front caliper dust boots (guide pin kit) idiocy ...

[fenixus]

hehe, I couldn't prevent myself, so posting here to let you know what craziness Duralast is serving customers via Autozone

so, I wanted to replace front caliper dust/anchor boots (rubber with metal flange) on front calipers. Just replaced mine on V6 recently with a Duralast part H16096 from Autozone, purchased like a year ago or so (yeah I'm that lazy) and wanted to get the same part for wife's 5s-fe (same front brakes on both of my solaras '00 i4 & '02 v6) and do this one as well

This how the part "looked" alike in past, actually Autozone part picture still shows the right thing:


so I picked up the SAME part from Autozone, just to realize that despite part number is same as in past, the parts inside the bag are ... different, they actually do not even look like the ones in picture on Autozone website anymore

namely, in the pouch stamped with Duralast logo and correct part number H16096 was something looking like this Raybestos, which doesn't fit at all (rubber non-metal dust boots, large bushings for something else):


went back to store and tried exchanging it for correct parts (rubber with metal flange) and ... they do not have it anymore ...!! all of them look same, just rubber, 4 dust boots and 2 large rubber o-rings (God knows for what) and no pin bushings in it at all

eventually had to return it for a refund, as the guy called the warehouse and they sad, all of those parts are "supposed" to fit my cars (they don't!) and they have no idea why they are different now

considered OEM parts (47775-02040), but 4 pieces of dust boot come up to $25+s/h while the kit (4 dust boots + 2 bushings) cost me in Autozone like $7.99 in past (now the new one from Mars is $9.99)

... so considering getting the Wagner kit H18050 from rockauto.com, like this:


question is this, do I get what is in picture only? meaning one side only (2 dust boots + 1 bushing) at $8.27 each side + s/h, or they are sold per axle (like the old Duralast kit or Wagner rear end kit)? anybody knows?

[Stillrunning]

I rarely shop at Autozone.

[fenixus]

yeah, trust me, so do I, but for this they used to be good in past
and now ... oh well ... not good anymore I guess

emailed, rockauto support if their Wagner kit comes for 1 corner or for front axle.

Originally Posted by Stillrunning

I rarely shop at Autozone.

[fenixus]

it's getting better and better ...

Good evening,

The kit is sold per caliper, as pictured. You would need a quantity of 2 to do both calipers on an axle.

Thank you,

Derek
RockAuto Customer Service

[ajkalian]

Sadly it's not just Autozone. When I did my rear brakes the brake lines I got from Autozone were nothing like the OEM ones that came off the car. Neither were the ones from Kragen/O'reiley. Both Kragen and Autozone had the same wrong brake lines.

When I did the Timing Belt, I replaced the A/C and P/S belts with Duralast belts. They squealed on startup, and I figured it would go away after they broke in. It didn't get better. It got worse. I tried belt dressing, nothing helped. I went to Napa and bought some Gates belts, and the noise went away, and never came back. Gates belts Duralast belts .

I've had similar bad experiences on other parts, so I'm a lot more careful now when ordering parts.

I've been an Autozone customer for many, years, and always trusted them to give me the correct part at a good price. I considered people that ragged on Autozone to be "parts snobs". Not any more.

.

[JohnGD]

I did a search of H16096 on rockauto. At least the one with this number is for Hyundai Accent. I don't know how Duralast managed to get one into a box meant for the Solara.

As you found out, rockauto doesn't list anything else other than Wagner. So I went on O'Reilly and got Dorman HW16086. I then searched the part on rockauto and found the $8.90 kit (for an axle it looks like):

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=963626

Looks like Dorman's catalog shows the same:
http://www.dormanproducts.com/p-6646-hw16086.aspx

[fenixus]

Autozone sucks more and more with every year ... even their oil change deals (with FRAM crap filter) and stupid stuff like wiper blades deals suck big times when compared to other chain stores deals... nothing good about them anymore except for a free loaner tool program (even that started to suck as they no longer have all tools available when I need them)... that ship is sinking ...

sorry about the brake hoses. it must have sucked to learn the mistake the hard way ... what did you get instead to replace the old ones with?

thank you John, I think I will get the Dorman part number kit you found. it looks exactly same as the old Duralast kit (still pictured on Autozone website under H16096).
EDIT: ordered.

and by the way, Bosch spark plugs, spark plug wires and Water Pumps and Duralast belts all suck big times, stay away, no exceptions. ask me how I know.

