MtnGoat

It's been a while since Ive posted. Been replacing steering boxes and PS pumps so often there's little time to hangout.

Seem my local AZ store keeps a lot of these repaint/overhaul border brothers parts.
In the past 3 years I've been through 5 PS pumps and 3 Steering boxes.
They leak, won't steer straight, too heavy steering input, and just plain sloppy.
My buddy says that A1-Cardone is the supplier and they had a good rep.
What I have found is very different. Obviously...

Basslicks

Ever try RockAuto.com?

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/j...ring+gear,7416

andrewmp6

Try napa as long as you don't buy their cheapest parts i have had good luck with them.Rockauto is good if you got time to wait for shipping,And i have once gotten the wrong ball joint from them.Once i talked to them they over nighted me the right one and told me to keep the wrong one.

Basslicks

^^Yeah, you gotta not need it "right now" lol. But their customer service is awesome. I've never had a problem returning anything. I wish they'd quit selling Airtex and SMP crap though.

peligro113

I tend to agree with you but the parts sold by the local store can be purchased with a lifetime warranty, if you buy online and the part goes bad you are ****ed and have to pay for another part.

Basslicks

Parts sold by an online parts retailer carry the same warranty as a local parts store.

We're not talking about ebay or ma and pa kettle's online superstore.

andrewmp6

I won't lie i do love my local napa,All the guys that work there are older the young guy is 30.They know their stuff and don't ask you the really dumb questions you get from other part stores.Last time i bought a battery the guy tested all of the they had on the stand and gave me the strongest charged one they had.I never seen any other part store care like that,They probably would have just said heres a battery and not test it.

Basslicks

Yeah definitely NAPA is on a higher level than AZ or Advance. I'm still kinda up in the air about Oreilly's but I do like their customer service better than AZ or Advance. I used to really love CarQuest and kinda put them right up there NAPA, but - CQ is no more... taken over by Advance.

BlueRidgeMark

Yeah, they are great.... until something goes wrong. Then you'll find out you are not dealing with good people.

If you order from them for years, and nothing ever goes wrong with an order, you'll think they are great.

peligro113

I know they do but if a part goes bad and you need to wait to ship out the part and then wait some more to get the new part in, ****, that will tie your vehicle up for at least a week and if it's your only vehicle you are screwed. Most of the time you can find better parts for cheaper online but you have to buy them knowing you might possibly be out of a vehicle for a week.

s346k

it is my experience that recurring problems are the result of something else.

Fred/N0AZZ

Exactly or with the install itself I don't have any issues with AutoZone parts for most parts the store manager is a friend he 56 yrs old and been in the business for many years. No more failures than any other parts stores and I NEVER buy common parts online, returns and warranties are a PITA and you still get cheap parts.

dave1123

One of the reasons I buy from Rockauto is I can get Mopar parts cheaper than at the dealer, and faster too. If Rockauto advertises a part, they have it. My dealer usually has to order it. In 35 orders over a 5 year period, I've gotten ONE defective part and they shipped me a replacement in 2 days. On a core return, they ask if you want cash or store credit. AND you have the choice of several manufacturers on most parts. For instant needs, I go with NAPA Premium. The only thing I go to AZ, Advance, or O'riellys for is Valvoline oil when it's on sale. I use Mopar filters.

Bottom line, you get what you pay for.

MtnGoat

BTW this is a 92 4.0 A/T w/172K used as a DD, mostly stock.

I spoke with the store manager today and had him test drive to witness the problem(s). He admitted that the pump seems fine, no noise and smooth operation. That the problem is yet again the gearbox as steering effort increases when the wheel is turned quickly, such as when parking or turning at a light.

Well, I'm rather unhappy to spend another 2 hrs under the car so NAPA will be my next supplier and AZ will be refunding my money.

Not much science in replacing these two components. Nutz and bolts and some finesse required with priming and bleeding the pump. And I've been wrenching my own cars for 40 years and can't say I've been too proud not to open a manual for guidance when starting a new project.

We'll see how it goes. Until then.......

MtnGoat