Topic: Done with RockAuto - Never Again

[EV Dan]

I was looking up this serpentine belt 25212-37182 for a Santa Fe V6 2.7L 2005 the other day. While apparently you can save a couple of bucks with RA why not get an OEM part? The genuine thing on amazon.ca goes for under 40 bucks all in delivered. There is also a dealer in Pembroke ON www.hyundaioemparts.ca selling for a little more if you prefer buying locally.

[ChaosphereIX]

RA usually has good prices for my stuff, but once you factor in the stupid shipping, it is not nearly as attractive, and often more expensive than sourcing locally.

YMMV, still like them.

[heidi67]

I'm with the OP on this. 3 orders with them and 2 had some kind of issue.

[Seafoam]

Of course you are.

[ChaosphereIX]

Of course you are.

Yup, can they at least be a little tactful. Not very subtle.

[TheHire]

Of course you are.

 

[blur911]

RA usually has good prices for my stuff, but once you factor in the stupid shipping, it is not nearly as attractive, and often more expensive than sourcing locally.

YMMV, still like them.

I usually wait and order as many items as possible at once.

Lining up their shipping from the same place sometimes saves money, spend $2 more on the part, save $10 shipping.
I still try to support my local parts shops, but not to a huge hit on my wallet.

[ChaosphereIX]

RA usually has good prices for my stuff, but once you factor in the stupid shipping, it is not nearly as attractive, and often more expensive than sourcing locally.

YMMV, still like them.

I usually wait and order as many items as possible at once.

That is the problem, when I do that it ships from all over, and charges separate shipping for each warehouse it ships from.

[tortoise]

Two years ago I ordered lower control arms for the Highlander from Rock Auto, AC Delco Professional, that came with a lifetime warranty.

When I was changing out the tires I noticed the bushings for both control arms are done.  I presume it was an old part and the rubber had deteriorated.

In order to get a replacement part under the warranty the old ones need to be shipped back to RockAuto.   I think I knew this, but it sucks.  And I can only replace the parts with the same part, which given how quickly this one failed, I'm not so keen to do. Also, a good chunk of the money from the warrantied parts will go towards shipping it back.

So I'll either just replace the bushings, order a different part, or go through the shipping hassle. Leaning towards the first two, depending on what the shop suggests.

[blur911]

Two years ago I ordered lower control arms for the Highlander from Rock Auto, AC Delco Professional, that came with a lifetime warranty.

When I was changing out the tires I noticed the bushings for both control arms are done.  I presume it was an old part and the rubber had deteriorated.

In order to get a replacement part under the warranty the old ones need to be shipped back to RockAuto.   I think I knew this, but it sucks.  And I can only replace the parts with the same part, which given how quickly this one failed, I'm not so keen to do. Also, a good chunk of the money from the warrantied parts will go towards shipping it back.

So I'll either just replace the bushings, order a different part, or go through the shipping hassle. Leaning towards the first two, depending on what the shop suggests.

That sucks.   From what I heard recently by people in the businesss is that unfortunately the brand AC Delco now equals Chinese junk.

[tortoise]

Yeah, I had thought that getting the "Professional" line would have been a safe bet.   

These were definitely made in China.  Interestingly, I also got the AC Delco Professional ball joint.  It was a quality piece made in Japan.  So you don't really know what you're getting.

The real is that these are hard to swap out because you need to remove an engine mount to get to the control arm bolts, and then get an alignment.  So it's ~$500 in labour to swap both.

[Firm]

Yeah, control arms are a shitty job for what they are, no way around it. The alignment thing is the worst, not even a way to do it efficiently at home so you're stuck paying a shop to do it....and then hope they get it right.

Those bushings look terrible though, and I am surprised because I've got some cars that are 20-30 years old and the original control arm bushings are fine. Any chance the shocks or springs are bad on the vehicle? Might be causing a lot more motion at the bushings than they were designed for.   

[tortoise]

The springs seem fine.  The shocks are original and likely due for replacement.  That said, the ride does not seem overly floaty, but that could be masked by it being a Highlander.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Is an alignment needed anytime you replace a lower control arm? 

I had a lower control arm replaced on the Civic last year, and didn't have an alignment done Seems fine.  Could it be because it's a Macpherson strut, and therefore doesn't need any alignment when a control arm is replaced?

[tortoise]

Maybe not, but it seems silly not to after replacing suspension components on both sides.

[EV Dan]

What are the OEM part numbers?

[blur911]

Yeah, control arms are a shitty job for what they are, no way around it. The alignment thing is the worst, not even a way to do it efficiently at home so you're stuck paying a shop to do it....and then hope they get it right.

Those bushings look terrible though, and I am surprised because I've got some cars that are 20-30 years old and the original control arm bushings are fine. Any chance the shocks or springs are bad on the vehicle? Might be causing a lot more motion at the bushings than they were designed for.

I've seen bushing torn because they were tightened in at the wrong spot.  Rubber bushings don't slide, they are clamped in and flex the rubber, if clamped in at the wrong angle when being installed then they are already flexed when you put the car on it's wheels and the control arm moves to it's resting spot.
Polyurethane bushings slide...and squeak.  Can't win.

[tortoise]

What are the OEM part numbers?

480680E010 & 480690E010

OEM parts were 4x the price.

[Firm]

Yeah, control arms are a shitty job for what they are, no way around it. The alignment thing is the worst, not even a way to do it efficiently at home so you're stuck paying a shop to do it....and then hope they get it right.

Those bushings look terrible though, and I am surprised because I've got some cars that are 20-30 years old and the original control arm bushings are fine. Any chance the shocks or springs are bad on the vehicle? Might be causing a lot more motion at the bushings than they were designed for.

I've seen bushing torn because they were tightened in at the wrong spot.  Rubber bushings don't slide, they are clamped in and flex the rubber, if clamped in at the wrong angle when being installed then they are already flexed when you put the car on it's wheels and the control arm moves to it's resting spot.
Polyurethane bushings slide...and squeak.  Can't win.

Yeah, you're suppose to tighten them with the car's weight on the suspension. I am assuming install is not the issue here, but it could be.

[tortoise]

If the rubber wasn't so obviously deteriorated I would think it was the installation.  But given how cracked it is, and my positive experience with the shop over the last 15 years, I'm going with defective part.