Billion Dodge, Bozeman MT?

[Ted Constantine]

Does any one have any experience with J. Billion Dodge in Bozeman, MT. I just moved to Bozeman and they are going to be working on my truck in a week(hanging caliper). Just looking for praise or worning.



thanks

Ted

 

[BC]

Ted,



I lost my trannie in Bozeman last year at about this time. I was on my way back to GA. My trannie let go about 25 miles west of Bozeman. I was able to limp to the KOA campground not far from Billion Dodge. I was there for three weeks.



When I was on the side of the interstate trying to figure out how bad my trannie was (it was a total loss) several fellas pulled over to see if I needed help. Both told me to take it to Billion.



The next morning I limped my 3500 into Billion. They said I had fried my trannie and it would have to be replaced. I also called 4 or 5 trannie shops.



I ended up having Bozeman Transmission do the work. They are about 2 or 3 miles from Billion.



I liked Billion. They knew their stuff. They knew something about Bombing a Dodge.



Before I left for my trip out west I was concerned about the trannie failing. I was pulling a 14,500lb 5er with my automatic. I had decided that if my trannie failed I would have the trannie rebuilt, and replace the torque converter with a Proloc torque converter bought from Suncoast.



Anyway, the Service Mgr at Billion Dodge told me they could redo my trannie and gave me a price. It was high. I told him that I knew how I wanted the trannie rebuilt. He told me that his way was the best way and any other method would be something less. I got cocky... after all, he was just a Dodge Service Manger while I was a TDR member, what could he know! There are times I'm such a dumb a$$. Turns out Billion used a Prolock Torque Converter... not the OEM tc. He also had several ideas about how to increase h. p.



Ted, I had Bozeman Transmission do my rebuild. They were cheaper and I figured all they did all day long was rebuild trannies. Plus, just before I left for my trip the local Dodge dealership had burned me on a brake job. So I was none too happy with Dodge dealerships.



Billion Dodge was a good dealership. It was highly recommended by everyone I talked to. Don't think you will have any problems with them. They also know something about Bombing.



As for my trannie, the breakdown happened at 93k. I've pulled lots since then and am at 124k. Not one problem. The Proloc tc made a huge difference in how our 3500 pulls.



Hope this helps.



Bill Cook

 

[illflem]

I stopped in at Billion in July to pick up an AT filter and gasket. The parts man retrieved the parts without looking up the parts numbers, they were the right parts. That says something positive about the parts man. The shop seemed busy and there were a few CTDs there. This is my only experience with them, it wasn't as bad as it could be.

 

[WyoJim]

JC Billion SUCKS

Ted, You will likely have to find out yourself after all these glowing reports. JC Billion used to do work on my 1993 until I caught them billing me without doing the work.



First time was on an oil change, grease job. They never put the grease gun on the fittings and I took it back. Then they greased it and I thought, what the h*ll, any body could have forgot.



The second time I paid them to replace the clutch throw out bearing before I went on a trip to Wyoming. On the trip it started acting up again and got worse and worse so I had a little repair shop in Grebull pull the clutch out and we looked at it. Since I had replaced the OEM bearing with a NAPA once before we could tell by the wear it was the one I had put in. They billed me for a pilot bearing also and the one we took out was wore too bad to have just been replaced. Turned out the problem was the clutch its self, so we replaced it all this time. NO more problem.



They had a policy that if you did not buy your truck there, they would work on it, but if some one brought a vehicle in that was bought there they wheeled yours out side and worked on the one that just came in. Didn't matter if you were sitting in the waiting room.



There was a little repair shop at 4 corners that I had do most of my work, and I had real good luck with him. A one man operation. I have to come to Bozeman Thursday and I will see if he is still there. He is kind of out in a field and difficult to find. BUT I can recommend him. Hang loose a few days.



There is another negative here on Dave Fritzes web site http://dodgeram.org/buying_info/survey_dealer/MT/Billion.htm



Jim Mackey

 

[SteveH]

Hi Ted,

I live about 1 1/2 hours down the road from Bozeman and have heard stories about JC Billion for 16 years. A friend of mine worked for JC Billion and quit because of "shady" dealings. There are just as many good stories as there are bad ones, like any other business. I've never heard a good story about the Ford dealership there, but hopefully you will not be needing them anyway. We have an excellent Cummins dealership as well as a really good 5 Star DC dealership (Montana Dodge) in Billings. I'll be making the trip to Bozeman today and again on Thursday. Welcome to MT!

