with a u-joint and a bearing cap in hand. CarQuest and Napa are closed, so first stop Advanced:

Me: "I need a 1330 to 1350 universal joint"
Them: "What vehicle?"
Me: "None in particular, I just need a 1330 to 1350 universal joint"
Them: "What do you mean?"
Me: "Can you cross reference part numbers?"
Them: "yeah"
Me: "Napa PUJ 448, Spicer DC5-648X, Neapco 2-3050"
Them: "We don't show anything for those, but I can compare them to the ones in stock"

So I waited about 10 minutes figuring "This should be good" lol He came back "This is the closest we have, the caps are just a little smaller than yours but I think the rust made them bigger"

.... On to Autozone
The story repeats as above (they can only cross ref. mfg part numbers not competitors apparently), except for instead of offering to compare with ones they have in stock he says "I just need to know what vehicle you're using it on"
I said "That will make no difference"
He looked at me like I just escaped from the loony bin.
Him: "If you tell me what you're using it on, I can get you the part"
Me: "Fine, humor me, it's a '93 F350" (what the driveshaft is from)
He goes back and gets the part, says "Is that all?"
Me: "That's not the right part"
Him: "You haven't even opened the box"
Me: "it's going to be a 1350/1350, I need a 1330/1350, the caps are the wrong size"
Him: looks at me like I'm on crack and I'm there just to be a PITA, so reluctantly he opens the box and compares them to what I need.

Surprise surprise, it was wrong.

Does nobody at these parts stores understand spicer u-joint sizing terminology? I even gave them part #'s from 3 different sources and they still think I'm on crack. lol

THIS is why my truck is taking forever to put back together - I have to keep waiting until the GOOD parts stores are open! Eventually I'll go 1350 all the way back, but after I've decided if I'll eventually go GV OD, E4OD or ZF5.

[/rant]

 

The other day I was in a Napa I hate going to ... Had a whole arm full of stuff, line of customers, guy asked me what else I needed:

I said: I want PN bla bla
he goes looks in the computer, mumbles to himself for a bit, grabs a book and looks it up, looks at the picture and reads the description, I watched him do it, sorry sir don't carry it, what is it and I'll see if I have a different type ...
I said: it's a piston ring expander ...
he said: whats that!!!!

I just dropped everything I had in my arms on the floor and lost my cool ... you are an idiot, I have been standing here for 10 minutes while you were dinking around looking for something and you don't even know what it is ... No wonder everybody hates this store, I'm going to the ...... store where at least there is some sign of intelligence and walked out!

I get in my car and start to pull out and as I round the corner I see everybody that was standing in there leaving like a mass exodus!

The freaking old fat bald man didn't know what a piston ring expander was AFTER he looked at a picture and read the description in the book!

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

i try to only deal with autozone when i dont buy online.all the employees are fairly good plus they got a few good looking girls that can talk motors.......im sure lemonshindig could tell ya

 

LOL That's awesome Festus

in my experience around here the autozone parts are either usually wrong or complete junk. Help behind the counter is "If the computer doesn't tell me what you need you're on your own"

advanced auto parts used to be a lot better but I've not been too happy with their quality lately either. Help behind the counter is 50/50.

Napa is fairly knowledgeable, but $$$

Carquest is very knowledgeable, parts are good, and the cost is good.

Problem is napa/carquest all close earlier, and being primarily a night owl, that doesn't leave me much time to get parts lol I figure I'll stop at napa/carquest for the u-joint before I go to bed tonight though for most of you guys reading it, it's already "tomorrow" I'm sure.

 

We have ONE place to go that has any intelligence, It's a Napa and some of the peeps in there are pretty good, however it is typically busy and they are running around like cops heading out for donut break!

Everywhere else has either inbred's or high schoolers that just ain't been around enough even if they cared and they don't, it's a paycheck!

I remember when i was a kid, you could walk into the one and only parts store (a Napa) for 50 miles and place your item on the counter, they would take a quick look, turn around head down an isle and a couple minutes later return with the CORRECT part and never look nothing up in no damn computer or book!

They always knew the best choices and trick ways of fixing things, if they didn't have the part they typically would come up with a part that could be worked with to get ya going until they can get the right one.

Ahhh, The good ol'days, I sure do miss them, I hate where this world is going!

My rant is over, It just winds me up, I need to get some sleep ...

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

Go to a reputable drivetrain shop to buy drivetrain joints. You'll get a quality spicer or moog and for less than the parts store. That's been my experience thus far. You'll get hosed the worst if you go to a 4x4 shop.

 

I am simply wondering what you have against us 'old fat bald men'?

 

I walked into ORielly's to get two new fuel caps.....
Tell the Kid "1986 F250 4x4 Diesel."
After telling him the size motor and nonsense, he brings me a plastic threaded cap for a '96.....
I tell him that is wrong to which he says it is what the computer says and they don't have any other....
so I told him to make sure he typed in 1986....nothing.
I waled around the store for about 5 minutes, walked back up to the SAME KID and repeated the entire description of the part.
He types on the computer, goes to the back, comes back with two of the right parts!!!

I mean good lord!!!!!!!
I weep for the future....LOL!!!!

 

I do agree, poor choice of words ... I have absolutely NOTHING against old fat bald men!

My apologies!

I'm already old, I'm pretty short on the follicle count, I'll never be fat!

My point was he is old enough to know something ... I very much question whether he knows anything!

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

Back in the late 80's my dad was changing the front u-jionts on his j-10 pickup (thats a jeep 1/2 ton for those to young to remeber them lol). He had to have ones with internal c-clips and they sold him ones with outers. Since it gave me the oppertunity to ride his 78 1100 xs special yamaha I made the return run. The guy in the store (nationwide) argued with me that he needed cv joints. Mind you they still used only books at this time w/pictures. After argueing for 10 minutes I told him to let me look at the book. About a minute later I had found the part and was soon on my way. Ths just goes to show that the problem started long ago when they started hireing people that had no knowelgdeof parts, they are just warm bodies. The two best around here are orielies and kentucky motors. They seem to have peopel that at least know what the part are and are willing to try and cross reference different years and check numbers. When I walk in they know that it may take some time to find what I need as they all know that my Bronco is a mix of several differnt years.

 

i had a friend that worked at advanced for about a week cause he said that the other employees had no idea about anything unless the computer said it, and that they really didnt care. he quit and got hired across the street and autozone he said they are a little more intelligent. so he told us next time we were in that area to stop at advanced and just ask an off the wall question to see what they say. so a week later i stopped in and asked if they had a carburetor for my 05 350 diesel that "i just bought" the kid asked me what size and how many i needed... i never looked back and never went back!

 

I have a buddy test them by asking for water pump for a vw beetle. You wouldn't believe how many try to find one lol.

 

it just makes me scratch my head on why or how they can get a job at a parts store.

 

Well as long as they can read and use a keyboard they get a job. I think they should have to show some apptitude for the job. If I couldn't lay down a good bead and read a drawing I wouldn't have a job as a welder/fab guy. I am not saying that they should know every part or what will mix and match but atleast know what the parts are and what they do.

 

and for that matter at least and i mean at very least know the basics of cars and trucks like you said not everything, but just enough to be able to talk halfway intelligent to a customer.