Got a Cliff around?

[78 Chevyrado]

Let me tell something to everybody who thinks buying NOS GM parts is a waste of time.  You're DEAD wrong.  You get what you pay for period.period.period.

Bout ready to roll that truck off a dang cliff.  I knew aftermarket was crap 10 years ago but figured it had improved.

the outside door handle broke, the inside window crank handle broke because of the super-crappy window regulator that was screwed up when it was new.

seals on the rear hubs won't seal to the axle tube.  (both are PERFECTLY round) with no reason it shouldn't seal which has contaminated the brake shoes to where if it's the least bit damp you can't stop without totally locking down the new back tires (awesome)

Trans losing 2nd gear, Sometimes it works right sometimes it doesn't.  that's not the biggest peeve but it gets 10 times worse when everything else goes wrong.

the right sun visor broke off.  Don't ask, I wasn't being rough on it.....

the AC has a leak that moves around everytime I fix it, so no AC and can't roll the window down.

I cant for the life of me get a set of tires that are round.  do retards design and manufacutre tires nowaday?  I know my dad bought a $900 set of tires for his truck and they replaced 7 before he got 4 good tires.  My tires were fine for 50 miles, now they're worse than the set I replaced because of being out of round.  I'm about ready to put 255/50/16 on it like the focus because for some reason car tires seem to do better than LT tires.

Everything except the tires was whatever parts you can get that aren't NOS GM.  I'll NEVER build another vehicle of any kind without the right stuff.  If factory stuff isn't available, i'm not messing with it.  for once though, the only thing that seems to look right is the door and fender (goodmark)  that's excluding some of the trim and the year one hood would be alright if I could get a set of round (circle shaped) tires that don't shake the crap out of it.

The outer door handle started all this, then everything else, all within a 1 hour span.  I can't handle that.  If it keeps up, it's goin out by the road bet on that.  it'll be in the gargae for a while either way. 

I put all that $$ and time and effort into it and some of it was apperently for nothing.  I'd rather have an ugly rusty truck that functions perfectly than any pretty truck that dont.

Maybe I'll get the tractor running and just drive it everywhere.

I'm gonna go cut a tree down with an axe...

[Captkaos]

Kenny,
It sounds like you are having a really bad day...

[VileZambonie]

Well if you think oe equipment is so great then why would you ever have to replace it? Many aftermarket parts are BETTER than oe. Many aftermarket parts are junk. Bottom line is buyer beware. If you're bent on the hassles of restoration maybe you should buy a new vehicle. These trucks aren't exactly perfect to begin with. Perhaps you're just venting but it sounds like you have no patience.

[78 Chevyrado]

I don't have much patience especially doing a job twice that I did correctly to begin with.   I'm frustrated with it and I never learn.  Mainly The stuff I replaced that was oe was just a matter of cracked or pitted chrome, etc.  I'll be putting my old door handles back on either way.  I just get ill quick with this sort of thing.  I just hoped to fix it up, drive it and do maintenance.  I just have to buy a new regulator and wait till another '91 suburban with red interior comes through the u-pull-it.  I haven't run across something like these door handles and regulators before and it sucks.  I know you guys know all about it, the good and the bad, I'm just having a bad day.  and venting, I'd have liked to push the truck off a cliff with the trailer behind it and the tractor on it.

I found out how bad the brakes grab earlier.  I'm driving down the road and out from behind this bush comes this woman being chased by cops.  I almost hit her and the cop saw me and jumped back.  I hit the brakes and the back locked and sideways I went and stopped about 15-20 feet from where she tripped in the road before she got up to run again.  I did get satisfaction though watching her get bodyslammed and sat on while they cuffed her and drug her off.  I think she hit one of the cops.  She wasn't fighting anymore after all that.  NOBODY got hurt, but that added to everything else. 

So I go put the truck up and get out the tractor to go pull out a small tree.  well there was a piece of wood I didn't see and got caught in the 3 point hitch just right to scrape the valve stem off the back tire.   so now that will be another $100 to get a new tube and have the guys change it out since it's water-filled.   I just put a new tube in a front tire 2 weeks ago. 

Ok that didn't work, so I'll work on the old tractor, but guess again.  I go to take out a 5/16" bolt and the ratchet is stripped out, it wasn't yesterday that I know of, now a trip to sears (35 miles). 

I feel a bit better now, I guess.  I won't be bored for a little while it seems.  I'm scared to touch the car to drive it though.....   I haven't had one of these days in like 8 years, I don't think I'm doing much of anything for a few days.  I guess I get used to everything basically going right.  Why does it happen at one time like that?  I didn't even want a beer.  That's bad.  I think I through whining now...lol  I better be!

