Auto Parts HELP!!!

[Eric McCarthy]

I was wondering if I could get some of you fine gents to help me find some parts I need for my truck, which I'm having a hard time locating here on in Richmond. I have a 1988 Chevy 3500 one ton truck and I need the steering knuckles for the front axle. I learned a lesson in life from the Institute of Hard Knocks again and that class I got my degree in was "dont wait to long for a front end alignment"

Now that I have a 24 year old truck some parts are getting hard to come by especially the steering knuckles. I'm kinda in a a rush to get them because I'm tired of having to turn down landscaping work due to the fact I have no way to haul the equipment! I was hoping that some of you fellas would keep your eyes and ears open to junk yards in your areas that may have the parts I need

TONS OF THANKS
Eric...

 

[kcservak]

Hey,Eric you could get on Lmc's web site they might have what you are looking for and you could try a local nappa dealer they can get a lot of that odd stuff.Hope this help's.
Keith.

 

[Kubota_Man]

Try thease guys Spalding Auto Parts

http://spaldings.com/index.htm

 

[Eric McCarthy]

The steering knuckle is a hard part to buy from Napa or any auto parts store. Its not something that typicaly wears out unless your a dumbass like me and wait forever and a day to get an alignment done.

 

[kcservak]

The steering knuckle is a hard part to buy from Napa or any auto parts store. Its not something that typicaly wears out unless your a dumbass like me and wait forever and a day to get an alignment done.

Eric,when you say steering knuckle exactly what part are you talking about I've been fixing cars and trucks and every thing in between for most of my life and I have never seen a knuckle wear out that's why they put ball joints or king pins in the knuckle to wear.And if the knuckle is worn you may be able to take it to a machine shop near you they could build it up with weld and remachine it for you.
Keith.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I was told its the steering knuckle/spindle that has worn out. I rode around for quite a while with the front end out of alignment and the front end fell appart on me one day. Where the ball joint seats on the knuckle/spindle it wallowed out and the ball joint fell threw! A few days before the front end collapsed my and a friend of mine who had been an ASE mechanic replaced the lower ball joints on the truck but neither one of us noticed that the seat where the ball joint fits was wallowed out.

 

[Kubota_Man]

Hey Eric that website I gave you is a wrecking/salvage yard they may have what you need I am pretty sure they will ship you the part providing they have it.

Hope it all works out for you

 

[Kubota_Man]

How is the search going Eric?

 

[Eric McCarthy]

The website you gave me is about as clear as mud! I think they have what I need but I want to see pictures and prices before I do anything else. Difficulty looking up parts on that site.

 

[Kubota_Man]

They may be able to e-mail you a picture. If not I would be willing to make a 175 mile round trip and send you pics. They have an 800 number that you can call. Let me know if I can help.

 

[millerized]

http://rockauto.com/
This help?

 

[Eric McCarthy]

NOPE, no luck there either. Apparently the steering knuckles are not supposed to wear out and need replacing, thus the problem I'm facing.

Thanks for yall's help so far, the search continues!

 

[millerized]

Knuckles usually don't wear out, but the bearing and race usually does.

Junk yard is going to be your only solution now. Maybe post a wanted ad in the local craigslist?

Good luck.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Yeah like an idiot I waited a little to long before I decided to get a front end alignment. I seem to break stuff all the time and learn what I break isnt usually meant to break or wear out!

 

[fbson395]

If you still need those parts try Desert Auto Kings.com

 

[Eric McCarthy]

That web site didnt come back to anything.

 

[Blkvoodoo]

Eric,

I'm guessing this is 2WD correct aka a C3500 is this a dually or singe rear wheel ?

shouldn't make a difference, but the parts geeks get pretty specific sometimes. ( dually spindle/hub assy will have a wheel adapter for the offset of the wheel, usually just bolts onto the regular hub/rotor assy)

www.car-part.com ,

enter your specific info, and location ( Mid Atlantic ) with ZIP, you'll get a list of who may have it in your area, CALL FIRST to verify, they'll also have the interchange that tells how many years were the same part. call the closest yard to you, they can probably had it shipped from whomever has it a lot cheaper than you can go get it.

I'm seeing them priced at $100-125 each, which isn't too bad at all, you may get lucky and they'll give ya the whole spindle /hub assy

Those trucks had issues with ball joints anyway, replaced a lot of upper control arms way back when.
Spindles are crash parts, they bend/ break, some times the truck wasn't totaled and they were repaired

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Thanks Blkvoodoo.

Yes its a 2wd C3500, for some reason I can buy parts for either a C30 or C3500. According to Alldata its an 88 C3500 and its the last body style in 88 before they made the switch. In my little mind I'm figureing that I should be able to get parts from an identical Suburban 2500. I cant forsee suspension parts being all that different from a 3/4 ton to a 1 ton truck.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

UPDATE! The old gal is FINALLY coming along. I found parts for it off of the car-part website. Got them locally here in the area, came of an 89 dually. The steering knuckles went on this after noon and tomorrow I'm due for an alignment and inspection. So I'll have her back on the road tomrrow!! YYYAAYY

Thanks to all who's helped!