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12/19/2021 10:08 PM  #1


Stuff just seems to wear out so quickly anymore!!.........

Had some new tarz put on my lil 91 parts chaser the other day.
'Naturally' the tire jockey does a "front-end inspection for me".
Not surprisingly he found several items that need " immediate attention".
"Yes sir.....looks like you gonna need upper and lower ball joints + inner and outer tie rods + an alignment!
prolly gonna run ya-blah-blah-blah".....
I just dropped $230+ for tarz + mount + balance.
I mean come-on man! ....The lil truck's only got 1/4 million miles on it!!! 
It's the original stuff from the factory.....
I thought Made in 'Merca was suppose to last longer than that China  Crapperoni!
Guess I thought worng!
Looks like the ball joints might be a booger to  R&R......
6sal6


Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
 

12/19/2021 10:21 PM  #2


Re: Stuff just seems to wear out so quickly anymore!!.........

Always get a second, knowledgeable opinion when a tire place tries to sell you suspension parts.


Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
 

12/20/2021 7:30 AM  #3


Re: Stuff just seems to wear out so quickly anymore!!.........

Way back in '64, when I was doing auto electrical work for Sears & Sawbuck the front end guys and one of the service writers got to talking about how, if they were dishonest, they could sell just about anything to alignment customers.  So to prove the point one day a customer approached the service desk and wanted to know how much it was going to cost to have his car repaired.  The work order specified that the vehicle was in serious need of having it's dramus adjusted and the falory skates should be replaced.  On followup inspection the tech was able to adjust the dramus, free of charge and it was determined that the falory skates were okay after all but they'd check 'em on future visits.   Happy customer.
 


"you get what you pay for, good work isn't cheap, and there are NO free lunches...PERIOD!"
 

12/20/2021 7:57 AM  #4


Re: Stuff just seems to wear out so quickly anymore!!.........

If there isn't obvious uneven tire wear, and the steering wheel isn't cocked off center, etc. it doesn't need an alignment. If there's no play in the balljoints, tie rods, etc. they don't need to be replaced.   IME non greaseable joints last about 150k miles on average, and greasable ones last basically forever if you bother to grease them.  IMO this is just an upsell. 

I needed tires on my WRX some years back.  The guy tells me it needs a steering rack because it has a torn boot and there's a lot of grease all over everything, plus the PS reservoir is low.  So for Ss &Gs I ask how much.  He says, well the rack is $400 and installation is $300, and an alignment is $150, so total out the door $850.  I ask if the new rack is OEM or reman, he says reman is all that's available.  So I say, well, that sounds like a good deal, but here's the thing: the PS reservoir has been at the same level since I bought the car 12 years ago.  Subaru still makes new racks for this car because its the same rack they are still using on the current generation cars.  All the grease you are seeing is the result of a leaking valve cover gasket, very common on higher mileage and older Subarus.  Did you notice it was black, brown and there was no red anywhere to indicate an actual PS leak?  Also, there's nothing wrong with the steering, so why would I need a new rack for a torn boot?  Blank stare. 

This past year I finally replaced the boots, bushings, and inner and outer tie rods ends on the car that now has 217k miles on it.  I replaced the valve cover gaskets at 198k miles and cleaned everything and it now leaks nothing and the PS reservoir is still where it was when I bought the car, which was now 18 years ago.  Why do people feel like they have to lie to make money?  Or is it just inherent scumbaggery that they cheat people because they can?

 

Board footera


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