[VileZambonie]

Well  maybe you need a beer. Sit back have a cold one and look it over. When something frustrates you the best thing to do is say $#%& it and walk away. Come back when you're cool and take a new perspective on it.

[Stewart G Griffin]

i've had problems with tires being out-of-round among other things since around 92 or so:

a) i think it's mainly the cheaper brands---and that's another thing---goodyear, firestone etc used to be top notch, now they're 2nd even 3rd 4th tier brands.  i've never had a problem with Michelin.  Kumho looks good also.  i think these days you have to go higher priced for quality.  More on this in a sec.

b) i also think tire shaving is unfortunately, a lost art;  This would solve many of the problems from the start---the dealer/installer could make sure the tires are round before selling them.  If an individual has a machine at home, they could correct almost any out of round problem and extend the usefulness of almost any tire.

c) tying in with "a,"  USA isn't #1 anymore when it comes to tires in my opinion.  So not only is the american auto industry in trouble, we've lost top spot in tires as well.
i did, however, get a "cornell" brand from pepboys for the truck recently and it is decent--no complaints.  i don't know where/who makes it.

[smitty77]

I don't have much patience especially doing a job twice that I did correctly to begin with.   I'm frustrated with it and I never learn.  [Rant deleted to save bandwidth]  I think I through whining now...lol  I better be!

That's where this quote came from:  When it rains, it pours.

It always comes at once, no matter how hard you try.  A guy I used to work with owned a horse farm on the side.  one of his weekends went like this:

1 ) Got up Saturday to do some chores.
2 ) While a customer was dropping off a horse to be boarded, they took down a small utility pole with the horse trailer, cutting off power to the barn.
3 ) Took out the backhoe to try and get the pole back up, turned a corner and blew a rear tire.
4 ) Walked into the barn, saw another customer's horse that didn't look too good, so he calls the owner.  Owner on vacation, no contact, calls the vet anyway.
5 ) Vet comes over, asks for a big flashlight to do the exam (no power in the barn).  Buddy can't find a flashlight that works.
6 ) Farrier is doing Saturday work shoeing horses, gets kicked in the jaw.  Goes down for the count.  Horse left with 3 shoes until Monday.
7 ) Vet finished with exam, asks for a hose to wash his hands .  Sillcock breaks off in vet's hand.
8 ) Buddy gets fed up, tells family they're going to dinner.  They all jump in the truck and find it doesn't turn over, someone left the lights on last time it was driven.

My buddy said he would have shot himself, but the way his luck was going he figured the gun would jam.

You're not the only one who gets it shoved up their behind all at once.  Have a beer and hope the sun comes up tomorrow!

[The dream]

Kick back put "three little birds" on the stereo and relax 

[Skunksmash]

I know what you mean man, aftermarket parts can really suck. I am not impressed with a bunch of them that i have bought.

[78 Chevyrado]

I feel better now, it's not so bad, but it'll sit for a bit if nothing else because I need the battery for the tractor...lol  The tractor is going good at least.  I got all my parts on the way.  When that happens it gets to me sometimes, I don't even like watching it happen to others.  Tomorrow was better...

[Skunksmash]

Just to clarify, we are talking about the truck in your avatar, right? If so i think the problem is that they are getting so old that even GM is outsourcing their parts to other companies that might not offer the same quality. One example is my door seals. I ended up having to buy a set from the chevy dealer, but the part turned out to be made by a company called precision. I was really hoping to get an OEM part. I was a little peeved about that, but hey... nothing you can do at that point. Just have to work with what is available.

[JohnnyMac333]

I agree with Skunkmash. Outsourcing is pretty much the problem with EVERYTHING right now. That goes for tires too. It goes for all manufacturing. People wonder why the economy is falling out from under us, all the while Big Business is sending our money overseas. Or south of the border. No one sees the connection between an emerging and rapidly growing middle class in China and India while middle class americans are laid off and lose their homes. Now, I am not saying I see either or those countries ever reaching the world superpower status that at least once was held by the U.S., but I can certainly see us losing our grip on it fast and maybe taking up their status as a third world country ourselves. The simple fact is that economy is based on resources, and there is essentially always the same amount of wealth in world; it is just a matter of distribution.

And when you do the math on that, what it adds up to is a zero sum game, in which every bit of capital we send to these countries overseas directly correlates to loss over here. They have that money, we dont, simple as that. Metaphorically speaking, we are selling the dirt we are standing on, and simultanously digging our grave.

I am terribly sorry for my rant; my day has been about as bad as what has been described above, only rather than (just) being my truck, I am dealing with my own problems resulting in this economic crisis we are in. And I have already had SEVERAL beers, before anybody suggests it  hahaha