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Ball Joints
https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23274		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  CARS [ Mon May 21, 2007 1:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Ball Joints
I am rebuilding the front suspension on my '68 Dart. Just for kicks I searched on the net for them and came across Rock Auto. A name I have heard of many times on this forum but have no experiance with. The prices are lower than what I can get through my shop account so I may give them a try unless someone speaks up here.

My question reguarding the ball joints is that they sell a Service grade upper ball joint for < $10.00 and a proffesional grade for > $40.00. What is the difference? Are the service grade ones for the shops that guarantee their work untill you are handed the keys???
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Mon May 21, 2007 1:18 pm ]
Post subject: 
You will not get what you do not pay for. "Service grade" is a polite way of saying "Chinese garbage".
Author:  slantvaliant [ Mon May 21, 2007 2:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
After a lot of shopping, I got the Moog suspension parts for my Valiant from Rock Auto. The price was good, the parts were right, and the service was fine.
Author:  Bob Paulin [ Tue May 22, 2007 2:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
I've seen this Rock Auto SPAMMED on several other websites.

Fact is, I can buy first-quality NAPA stuff cheaper than the Rock Auto prices - not to mention shipping and waiting for the parts to show up.
Author:  dakight [ Tue May 22, 2007 3:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
Fact is not everyone can walk into a NAPA store and get jobber pricing. I used to years ago but not any more. Rock Auto sells first quality parts at a fair price and they have prompt shipping. Are they the right right place for everything? No, of course not. Are they a good source for good quality parts? Yes indeed!
Author:  slantvaliant [ Tue May 22, 2007 3:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
I've seen this Rock Auto SPAMMED on several other websites.
I hope you don't consider my post spam. If you do, you're wrong.

With so much flaming of various businesses with questionable polices and erratic service, I think we should occasionally mention the good dealings we have.

I have no problem with NAPA, except that the stores I deal with are not particularly convenient for me, nor are thier staffs remarkable in any way. If I have the NAPA part number, they're OK. I buy oil filters there, for example.
Author:  sethmcneil [ Tue May 22, 2007 3:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
jobber pricing

What's that? never heard that phrase before...

on a similar note: I got some wheel bearings and axel seals for my 8 1/4 from NAPA a few days ago, and then saw that Randy's Ring&Pinion sells both the bearing and seal as a package for considerably less... I think I'm Going to call both outfits and ask some questions; you know, out of "curiosity'
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Tue May 22, 2007 3:31 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
I've seen this Rock Auto SPAMMED on several other websites.
Awright, jack, if you don't like the advice you get here, feel free to disregard it, but you're not going to make many friends stepping in off the street and calling us a bunch of spammers, y'know?
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Tue May 22, 2007 3:36 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
After a lot of shopping, I got the Moog suspension parts for my Valiant from Rock Auto. The price was good, the parts were right, and the service was fine.
I find RockAuto does about a 75 to 80 percent job. They don't ship as quickly or accurately as I would like all the time, but they do an OK job.

As for Moog suspension parts, unfortunately they're yet another Federal-Mogul brand flushed down the toilet by the MBAs who run that company now. See this thread.

For suspension parts, I tend to lean towards Just Suspension or ESPO.
Author:  dakight [ Tue May 22, 2007 3:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Quote:
jobber pricing

What's that? never heard that phrase before...
That may not be the exact term. Napa has several price levels and which price you get depends on who you are and how much business you do with them. The highest price is for Joe Schmoe ( most of us ) who walks in and buys a part. The next level down is the tradesman and frequent shopper. And the lowest price is for busy shops who buy a lot of parts. Retail, jobber, and wholesale. At least that's the way it was up until the late 1980s, the last time I had a regular relationship with a NAPA store.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Tue May 22, 2007 4:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
jobber pricing
What's that? never heard that phrase before...
That may not be the exact term.
That is the correct term. In the parts industry (as in many others) there are many pricing levels, as follows:

Factory
MWD (Master Warehouse Distributor)
WD (Warehouse Distributor)
Jobber
Dealer/Trade
Retail
List

"List" is usually a reference price. Other than that, the chain is generally hierarchical: Retail customers buy from jobbers, who buy from WDs or MWDs, who buy from the factory. Sometimes WDs not large enough to interest the factory will buy from MWDs instead. A jobber is e.g. the parts store you walk into off the street. Jobbers usually have several pricing levels: Plain ol' retail customers pay more than dealer/trade. And now we're seeing dropship operations like RockAuto, who charge something around Jobber to retail customers, then dropship the order, usually from a factory or MWD.

There's considerable room for custom pricing in these levels. "15 off Jobber" (85% of the normal Jobber price), "10 off MWD" (90% of the normal MWD price), etc.

I have had good results for a lot of years walking into parts stores and asking to set up a "cash account". This usually gets me dealer/trade prices at walk-in stores, and it amounts to telling the NAPA (or whatever) "When I need a part you supply, I'll come to you rather than another NAPA store"). I've had unofficial business names to toss on the counter since I was 15 or so; that's never been a problem and I've seldom been asked, but "firstname lastname automotive" works fine.
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