Susp/steering plan= replace all on 1999 blaz

So thinking just replacing all the parts, but got a question on control arms.

1. Do they really wear out or just the bushings ?

2. Is it faster for install to buy loaded arms with ball joints?

3. Where is the best place to buy parts and not break the bank, but have a decent part? Autozone / Pep Boys / O'Reilly / Car Quest ????

 

1. Bushings/ball joints generally. They could become rusted or bent though.
2. Yes, bushings are a bit of a PITA to change.
3. I do online mostly.

 

The bushings and ball joints are what wears. If the arm is undamaged (not bent), it will not "wear" in normal use.

Installation is much quicker and easier with "loaded" arms. The down side is you don't always know exactly what quality parts are "loaded" into the "loaded control arm."

If you want quicker installation, and you have time to do some "leg work," you can also get a second pair of arms at a pull it yourself yard or from on car-part.com (an online network of yards where they pull it and sometimes ship it). Order your joints and bushings online, run the arm and parts by an automotive machine shop, then take your own "loaded" arms to the mechanic.

For vehicles I deal with a lot, I keep an extra set of control arms around, and some other things that are easier to swap as assemblies "loaded with new parts." When I know I'm going to have to do one of these jobs, I order parts and take care of the "loading" before the final "assembly swap day."

I buy lots of stuff from RockAuto.com, some from Amazon, occasionally from a few trusted eBay vendors. I also comparison shop on Jegs, Summit Racing, JC Whitney and Speedway Motors for some items. Sometimes "high performance" or "hot rod" parts are better/cheaper than stock replacements. Lower Intake manifold bolts are a good example for that. ARP Stainless bolt kits are less than most places charge for "standard" bolt kits.

For fluids and things that can't be shipped economically (or at all), I use the local O'Reilly a lot, and CarQuest some. CarQuest is also my go-to for "Ooops, I forgot" or "I need it right freaking now and RockAuto won't email the part to me" parts.

 

I support my local parts stores. The big box stores ( oreilly, napa, advance auto, ect.) will match each others prices for the same part. The difference I've found is with their warranty. One store will have a 1 year while another will have a lifetime warranty. I warranty shop when I buy parts. Keep a folder with receipts and write on the cover what parts and store. Store the folder in a cool place. Heat will make the ink on an autozone receipt disappear. I used to store them in my console but I wound up with blank pieces of paper after a couple years.

 

I know what your saying...
I think they invented self erasing ink for receipts...Lol
So I scan all mine now.

 

Rusty,

Napa has both company owned stores and locally owned franchises. My local one is a franchise, and I'd shop there more if the owner didn't screw me over many years ago.

And for everyone, if people are paying you for labor, that's "business." There are advantages to setting up a business/commercial account with your local parts source(s) if you are being paid for labor.

Some of my work is on "personal" vehicles. That's vehicles that I own, my wife owns, or certain family members and friends of limited means own. Those people are the ones who don't pay for my labor, and are price sensitive on parts. For those jobs, RockAuto and Amazon are the source of choice, based on price.

Routine maintenance items I also tend to get at RockAuto or other online sources, but I look for/wait for "wholesale closeout" deals on those. For example, I pay <$1.50 per wiper blade and <$2.00 per oil filter. I do tell the manager/buyer at my local CarQuest if I find CarQuest filters on online for super deals (after I buy some for myself). He buys some on there as well, especially if it's half what he pays CarQuest for the same filters. I guess in a way, that's "supporting my local source."

It's different for family members, friends and neighbors who have the means to pay for my labor. That's business. For people who pay me for labor in addition to parts, I'm far more likely to go to CarQuest (I also used to get some at the local Napa franchise as well). I'm set up as a business/commercial account with CarQuest. The benefit of that is that when I have a warranty issue, not only do they replace the part, but we fill out some paperwork, and I get paid (eventually) for the labor to replace the warrantied part that failed. It's even better that the parts don't fail. I think I've made maybe 3 warranty claims at CarQuest in the past 10-12 years.

Which brings me to the "warranty shopping." When comparing warranties, and parts quality, ask the folks at the store how hard it is to get a warranty replacement, and whether labor is covered by the labor. If you're shopping for a water pump, and you ask how the warranty works and the guy/gal says, "it's no problem, we replace warranty parts all the time," that's not quite as good as the place where the guy/gal says "It's been so long since I did one, I don't remember exactly. There's some paperwork for the claim, but it's not that bad." Obviously a warranty that covers labor is far superior to a warranty that just replaces the part.

Many "lifetime parts" at the big discount chains are overpriced crap. The price is twice (or more) what it should be for the quality and origin of the parts, partly because they figure you're going to be back for the second one under warranty, so they better get that money up front.

If one place has a water pump with a 1 year warranty, and when you ask how many they've replaced under warranty, they say, "Maybe 1 or 2 in the last 3 years," that's very likely a better part than the "lifetime part" where "we replace them all the time under warranty, it's easy."

Oh and the main reason I buy fluids and a few items at O'Reily or Advance is because those places take used oil. There are laws requiring anyone selling motor oil and other lubricants to recycle and accept used oil for recycling from their customers. The big national chains have to accept used oil to comply with those laws, but the local CarQuest franchise is exempt because they are a "small business" with only one location and few enough employees.

 

I'm not comparing timken, delco, delphi, moog, bwg (borg warner), or trw to the store name parts. My comment on warranty shopping was more directed at re-manufactured parts. Parts that have a core charge. God only knows who assembled it out of parts from other cores whose components fell within specs. When I needed an encoder motor everybody had a re-manufactured one in stock for $140. Oreilly was the only one with a lifetime warranty.

Them charging twice as much has not been my experience. My 16 year old front CV boots are cracking. Online CV shafts cost $60. Local lifetime warranty CV shafts cost $90. That receipt goes in my folder for when the new boots leak grease.

I've never had a problem getting warranty parts honored. I brought a 12 year old Murray's receipt and a worn out gatorback belt to oreillys. The manager explained they don't carry goodyear belts anymore and offered me a Gates belt. I said it's gatorback or nothing and they refunded my cash. I bought another gatorback somewhere else and spent the change on a cheeseburger on my way home.

Don't trust what the salespeople behind the counter say. Murray's employees said we keep track of warranty info. on our computers don't worry about the receipt. When they were bought out by oreillys no records remained. They honor murrays warranty with a receipt only.