[pmesfun]

Originally Posted by fenixus

Autozone sucks more and more with every year ... even their oil change deals (with FRAM crap filter) and stupid stuff like wiper blades deals suck big times when compared to other chain stores deals... nothing good about them anymore except for a free loaner tool program (even that started to suck as they no longer have all tools available when I need them)... that ship is sinking ...

sorry about the brake hoses. it must have sucked to learn the mistake the hard way ... what did you get instead to replace the old ones with?

thank you John, I think I will get the Dorman part number kit you found. it looks exactly same as the old Duralast kit (still pictured on Autozone website under H16096).
EDIT: ordered.

and by the way, Bosch spark plugs, spark plug wires and Water Pumps and Duralast belts all suck big times, stay away, no exceptions. ask me how I know.

Never again will I get a Duralast belt, my dad and a friend spent years trying to figure out why the Duralast belts they kept installing will slip off and squeal till your ears would bleed. When the van was given to me I said enough is enough and bought a $75 Gates double sided ribbed belt and ribbed tensioner and idler pulleys, never had a problem again. Money well spent.

I'm glad you mentioned the Loaner program, I need to check if the closest AZ has a spring compressor available.
BTW the Deeza links came in the mail, they seem like top notch quality. I can barely move the stud around. Although one of them had a couple scratches, maybe they were in a hurry to get them back in stock?

[JohnGD]

Yeah, I've been going to O'Reilly's more and more now. I'm impressed with all the Gates belts O'Reilly's started carrying for one. Their prices are becoming a lot more competitive and they can get some special order items the same afternoon! But location and Autozone's rewards program still make me go through their doors.

[pmesfun]

Originally Posted by JohnGD

Yeah, I've been going to O'Reilly's more and more now. I'm impressed with all the Gates belts O'Reilly's started carrying for one. Their prices are becoming a lot more competitive and they can get some special order items the same afternoon! But location and Autozone's rewards program still make me go through their doors.

There is an Autozone and O'Reilly across the street from each other, 1 mile down the road the same thing, so I have a total of 4 auto parts stores all within a 4-5 minute drive.

[Chris Crash]

I'm typically more inclined (these days) to shop carquest...maybe it's the employee discount, or maybe it's the fact that I can call any dealership and get OEM parts at cost....

Working a parts/tool store has huuuuge benefits, you guys should consider part time jobs at one!

[Mister_Perkins]

The main problem is the people working at the parts stores usuAlly aren't mechanically inclined.

Here in Houston I asked a guy for a pilot bearing remover at autozone and I had to literally draw a picture for him because he didn't know what I was talkin about lol

[ajkalian]

Originally Posted by fenixus

sorry about the brake hoses. it must have sucked to learn the mistake the hard way ... what did you get instead to replace the old ones with?

I ended up getting OEM parts from Gary the ToyotaPartsMan. Check out the differences between Autozone/Kragen and OEM. I guess I could have lived with the differences but it turned out that the Autozone/Kragen brake lines didn't fit. They were too short and didn't line up with the mount on the strut, and would have rubbed on the strut, and caused premature failure.

Here's what the ones from Autozone/Kragen looked like:




And here's what the Stock Toyota OEM's look like.








.

[ajkalian]

Originally Posted by Mister_Perkins

The main problem is the people working at the parts stores usuAlly aren't mechanically inclined.

Here in Houston I asked a guy for a pilot bearing remover at autozone and I had to literally draw a picture for him because he didn't know what I was talkin about lol

Well that's a nice way of putting it. In addition to being clueless they sometimes can be very annoying.

When I did a brake flush, I emptied the used brake fluid into my oil drain pan and took it back to Autozone, as opposed to pouring it on the ground in the back yard, like I used to do. I'm trying to be responsible, don't 'ya know.

Anyway I get to Autozone, give the dweeb the oil drain pan and then go browse the various shine 'em up products on the shelves. The guy comes back and says "WHAT'S IS IN THIS CONTAINER" I looked at him and said, brake fluid and motor oil. He said quite red faced "WE CANNOT TAKE BRAKE FLUID". I mentioned that I had brought in brake fluid before. He said, "WE NEVER TAKE BRAKE FLUID". Seemed odd to me how a couple quarts of brake fluid could possible contaminate a 400 gallon tank of used oil, but what do I know.

So I had to leave with my container of Brake Fluid. Fortunately there was a Kragen right down the street. So I go in there and the dweeb says, "our tank is full, you will have to come back later"

The back yard is looking pretty good right about now. But trying to be a good citizen I go off to the local dump where they have a recycling station. I fill out the paperwork, drive over to where all the drums are, and get out with my little container of brake fluid. The guy looks at me like I got two heads. "What do you have in the container" he asks. I tell him brake fluid. He says, "why didn't you take it to an autoparts store?" I tell him they don't take brake fluid, and he looks as confused as I was. He just shakes his head, and dumps my brake fluid into a 55 gallon of, you guessed it. Used motor oil.

.

[Mister_Perkins]

lol .. Yup I totally agree man.

And I had the exact same problem with the brake hoses. I replaced one that collapsed, and the Mounting hole was on the wrong side