So I bought myself a 4x4 for 500 bucks. I need to replace the radius arm brackets. seems that these are a little rotten. lol My question I have is where can I find them and how much is a good price going to be? I tried the salvage yard and they have not gotten back to me yet. Any suggestions would be great. Also if anyone has any advice for the job itself I would like that too. Thanks all

 

I can not state this enough to all the working guys and gals out there.......

www.car-part.com

 

you should be able to go to your local parts store and get some...and/or a ford dealership..not too sure on pricing...but im sure someone else on here could tell you.....but you wouldnt want a junk yard one...your best bet is to get a new set..

 

I don't have the prices with me so don't qoute me but I think the Ford dealer is around 30 bucks for the left side and 40 bucks for the right. Don't ask me why there is a difference the brackets look the same to me. If you ahave a Car Quest auto parts store near you they also carry them for around 35 bucks each. I'm in the process of replacing mine right now.

 

Sorry, but due to my experience, I must disagree with that statement. At least on car-part.com, you can find parts with very low miles and from the latest models. Many of the salvage yards in that site, provide a guarantee/refund for defective parts yet the parts are 50% to 90% cheaper than new part prices. I know this because, I have used that site many times for many vehicles , I also buy new parts and I perform a lot of mods to my truck and cars. Infact, what many people must not realize is, it is not an uncommon practice for dealerships to get parts from organized salvage yard databases like car-part.com.......and the customer never realizes it!

Of course it depends on the particular part and and situation (would buy only new tie rods, wheel bearings, sparkplugs etc.), however, I found your general statement to be very misleading.

.......therefore his "best bet" is to get the best part at the best price.......unless you just like wasting money. Good luck!

 

well your right in a sense..yes junk yard parts are common...and people get them often...but lets look at the facts...radius arm brackets are made out of steel...therefore rust...and to get a junkyard replacement (that could of possibly been sitting in the wet rain or what ever)...when you could get a brand new one for only 30-50 bucks sounds quite stupid. another thing..this kid is obviously planning on taking it 4X4..therefore puttin it in some harsh conditions..sounds to me that the best idea would to save yourself some time...and get some quality parts...but i guess this is all up to him...

 

http://www.rockauto.com

 

Again, it really depends on the specific situation. If it is an older model, and the part is a critical "wear" part and the new price is low, then a new part may be your only or best choice.

However, I am not talking about "junk yards". The majority of car-part.com vendors are salvage yards or "recyclers". They strip, rate, catalog, and STORE the individual parts just like new part warehouses do (thats why new car dealerships use them but do not pass the savings on to you).

......lets look at the actual facts.......he bought the 4x4 for $500 bucks and was searching salvage yards for the parts needed. Therefore, it seemed obvious that he is trying to keep his out of pocket costs to a minimum. I only provided him with a site that can save you 50% to 90% on parts by searching thousands of recyclers for free and provides toll free phone numbers to contact them. To each his own, however, it seems "stupid" not to save 50%-90%, if the situation allows.

 

ok so i just came to the sad realization of how dumb it is to be arguing about this...but in curiousity i did go to a few ford techs and asked them about it. one thing to know about fords radius arm brackets is that they are riveted in.therefore would need to be heated up drilled, or pounded out....which can easily lead to damage of the part. and for such a serious, important part of he suspension i personally would want a brand new part..though im positive that one place has great deals...id just simply go for the best.

 

i was thinking..memeber when you said obviously he is trying to save money..but i mean..if he just got a 4x4 for 500 bucks..didnt he already save a whole bunch of money from the start..so even he spent 80-90$ on brackets...hes still ahead of the game...oh and by the way...the radius arm bracket isnt in car part.com....just to let you know...

 

You can look at that two ways.....

If he spent only $500 for used truck, and was already searching salvage yards, it seems obvious that he is trying to save money where ever he can, therefore......car-part.com Yet, considering the age of his 4x4, he may not find the part in good condition. As well as, if you do not see the specific part you are looking for on the list, you have to call the recycler and ask about the specific part. Maybe this is his "weekend" restoration project.

Or as you stated, he has saved alot of funds already, therefore,
even if he pays new part price, he is still "ahead" from a monetary standpoint.

As I stated originally, it depends on the situation and circumstances. If it is a "non-wear" part and is expensive new (expensive being relative to an individuals income status), it may or may not be worth purchasing used. However, you seemed to be discounting organized recyclers/salvage yards in general and I disagreed with that statement, when it can really help a lot of people, people living paycheck to paycheck or on limited project budgets.

In other words,

Dealership wanted to charge me over $800 for parts and labor to replace only the valvebody in my Firebird's transmission. On car-part.com, I found an entire transmission AND torque converter with less than 2,000 miles for $650.

Dealership wanted over $3500 for parts and labor to replace the engine in one of my previous Firebirds. On car-part.com, I found the entire engine with less than 2,000 miles for $600 (longer lasting and cheaper than even a rebuilt).

Dealership wanted over $700 for the re-valved version of the Lightning steering gear box. On car-part.com, I found one with less than 5,000 miles, for less $300.

On car-part.com I found and bought both F150 upper control arms/ball joints and both lower control arms/ball joints with less than 5,000 miles for $130 ( all new ball joints would cost more than that and the labor would raise that price higher, as well as, I had no "down time" while I replaced the control arm bushings in the newer control arms with new aftermarket urethane bushings).

Car-part.com saved me hundreds of dollars on parts I need for my pending lightning engine and supercharger assembly swap.

These are just some of the examples of savings that car-part.com has provided for me. However, I do buy new plugs, wires, brake pads, batteries, etc. I also check discount autostore chains locally and online to compare prices. It really depends on the specific situation, part needed, savings and time constraints.

 

well thats awesome that you saved lots of money..i think that that place is awesome...ill have to try it out sometime..but...either way.. i think we've agreed on one thing...get the best for your money..and whether that be a brand new part or a used part..go for the one that best suits your need...but quality is someting to look for as well..oh also i to live paycheck to paycheck..and do a all work to my truck by myself...so i do understand the importance of salvage yards etc..so please by all means dont think that i was discounting them..i think they are a great source..i was just simply stating that for radius arm brackets for 80-100$ brand new..that just simply may be the best for you..even if you are living paycheck to paycheck..

 

 

I have an idea, buy a lift and you get new radius arm brackets!

I have a set off a 86 f150 somewhere in my garage, Cyclone, PA. That is near Bradford, PA. Email me if you still have not found any.