tequilatool
Newbie
Hi all.
I'm here to just vent my total, complete and utter frustration at trying to replace upper ball joints and shocks on my 98 k1500. My problem is.... i can't f.kn buy any.
ok, so, ball joints are toast along with the front struts. I took the front end apart, unloading the torsion bars etc. The ball joint removed no problem, not riveted. Strut removed no problem, sway bar link removed and replaced no problem. Now, sent my wife to autozone here in Guadalajara, Mexico. She comes back with ball joints which look to fit but the bolts are 10cm short for going through the upper control arm. The bolts which came off the old one have stripped threads so i need new bolts and nuts. Another trip to town to get bolts, get home to install the ball joints with my new bolts, and the f.kn bolts snap, obviously not hardened, probably made in china, or in a shambolic factory somewhere in Mexico. Virtually no pressure applied and they snapped like they were made from toffee. So, im thinking, i see the picture of my needed ball joints in autozone usa.com.... they come with bolts 40cm long and 30cm long. I reckoned maybe i got the wrong ball joint, checked the part number on the box and sure enough, not for my truck. Hmmm better check the new struts, open one box, shock looks to fit. i check the part number on the zone website and again, not the correct shock, website says its a rear strut, i need a front strut. WTF. So, i open the other box for the other strut, unwrap it and , this strut keeps extending and extending some more. Wtf, ok, definitely not for my truck, its about 12ft long lol.
So, autozone here gave my wife the wrong ball joints, the wrong shock absorbers of which the 2 she got were completely different. So, off she goes back to the zone to see wtf is going on. I gave her the part numbers from the usa autozone to make sure this time. Well, no ball joints, they dont stock them, not even in the Usa. Well, after a sad chuckle, i know thats bullcrap. Can't believe im having so much trouble finding a f.kn ball joint.
Ok, sent her to the gm dealer tonight, 900 dollars for an upper control arm assembly. Another long slow sad chuckle to myself. She's on her way home now with the correct struts from the zone, no ball joints, and no grease gun for the non existent new ball joints. Visit 3 Autozones in the city, not one f.kn grease gun on the shelves. What an absolute travesty folks. You lot are so god damn lucky up there sittin pretty with o reillys everywhere, napas, autozones, peps etc. I can't even get a ball joint or find a place that sells a grease gun. Holy smokes, wtf. Trucks sittin in the garden in pieces, has been for over a week now. Takes an hour to get to the city so it's a real pain in the ring. Just checked ebay with some goat selling ball joints, delivery to mexico arriving 17th dec - 12 jan 2016. More sad sad chuckling.
Hope this gives ya'll a right good laugh, i'm about to cry. A flight to texas for 2 ball joints should fix it, maybe find a grease gun while i'm there eh. Gutted!!! You lot not laughing yet.... some more comedy for ya down here, went to homedepot looking to get bags for my shopvac. They dont sell them down here, but they sell the fakn shopvac. I was escorted outta the depot by security after telling the manager he's a useless c.nt!! Have a good one folks and thanks for letting me let off some steam!!
I'm here to just vent my total, complete and utter frustration at trying to replace upper ball joints and shocks on my 98 k1500. My problem is.... i can't f.kn buy any.
ok, so, ball joints are toast along with the front struts. I took the front end apart, unloading the torsion bars etc. The ball joint removed no problem, not riveted. Strut removed no problem, sway bar link removed and replaced no problem. Now, sent my wife to autozone here in Guadalajara, Mexico. She comes back with ball joints which look to fit but the bolts are 10cm short for going through the upper control arm. The bolts which came off the old one have stripped threads so i need new bolts and nuts. Another trip to town to get bolts, get home to install the ball joints with my new bolts, and the f.kn bolts snap, obviously not hardened, probably made in china, or in a shambolic factory somewhere in Mexico. Virtually no pressure applied and they snapped like they were made from toffee. So, im thinking, i see the picture of my needed ball joints in autozone usa.com.... they come with bolts 40cm long and 30cm long. I reckoned maybe i got the wrong ball joint, checked the part number on the box and sure enough, not for my truck. Hmmm better check the new struts, open one box, shock looks to fit. i check the part number on the zone website and again, not the correct shock, website says its a rear strut, i need a front strut. WTF. So, i open the other box for the other strut, unwrap it and , this strut keeps extending and extending some more. Wtf, ok, definitely not for my truck, its about 12ft long lol.
So, autozone here gave my wife the wrong ball joints, the wrong shock absorbers of which the 2 she got were completely different. So, off she goes back to the zone to see wtf is going on. I gave her the part numbers from the usa autozone to make sure this time. Well, no ball joints, they dont stock them, not even in the Usa. Well, after a sad chuckle, i know thats bullcrap. Can't believe im having so much trouble finding a f.kn ball joint.
Ok, sent her to the gm dealer tonight, 900 dollars for an upper control arm assembly. Another long slow sad chuckle to myself. She's on her way home now with the correct struts from the zone, no ball joints, and no grease gun for the non existent new ball joints. Visit 3 Autozones in the city, not one f.kn grease gun on the shelves. What an absolute travesty folks. You lot are so god damn lucky up there sittin pretty with o reillys everywhere, napas, autozones, peps etc. I can't even get a ball joint or find a place that sells a grease gun. Holy smokes, wtf. Trucks sittin in the garden in pieces, has been for over a week now. Takes an hour to get to the city so it's a real pain in the ring. Just checked ebay with some goat selling ball joints, delivery to mexico arriving 17th dec - 12 jan 2016. More sad sad chuckling.
Hope this gives ya'll a right good laugh, i'm about to cry. A flight to texas for 2 ball joints should fix it, maybe find a grease gun while i'm there eh. Gutted!!! You lot not laughing yet.... some more comedy for ya down here, went to homedepot looking to get bags for my shopvac. They dont sell them down here, but they sell the fakn shopvac. I was escorted outta the depot by security after telling the manager he's a useless c.nt!! Have a good one folks and thanks for letting me let off some steam!!