to save my money for one of those.

 

Save up about 40K to dump into the Cruze and you'll one of these \/

 

That's cool with me. I'll just save everything I can for the next 4 years...it sounds like a sedan SS wouldn't come out until probably 2014 anyway.

 

by 2014 there will be a better car :/

 

Probably...by 2014, maybe I can pick up a nice used Camaro SS or a really cheap Sky RL/Solstice GXP.

I'm just bummed because I didn't get to see Matt's Goat running or get a chance to learn to drive stick in it...would've been a fun way to learn with that 6-puck in it....lol.

 

Anyone Gunna go down to uni tonight? Should be pretty good down there i am prob around 8.

 

I have plans down around the southern burbs so I'll swing by on my way home. It may be pretty late though.

 

ight ill prob be down there

 

In the china lot?