May Newsletter
Early Edition
Go to the RockAuto Catalog
Save on Walker Products, Sensors, Fuel System Parts & More
See what we have from Walker Products

Walker Products is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive instant rebateStar in catalog on a subset of their diverse parts. Get 15% off their Cam/Crank Sensors, TPMS Sensors and Spark Plug Wires, and 10% off most of their Engine Management Sensors, throughout May and June, 2024!

Walker Products is one of the largest, privately owned manufacturers of fuel system components and engine sensors. As an ISO 9001/IATF16949 certified company, they are committed to supplying products manufactured to meet or exceed OEM standards and specifications. Their parts include Carburetor and Fuel Injection Repair Kits, Oxygen Sensors, Throttle Position Sensors, Cam and Crankshaft Sensors, Fuel Injectors, Spark Plug Wires and more. Their product breadth is constantly expanding, most recently with their addition of BLE TPMS (Bluetooth Low Energy Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Sensors for Teslas, and their High Performance Spark Plug Wires for many late model GM vehicles.

Walker Products

While shopping, watch for the Star in catalog in catalog next to qualifying Walker Products part listings to save even more on RockAuto's already reliably low prices!

Beware of Apps!
Beware of Apps!

We were surprised to hear about annoying ads in the "rockauto" iPhone app. RockAuto has no app! We focus on making our website useful and secure -- without ads -- for both desktop and mobile browsers.

We do not know why Apple promoted this fake app despite our demands to stop. They finally removed it from the App Store after a news report but might allow others to waste your time (or do evil things like steal credit cards or hijack your phone) by pretending to be someone you trust. Please protect yourself:

  • Do not download a "rockauto" app from anywhere
  • If you downloaded the Apple app, delete it
  • The next time you need auto parts, use a web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) to go directly to www.rockauto.com!
Another Happy Customer!
Another Happy Customer!

Thank you RockAuto. I have four daughters of driving age now. You've made it possible for a low-income father to still be a provider and that really means a lot.

Jamie in Kentucky

Automotive Trivia
Automotive Trivia

What was most noteworthy about legendary singer Dolly Parton's first new vehicle?

A. It was a yellow 1968 Dodge WM300 Power Wagon that had pulled a float in New York's Thanksgiving Day parade.

B. Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn bought nearly identical 1969 Chevrolet Impala station wagons.

C. She accidentally drove it through the wall of the RCA Records building in Nashville.


Answer below

Repair Mistakes & Blunders
Repair Mistakes & Blunders

Many of us know that rabid garbage disposal sound Wheel Bearings give us when they start going bad and have heard stories about how to tell which of the four wheels it is. That sound test has never steered me wrong - until my 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan. I had purchased the mini-van from a friend and two months into ownership ... that wheel bearing sound starts to creep in. Based on previous experience, I was ABSOLUTELY 100% POS-I-TIVE it was the right rear bearing. I even had multiple people ride in the car to see what they thought and ALL agreed.

I purchased my first (foreshadowing) hub assembly from RockAuto and replaced it. The rabid garbage disposal noise was still there! It HAD to be that right side front then, right? Again, I took people for rides and all agreed it was DEFINITELY the right side. I ordered and installed the right front bearing ... and guess what ... the evil, rabid garbage disposal sound was still there.

Before putting the jack away - completely defeated, I decided to check the left rear. I had recently read that if you put your hand on the spring and rotate the wheel, you will feel grinding in the spring. I lifted the left rear, placed my hand on the spring ... said a little prayer, wiped a tear, then spun the wheel like I was on the "Price is Right". The wheel didn't even make it a quarter turn before I hurriedly ran into the house and got my wife and father to come verify. Not only could I clearly feel the grinding of the bad bearing in the spring, but you could also hear it!

Twelve days after replacing the first, I was replacing my third wheel hub assembly. The first one took 2 1/2 hours. The 3rd wheel bearing? 45 minutes! You get good at something after having to do it a few times in early March, Michigan weather ... outside.

My wife and I joked that the left front bearing felt lonely, and we should change that one as well. Apparently, the grinding sound was moving across the back of the vehicle through the sub frame. I guess that vehicle had some design input by audio engineers?

Chris in Michigan

Share Your Story

Heavy Duty CV Axles
Tom's Story

I just accompanied my son to a Backroad 4WD Training course in a craggy pine forest near the Columbia River on the Oregon/Washington border. My son (a Wrangler owner) and most other students wanted to learn how to best operate their recently acquired 4WD vehicles on off-road treks. The students' vehicles were a fun mixture, including everything from 20-year-old Jeeps to a new Rivian electric pickup. (The Rivian not only kept up but once used its 8,500 lb. (3,800 kg) weight to partially crush a fallen log, simplifying the path for tailing drivers!)

