Really bad experience with Spicer parts.
I've just has a horrible experience with Spicer parts.
I just replaced almost all the consumable front end suspension components in my truck. I tried to specify Spicer parts as much as possible, as they have a reputation of high quality and good engineering.
My experience has been exactly opposite. I installed new upper and lower ball joints, both sides and new tie rods.
The upper ball joints have bolts that are splined so they are captive in the joint. When I put the supplied nuts on the bolts, two out of four threads stripped on the nuts and/or bolts before it was torqued to specs... on both sides!
With the tie rods, I purchased new tie rod ends and a new connector that goes between the ends. At each end of the connector is a clamp that when tightened keeps the connector from rotating. Tightening the clamp is a nut and bolt. In this case, the supplied clamps were too large causing the bolt to bend and again causing the too soft threads to strip before it was torqued to specs.
The Spicer Chassis division doesn't have a way to contact the company, so I called I called customer service at Affinia, the parent corporation for Spicer, Dana, Raybestos, Wix, Aimco, M-N and others. I tried to tell them what happened, but they were at first only interested in the part numbers, not what happened. When I forced the woman who answered the phone to take down the details of what happened, she was very put out that I wanted to provide that much detail.
Sadly, Spicer also provides the Napa and Car Quest distributors with their chassis components, so it's a challenge to get a different brand. Pep Boy and Kragen's/Schuck's/Checker might have different brands.
In the end I purchased new fasteners or reused the old rusty ones and they of course worked fine.
Anyway, I'm not buying any more Spicer parts if I can help it, and I recommend you do the same.
-dodger
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