Steve H

 

[Ted Constantine]

guys, thanks for the heads up. I have to have brake warrenty work done the right front caliper is hanging and it has been for a while. The dealership I went to in New York looked three times at the excess brake dust (huge) on that wheel and a squeak which is now obviously that brake. they said everything is normal. But they also did not have the technical abilities to instal an exhaust brake. I actually asked the service manager once if i should ever come to them for service or just go to cummins becuase they don't know enough to work on the truck. Needless to say he did not respond.



The guys at billion seemed very knowledgable. They knew what was wrong, parts numbers without looking and that they needed to order the parts without checking the computer. they also said they had done the same thing to another truck the day before.



WYOJIM, if this mechanic is still in Bozeman and you trust him I would love to make the connection. My friends and I modify all sorts of vehicles and a good local to bail us out would be great.



Any on you who said you would be in Bozeman soon drop me an email.



Thanks

Ted

 

[WyoJim]

Bozeman

Steve, I lived in Bozeman for 11 years, what a rip.



Had the Ford dealer there replace the leaking pan gasket and leaking differential gasket on my ford 4X4. We owned a motel at the time and when I picked it up I only had to drive it a few blocks. The next day it wouldn't go into gear. I checked the transmission oil (auto) and it was empty. They hadn't put any in it. I called them and they sent a guy down to fill it up. Later I got to thinking, if he didn't put any in the transmission he probably didn't the rear end either. I crawled under and checked it. Sure enough he didn't. I called them and they said they could not get to it until the first of the week. That was on friday of the 4th of July week end. The following tuesday they handled it. Oh Well.



I bought my current Dodge at Montana Dodge in Billings and have had them do work on it to my complete satisfaction. So far I would rate them A+ in both sales and service. They were within $300 of Dave Smith when I bought it and I couldn't see going all the way to Idaho for $300.



Ted, I will check on that shop for you. I have found that when you find a good knowledgeable one they are far and away ahead of a dealer facility, even if the dealer is good, because their shop rate is usually considerably less. I think Montana Dodge is around $70 per hour (not sure). I use a superb little shop here in Greybull WY who's shop rate is $38 per hour. He put a Bill K. valve body in my transmission when he serviced it. No charge to install the valve body. Try beating that at a Dodge dealer.



Ted, one more thing. Your brake problem might not be warrantied. They have some loop holes in the warranty. My clutch wasn't warrantied.

 

[SteveH]

WyoJim,

I have spent countless hours racing sno machines up at Meadowlark Lake. Used to go in the little sports store there in Graybull and ogle at the elk they have on the wall, pick up horns but some of the biggest I have ever seen. Dead Sweede & Big Goose Creek were a couple of our favorites & the middle fork of the Powder River had some of the best trout fishing I have ever seen. Love them Big Horns! I lived in Cody for 6 years before moving to Laurel.

Ted, looked like somebody is trying to burn you out there in Bozeman. We drove up to Hylite Res. today and the Paradise Valley fire is only one ridge from getting into the Hylite drainage. It was awesome. Bring some weiners, Doc.

Steve H

 

[Ted Constantine]

Ya steve it looks pretty warm over there. The smoke plume is impressive. Seems like we are catching up to less year quickly.



Jim, The only thing that might not be warrentied are the pads. If that is the case, after dc has screwed up the diagnosis three times, the SH&* is going to go down. I am planing on making sure everything is alright when they are done. Or may be try some of those iron claw copper top pads that Joe Donnelly wrote up in the newest issue.



On my last truck, the first brake job was new calipers, rotors and pads and all I paid for was pads. I will remain optimistic.



Ted

 

[WyoJim]

Mechanic Disappeared

Ted,

The shop at 4 corners that I had do my work has changed hands and my mechanic has disappeared. I do remember now that he was having back problems at the time. That was back in '98. Sorry about that.

WyoJim

 

[Ted Constantine]

thanks for the effort Jim



ted

 

[Ted Constantine]

All went well

Guys,



Thanks for the warning and advise. The truck went in today and they was very slow but good. I got a new calpier, both rotors turned, pads, etc and ALL on warrenty. I will say that they cannot find people to work for them and are very under staffed.



Ted