Jeep Wrangler, Rivian & Ford Bronco

In addition to spare serpentine belts and radiator hoses, drivers of four wheelers with independent front suspensions were encouraged to bring spare CV axles when heading out on a trail. CV axles on cars tend to slowly wear out as the miles add up or fail more quickly if a CV joint boot tears, allowing protective grease to ooze out and water and grit to seep in. The driver will gradually hear increased clicking sounds and/or feel vibrations that indicate it is time to replace a CV axle.

Off-road, CV axles can fail suddenly and catastrophically. One common scenario is when a wheel is off the ground and spinning. The wildly spinning wheel suddenly slams into the ground, the tire gains traction and the resulting huge surge of torque tears apart the CV joint.

CV axles on lifted four wheelers may fail more often even if the vehicle never leaves the pavement. Ideally, a CV axle runs straight from the transmission or differential to a wheel hub. When a vehicle is lifted, the CV joint at the wheel hub end of the axle may be moved lower relative to the CV joint at the transmission/differential end. This means the CV joints at both ends of the axle are continuously operating closer to their limits of joint movement (articulation). This can focus more stress on portions of the CV joint bearings as well as crumple and prematurely abrade the CV joint boots. A human analogy might be someone who only walks on his heels. He can walk that way for a long time but his legs and feet will tire sooner and the heels of shoes will wear out faster.

Jeep Wranglers, 3/4 ton pickups and some other 4WD vehicles have solid front axles with simple, sturdy U-joints rather than CV joints. Solid axles may be more durable, but they also tend to be heavier and reduce suspension travel and handling. A course instructor suggested that CV joints can act as a beneficial mechanical fuse. When twisted or hit too hard, the relatively inexpensive CV joint gives out before the damage can travel upstream and destroy more expensive parts inside the differential or transmission.

A DIYer with a repair manual (found under "Literature" at RockAuto.com) and toolbox can typically replace a CV axle trailside. One instructor said it only takes him about 1 1/2 hours to replace a Toyota's CV axle when stranded deep in the wilderness.

Heavy Duty CV Axles
Trackmotive GM 1/2 Ton Extreme Articulation CV Axle for Lifted Suspensions

Preventing CV axle damage still seems like the best idea. For many 4WD trucks RockAuto.com has heavy duty CV axles that have bearings better able to dissipate stress and joints with a wider arc of articulation. There may also be CV axles specialized for lifted vehicles that provide several inches of additional side to side movement or "plunge." See all the CV axles available for your specific vehicle under "Drivetrain" in the RockAuto.com catalog.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Tom's articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

Sébastien's 1970 Buick Electra 225 Convertible
Sebastien's 1970 Buick Electra 225 Convertible

I found this numbers matching 1970 Buick Electra 225 convertible for sale online in Portland, Oregon and had it shipped here to France in 2016. She’s got the 455 engine and TH400 transmission and the only thing that is not original is the color. The Buick was repainted in the US from the original Desert Gold to the current red. I have to admit that I prefer the red to the factory gold. The person I purchased it from was a mechanic and did an excellent job maintaining and restoring the car. He even applied period correct underhood stickers when the engine was rebuilt!

She continues to run great thanks to parts from RockAuto like the brake master cylinder, wheel cylinders, brake hoses, coil springs, shocks, electrical switches, and common maintenance parts like oil and air filters.

As a collector of American cars in France, I also have a 2006 Chrysler 300C Touring (the European version that is the same as the Dodge Magnum), a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, and a 1966 Chrysler Windsor Hardtop Coupe (Canadian version of the Newport) that all benefit from RockAuto parts.

Best regards from a regular customer!

Sébastien in France

Share Your Hard Work

Automotive Trivia Answer
Automotive Trivia
Up


What was most noteworthy about legendary singer Dolly Parton's first new vehicle?

A. It was a yellow 1968 Dodge WM300 Power Wagon that had pulled a float in New York's Thanksgiving Day parade.

B. Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn bought nearly identical 1969 Chevrolet Impala station wagons.


Answer: C. She accidentally drove it through the wall of the RCA Records building in Nashville. (source: www.whiskeyriff.com/...)

Share Your Hard Work & Stories
Up

Your Hard Work Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets or other commercial use. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! For submission instructions and tips for taking pictures of your car, please visit our Photography Tips & Submission Info page.

Up

Your Most Infamous Auto Repair Blunder Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes. Please email your story to marketing@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto Hat if we publish your story. See the Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the RockAuto catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!