Suspension parts

[cazzylee]

Anyone have any experience with autozone brand wheel bearings and outer tie rods? Specifically early failure of said parts. Got a 100$ gift card for autozone and this crap needs to be done soon.

[eljefino]

from what i read here, the biggest failure of wheel bearings is improper installation, eg hammering them in and not using a press.

I've gotten a "perfect circle" outer tie rod end from a different economy parts store and been happy with it. Has a grease zerk the factory part didn't so it's actually better.

[cazzylee]

Originally Posted by eljefino

from what i read here, the biggest failure of wheel bearings is improper installation, eg hammering them in and not using a press.

I've gotten a "perfect circle" outer tie rod end from a different economy parts store and been happy with it. Has a grease zerk the factory part didn't so it's actually better.

Yeah I'm aware about the installation, my dad has presses so that's not an issue at all thankfully. This Shhhkkkk shhhkkkk crap is getting annoying and I really should stop going over rail road tracks at 60 mph....

[Madcat]

Originally Posted by eljefino

from what i read here, the biggest failure of wheel bearings is improper installation, eg hammering them in and not using a press.

I've gotten a "perfect circle" outer tie rod end from a different economy parts store and been happy with it. Has a grease zerk the factory part didn't so it's actually better.

Agreed, I got some outer tie rods and lower control arms from O'Reillys that all had the zerks, very pleased with them....no problems for 2 years now

When my front drivers bearing went bad I went to the dealer and paid way too much, but hey it got fixed. Next time I'll do it myself as a friend has a press.



Madcat

[eric02SC2]

Originally Posted by cazzylee

Yeah I'm aware about the installation, my dad has presses so that's not an issue at all thankfully. This Shhhkkkk shhhkkkk crap is getting annoying and I really should stop going over rail road tracks at 60 mph....

Slowing to a crawl makes the railroad tracks feel much worse than crossing them 'at speed' does. Around here, I'll actually speed up when I can to cross railroad tracks at around 45mph even if the speed limit is 30mph. Of course in traffic, that forces me to slow way down until the car ahead has crossed the railroad tracks...

Eric & Genieve
2002 SC2m 47.7k miles

http://www.gems-family.net

[cazzylee]

It's not the feel I'm concerned about, it's the wear on suspension componants...

[eric02SC2]

Originally Posted by cazzylee

It's not the feel I'm concerned about, it's the wear on suspension componants...

When you get a little (or a lot) older, you will better understand my use of the word 'feel'.

Eric & Geneive
2002 SC2m 47.7k miles

http://www.gems-family.net

[cazzylee]

Oh get off it, get a little bit older? Maybe you should grow up a bit for making that remark to begin with. If you've got nothing better to do than to be a clown, please don't reply on my threads.

[madpogue]

I don't think he meant to be condescending, cazzy. I think he was referring to how it feels to one's, er, internal organs going over bumpy terrain, when at, er, and advanced age.

Still, I wouldn't recommend taking tracks (or ever driving on any surface road, for that matter) at 15 MPH over the speed limit. I do notice that taking tracks at moderate speed jars the car, and its occupant(s) less than if you crawl over them. So don't crawl over them, but indeed, don't take them at sixty .

[Dark]

Yes.
SL2 '95.
25k on suspension parts. no problems noted.

[topcat]

Just my 2 cents regarding speeding up over rr tracks (bumps)... while it may seem smoother to the occupants it's murder on suspension parts. The forces exerted increase as speed increases....so slow down if you'd rather not spend your free time replacing parts then getting aligments. HNY everyone TC

[eric02SC2]

Originally Posted by topcat

Just my 2 cents regarding speeding up over rr tracks (bumps)... while it may seem smoother to the occupants it's murder on suspension parts. The forces exerted increase as speed increases....so slow down if you'd rather not spend your free time replacing parts then getting aligments. HNY everyone TC

I already know that something is 'out of adjustment' on our vehicle. I suspect that some suspension parts are due to be replaced already, but at the last alignment, they were 'too careful' not to say anything about the alignment and I had to request the printout to see what the alignment specialist wrote.

Translation: I'm going to protect my bad back when driving over bumpy surfaces, and if you look carefully, you can generally find a smoother place to cross than what 90% of the traffic uses.

I said my goal is to cross at 45mph, I never said how many times I'm able to reach that goal, and I do have to turn right about 150ft past those particular railroad tracks.

Eric & Genieve
2002 SC2m 47.7k miles

http://www.gems-family.net

[jlevino]

No problem with AutoZone outer tie rod ends -- then again, I've only got about 1000 miles on them. They came with zerk fittings as well!

Good Luck!

[cazzylee]

Originally Posted by jlevino

No problem with AutoZone outer tie rod ends -- then again, I've only got about 1000 miles on them. They came with zerk fittings as well!

Good Luck!

Thanks, and to Dark & others as well.

This is the kind of information I was asking for (note, the reliability of said parts), not commentary on other peoples health conditions.

[eRic 02sc2]

Anyone have any experience with autozone brand wheel bearings and outer tie rods?

I've purchased TRW tie rods and Timken bearings from AutoZone for my previous Saturn's. they looked identical to the OE parts that were replaced.