Rock Auto - No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

[matuva]

I've been buying at Rockauto till several years now.

I had sometimes to complain myself about some, let's say, poor packaging, but I can tell that the staff is helpful and always worked to find the best solution, or at least the most affordable solution for both parties.

I still trust Rockauto, and will still recommend them.

 

[Acesneights1]

You are best to call rockauto. They are very slow and unresponcive to e-mails. A phone call does much better from my experance with them. Summit racing is the very best i've delt with for customer service period. They order the pick-up of the wrong or defective part and have the new one on it's way the same day. Rockauto did ok after I called them.

X2. I buy from Summit whenever possible.

 

[btfarm]

Here's what I e-mailed to them:

Hi,
You guys might do well to look at this thread from the forum The Truck Stop. I am a moderator (btfarm) and we have many members that are your loyal customers. Here's the link:
http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/showthread.php?25688-Rock-Auto-No-Good-Deed-Goes-Unpunished

Thanks for looking,
Mike

Here's the reply I got today:


Hi Mike,
Thank you for sending this over! I'll make sure it gets forwarded to the right person to address it.


Thank you,
Megan Schultz
RockAuto Product Manager
phone: (608) 661-1376
fax: (608) 836-5694
toll-free: 1-866-ROCKAUTO (1-866-762-5288)
http://www.rockauto.com

Can't hurt...

 

[Matt Bachand]

Well done, can only help.

If everyone complains amongst, but never reports the problem, it never gets fixed.

 

[Big T]

Well here's another update. Had the truck aligned and have been driving it around, towing the boat on weekends, fishing, doing the stuff the truck is intended for. As I'm doing an oil change in preparation to take a much needed road camping trip with the wife and dogs, I find this mess (this is after I cleaned it up some) on the driver's side CV axle:

I can't find the leak. Can't see a cut or tear in the boot, but I can hear air come out when I squeeze it. I sent an e-mail with the picture to Rockauto. I'll borrow the son's '95 'Burb for the trip.

My question is how do I remove the steering knuckle from the ball joints without using the pickle fork? I don't want to tear the boots on the new ball joints.

I've been really hog tied with equipment issues this year, both trucks and boat. The gouge on my index finger from last working on the front end hasn't even completely healed. One thing is certain, them damn bolts that hold the wheel bearing hub should be easier to get out this time

 

[fastjohnny]

I've always changed out the axles by dropping them from the front diff, then sliding them inward. No need to pull anything off the hub except the axle nut.

 

[Matt Bachand]

I've always changed out the axles by dropping them from the front diff, then sliding them inward. No need to pull anything off the hub except the axle nut.

x2

its a flush mount so once those bolts are broken free it can slide straight down, with some bending and fighting of the cv boot it replaced.

IIRC its just a CH away from being simple. I seem to remember it barely catching somewhere and making it a bear.

 

[Big T]

x2

its a flush mount so once those bolts are broken free it can slide straight down, with some bending and fighting of the cv boot it replaced.

IIRC its just a CH away from being simple. I seem to remember it barely catching somewhere and making it a bear.

Silly me for pulling a brain fart! The CH brought it all into perspective.:hihi: Funny how male speak can cut right to the chase. Thanks!

 

[jrsavoie]

remove the upper ball joint and loosen the sway bar link to the max, but I leave the nut on. Unbolt the shock bottom.

It is easier if you pull the bearing assembly and reinstall it after you install the axle assembly. But not mandatory

 

[chevyCowboy]

i can swap one of them cv's out in about 45 min. i used to break alot of them (6) on my old blue gasser going places i shouldnt have and it seems that every truck i buy they are worn out on iv had to replace them on the 93, 88, and the 00 will need them.
i just take the wheel off pull the axle nut off, unbolt from the diff and then you have to manuver the flange around a little to wiggle it out of there but you get the clearance and it will slide right out.

 

[Big T]

So I worked out a warranty solution with RockAuto on this. I purchased another reman axle, and return the old one (they pay shipping) and then they will credit everything back once they receive the failed part.

Upon coming home from a road trip vacation, I pulled the old axle. Took me a bit more than an hour as the bolt to the stabilizer was bent below the nut. So I removed the 4 bolts holding the upper ball joint, turned the wheels hard left and with some jostling was able to pull the old and install the new.

Remember how I said the first set of reman axles did not come with a dust ring that fits on the outer hub and sits outside the bearing hub behind the knuckle? Well this reman axle did come with the dust ring, but it was essentially worthless:

Fortunately I could reuse my old one:

The manufacturer (Cardone) did alter the packaging somewhat. They bagged the entire axle, zip tied a cardboard splint between the two boots and added air bags aroung the whole axle assembly. The end plate did pop off slightly, but no loss of grease. Obviously the air bags did not prevent the dust ring from being bent. The hubs on this axle appeared to be entirely new vs the one I took off. Also, the boots are different in that they have one less rib on each boot vs the one I took off. We'll see how this one works out.

 

[jrsavoie]

remove the upper ball joint and loosen the sway bar link to the max, but I leave the nut on. Unbolt the shock bottom.

It is easier if you pull the bearing assembly and reinstall it after you install the axle assembly. But not mandatory

Tie rod end, not upper ball joint. Must have had a beer in me when I posted that.

 

[Big T]

Tie rod end, not upper ball joint. Must have had a beer in me when I posted that.

Well it worked. I was in process of removing the tie rod end. Really needed to remove or loosen the sway bar bolt, but couldn't due to it being bent. Also could have used a beer, which I did after I was done.:drunk1: