Parts store roulette.

[pissboy]

This is more of a vent for me than anything else, but a few of you may smile and laugh knowing you have been through this before.

Yesterday my driver's side outer bearing decided to give up the ghost and fail on me (2004 Ford F150 SVT Lightning). Luckily I noticed it on my way to pick up some brake parts at the auto store. After about 40 minutes of working with the parts guy I had some bearings, brake pads, brake hardware, and brake hoses. I headed back to work and started pulling the wheel and calipers off so I could pull the hub/rotor assembly. Of course my truck is from the salt belt, so I broke a ratchet trying to get the calipers off. It took 2 chisels, a sledgehammer, a cutoff wheel and a punch to get the bearing apart and get the hub/rotor assembly off. The hub/rotor assembly had some pretty severe damage, so it was off to the parts store again to pick up a pair of hub/rotor assemblies. After chiseling the inner race off of the spindle I found that it had melted and recast in a few areas due to the heat/friction. It was no use trying to repair it so I set out to find a replacement. Come to find out.. no one made aftermarket spindle/knuckle for a 4x2 F150.. unless you want lowering or lifting spindles. New from the dealer would run me $360, but I'm going to take my chances on a $65 salvage part. After giving up on the driver's side I moved to the passenger's side. I spent the previous day spraying the passenger's side bolts with PB blaster so the caliper came off a bit easier. The bearings and rotor/hub assembly were in great shape so I decided I wouldn't swap those out and went to work on the brakes. I got everything apart and then unpacked the brake hardware and pads only to find out they were the wrong parts. I now know what I'll be doing tomorrow after work and likely Sat morning.

Attached is a photo of the bearing before I had to (further) destroy it.

 

[BBRN]

I know this story all to well. I usually plan for multiple trips and broken/incorrect tools/parts, and every now and then...things go smoothly and its all the better because I had already planned for the worse.

 

[bigstereo]

Yup, I just put front hubs both sides on my 99 SLS a few weeks ago. The driver side came off with a few smacks of the hammer. The passenger side refused to let loose of the spindle. I beat that thing till I had blisters from the hammer. Even tried a hub puller with no success. Anyways I kept soakin her down with PB every day for a week then my friend came over with a bigger hammer. I put the 3 hub to knuckle bolts back in and we beat hammer on hammer on spindle, knocking the spindle inward, out of the hub. Other than that not too bad of a job.

I did not have wrong part issues luckily. (Rock Auto)

 

[gadget73]

Been through this several times as well. I was helping a friend with an 85 Ford Crown Vic and we kept getting the wrong brake parts. Finally one of us realized what they were actually for, a 1985 Ford LTD, which is a completely different car. The Vic parts were listed under the LTD, and the LTD parts were under the Vic.

I recently went to do a brake job on my truck with new rotors. Got everything installed and went to put the wheel on. The studs on the new rotors had been drilled improperly and there was no way the wheel was going to fit. Had to undo all the work and put the old rotors back on. Luckily they weren't as bad as I had thought they were when I placed the order.

 

[John James]

I had to cut (as in oxy-acetylene torch) a bearing race off the spindle of a Volvo, sitting in mud at the edge of a field once. I got really lucky and did not damage the spindle and everything went back together OK. No more trouble after that, thank goodness.

I had a '66 Mustang with the 289 4bbl and 4 speed tranny. Someone had special ordered the car and then failed to pick it up at the dealership. When it came time to change the clutch assembly it turned out that none of the aftermarket parts stores had the right numbers. I had to take the clutch plate, pressure plate, and throwout bearing and go through boxes at he store to get the correct parts. Thanks to a very understanding NAPA clerk.

 

[pissboy]

Round 2 (or 3?).. the passenger side brakes went together quite easily once I figured out the jigsaw puzzle of bracket, caliper, bolts, clips and pads that Ford created. Since I was planning on bleeding the brakes anyway and picked up some speed bleeders, I pulled them both off the truck and brought them inside where I could work on them on a bench. The driver's side parts went together very quickly, having already figured out the puzzle.

Of course, as it happens, I somehow misplaced a copper crush washer, and my grease is more like clay than grease like.. so its off to the parts store again in the morning.