Junk Parts from China - Tyrod ends MII

[48bill]

We just replaced the outer tyrod ends on the T Bird rack on the Mustang II front end in my 48 F-1.  They were new 3,000 miles ago when the front end was installed.  They were made in China junk from either Speedway or the local AUTOZONE.  My friend who installed the MII front end did not remember from where and he bought them as he has purchased from both places.  They were definately new as I recall installing and masking the grease fittings prior to painting.

If you've used this stuff check it frequently. Another friend bought his outer tyrod ends from Heidts last spring and one was junk out of the box. Came apart in his hand. The other one was loose after 25 miles from his house to the upholstery shop and back.  Yes 25 miles.  More junk.

Replaced mine with Federal Mogul outer tyrod ends  made in the USA.  They were $23.00 each as opposed to $13.99 at SPEEDWAY.  $18.02 IS CHEAP INSURANCE.
:cry:

[wayne petty]

one thing.. with cheep suspension products..

one might want to contact the NTHSA and see if they want the defective parts to examine..  if you don't plan on removing them..

i have also found one thing.. if you find defective parts from AZ..call them on it..  they will get back to you within a day or two..  sometimes the same day..  they will also get their suppliers involved.  

i got some chevy 5 bolt front rotors.. that had shot blasting debris inside the hub.. they actually went thru their warehouse and opened everyone of those part numbers.. stuck a finger in and checked..

i was replacing an AZ rotor that the bearings had failed after 2 weeks.. i did not install the first one.. but i could feel the debris in the second one.. and then found the same type of debris in the blown out one..


want to see a scary tie rod end.. look at around 2000 ford focus..  the threads are 8x1.25. with an undercut at the bottom of the threads down to probably 4 or 5 MM.. if i overtightened the nut.. i would snap the threads off the stud..  pot holes snap them.. the wheels turn away from center and then fold under wiping out the strut and the lower control arm also. .

[48bill]

As a follow up to the junk chinese tryrod ends I had another piece of chinese junk fail.  I stopped at a shop on a wifey errand and when I came out I started the truck and the lower ball joint on the passenger side separated.   I had not even put the truck in gear.  It broke off at the start if the threads at the end of the taper.  Replaced with a made in USA lower ball joint.

[Digger]

It is not just Chinese stuff. I bought rotors from NAPA a few years ago for a Monte Carlo clip, they came from  South America-I forget the country, the first one seemed ok but when I opened the next one it was about half the thickness, it looked like it had been turned way past the limit. When I took them back they said "oh did you want the better ones?"

[1800guy]

I've learned to be careful and specific with NAPA, even.  I called for an alternator for my new-to-me Suburban.  "No problem, we have a couple on the shelf".  When I mentioned that I was planning on driving it for a few years and expected it to keep working, then it was "We can have one here in the morning".

[34ford]

The n a p a guys here ask if you want the  "off shore brand" or the USA one..

[chimp koose]

1800guy At least they knew what quality parts they had. I bought an alternator 2 yrs ago as a new not rebuilt unit with lifetime warranty.At about 1 mile from the shop it siezed and broke the belt. I called the parts place less than an hour from purchase time on the reciept to get a new one. The new one lasted 2 weeks. When I brought that one in they did not even bother to spin test the alternator they just got me another. That replacement is starting to fail now.This Saturday I took in a different alternator to be tested and it failed. When offered the same brand (champion)as the previous as a replacement I declined and had my old one rebuilt. Some parts guys have no idea of the quality of the parts they have.

[wayne petty]

i have to defend the parts guys...

we don't have any clue of what quality parts are in the box until we get complaints about it..

now... will our bosses do anything about forwarding the troubles up the ladder.

usually NOT..  i had gone thru 3 fuel pumps in under a year.. delco versions back in the early 90s.. i just kept buying them.. i ran into the delco rep and told him about it.. he said to bring them back and have the store ship them back to engineering..  he gave the store owner the address .. i returned later with the 3 dead pumps.. i did not ask for a refund.. the owner took the pumps.. tossed them into the trash right in front of me.. said he cannot be bothered with trivia.. i wonder if he missed my dollars after that..

if all those alternators were failing.. they were assembled wrong on the production line..

in another aspect.. a customer called me and her 53 chrysler imperial crown limo would not stop cranking.. i raced over and pulled the battery cable.. it had run free for about 10 minutes ..i had assembled that starter with high pressure lube from GM for throw out bearings. i miss that stuff..

i pulled the solenoid off and purchased a replacement from the solenoid rebuilder in town..  i put the replacement on.. 2 starts and it hung in the free running spin again.. i returned it .. the rebuilder got his tools out and pulled it apart..  then he called his employee out.. said this flanged insulator goes the other way..  i could not believe. that the employee said back to him.. but it goes together faster that way..  there was a lot of yelling and screaming about then.. but the owner took it apart and flipped it in seconds..

but that was not the only issue.. i had stopped at the local starter rebuilder for a replacement solenoid..  the 53 used a round can kinda like a delco 10MT..  the guy at teh starter rebuilder took my solenoid and the plunger upstairs..  there was some thumping from something upstairs..  they only had a different solenoid in stock that used a smaller plunger and it had a giant rectangular head on it that would never clear the hemi exhaust.. that won't work i said..  they had ruined my plunger by machining it down to fit their off the wall solenoid..

another poorly designed part is the ford focus outer tie rod ends.
the threaded stud above the taper is 8 x1.25 thread.  but who ever designed the CNC for it.. UNDER CUT THE THREADS at the beginning of the tapper.. they took them down to about 5 or 6MM..  if you hit a pot hole in a focus.. the tie rod shears .. the strut and wheel turn 80 degrees and the tubular tube that is the strut bend over wiping out the shock. the lower control arm.. the tire sometimes.. and requiring a tow and about 500 bucks worth of work..  i don't know if ford ever fixed those issues..  i do know that at the point i was fixing a bunch of these..  that we could only buy tie rod ends from ford. as no other aftermarket manufacturer made them.. they must have realized what a product liability it was..

warm bodies that fill the area behind the parts counter just don't have a clue..

the warm bodies that fill some assembly lines over seas also DON'T HAVE A CLUE..

the warm bodies that fill a lot of job positions actually don't have a clue..

the worst part.. management finds it hard to discharge people for being stupid. or inept..  so they promote them..  this keeps the people below them on the ladder .. totally unqualified to replace them on the upper rungs of the corporate ladder.  

one thing being mechanical.. i know how to apply a light coating of grease to the rungs of some peoples corporate ladders..

[papastoyss]

The n a p a guys here ask if you want the  "off shore brand" or the USA one..

O'reillys carries 2 lines in a lot of part#s. One line to compete on price and another of better quality. I bought a reman T Bird rack from them for my '40 coupe,less than 3k miles one of the inner tie rods was worn out, replaced w/2 Moog ends, no more problems.