rockauto.com vs local parts store?

I’m not generally in a rush for parts, waiting a few days isn’t an issue. That said, comparing prices between local and Rock, Rock prices are usually much better for same parts, even factoring in shipping the price is usually several dollars less. I get to pick what I want over various price points, I don’t have to deal with someone who is rushed, or having a bad day or what ever, and I don’t have to wait for weekend warrior to figure out what they really want.

If you need something obscure or a specific part over normal offerings, good luck finding it easily on Advance website ( good luck dealing with a human IN STORE ) the search function sucks, and if you do end up finding it, it’s considerably more expensive and it isn’t in stock anywhere and must be ordered anyway.

I hate that Advance gobbled up CarQuest and reduced them to commercial back counter operation. The good parts people were the ones who had the ability and knowledge to go to the book if needed. Not all stores have the books anymore.
 
RA just delivered a tie rod end and three pair of windshield wipers to my door for less than AutoZone wanted for the TRE alone.

Check Walmart for fluids. They're often a lot cheaper than the parts store.
 
77GreenMachine said:
What do you mean by this? In my area I don’t know of anything but the big 4. Advance Auto, Auto Zone, Orielly, Napa, and there might be a CarQuest somewhere? While I’m faithfully loyal to Orielly myself, I don’t know of any mom and pop locally owned “parts stores”
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exactly that. Not a chain store, but locally owned. Kings Mountain Auto Supply. Owned by Putnam Distributors. They can get almost anything in a day or so. Guys behind the counter only have to use the computer to order something they don’t have on the shelf in the back. They know what they have in stock and what they will have to order in their heads.

Last week I was in there to get oil change stuff. 5 qts for my truck, 3 qts of 10w30, and 2 purolator 10241 filters. Guy knew I was changing the oil in my truck and lawnmower just by what I grabbed. He knew the 10241 will fit most Briggs and Kohler lawnmower engines.
 
@BrianGreen unfortunately I don’t have anything like that around me. They were all out of of business by the chain stores.
sounds like the good local hardware stores, which I’d much rather support than Lowe’s/HD.
I remember a place like that as a kid. Pretty sure it was a locally owned CarQuest. But it went out of business as soon as Advance came to town.
 
Back to the OP's original question. I'm with Jody - I'd buy a CPS from the dealer, no question. But for other small electrical parts, I haven't found an aftermarket supplier that I like consistently. Standard Motor Products has generally been good (available through RA), but IIRC they made the fan speed switch that I swapped into Cyd's jeep, and it's a mushy piece of intermittent shit.
 
looks like @Jody Treadway and @shawn one this! As much as it is going to hurt my feelings dropping that amount on such a small thing they are right. I don't need any issues with it especially if there is potential that my daughter will be in the jeep with me. I don't want to be stranded with the most important thing of all and something bad happen. Thanks for all your guys help. I will more then likely just go to one of the parts stores for the other stuff. I also normally use advanced 25% off ordering online and just going to pick it up.
 
Definitely buy the OEM sensor. It's a critical engine sensor, and isn't worth trying to save money to gamble with early failures, phase/jitter issues that cause intermittent problems, etc. Crank position and cam position are nothing to mess with, just get the proper one and sleep better at night. I don't even own a Jeep, but this advice is the same regardless of brand.

But, if you don't need it right away, order from one of the online OEM parts dealers to save money. Some of the aftermarket parts places like Morris (just as an example, I don't really know) often carry common OEM parts as well.

Find the OEM part number and start looking around.
 
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I learned the hard way with the tps sensors that go ahead and drop the money for a mopar one. I replace mine with a cheap one the first time and by the time I drove 20 minutes it was bad already. I did clean the throttle body when I replaced it.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 
84jimmy said:
called the dealer and they said $150 and will be here next week. He gave me the MOPAR part # and with a quick search I found it on summit for $103. Shipping time about the same so I went an ordered through summit. Off to install the motor finally!
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If you ordered through Summit and it's in-stock, you'll probably have it tomorrow if it's coming out of the McDonough (Atlanta) warehouse. That's one of the joys of Summit; if it's stocked at McDonough and you hit the order cutoff time, ground shipping is basically overnight shipping.
 
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Chris_Keziah said:
That's why I end up ordering service stuff through Amazon. After working in a parts store for years I trust nothing that their computers say they have.

The T6 I just bought on Amazon was $22/gal btw.
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And Amazon will take damn near anything back.

I'm a pretty big fan of RockAuto as Phillip was saying, but the cost savings are moot if you EVER need to return anything.

I've gotten to the point where I don't get much from auto parts stores unless it's something I need now or just doesn't make sense to order online (just bought an AGM battery from Advance bc if I need to warranty it I know there's a metric shit-ton of them nationwide if I'm out wheeling). I'm typically ordering from RA, Amazon or if I need an OEM part and not available many places, I'll order from my BIL at Parks Chebby in K-ville.

shawn said:
Check Walmart for fluids. They're often a lot cheaper than the parts store.
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84jimmy said:
@Jody Treadway & @shawn any advise on my radiator option? There is only 1 reply and I am thinking to just go with the non-aluminum tank with two rows
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Get a quality one as opposed to just based on beoing aluminum. Many of the economy aluminum ones are garbage import.
True story- my former race MJ had a 4.8 liter stroker. Ran it at high RPMs sustained during ECORS races. Never once got over 220*.
I was running a name brand OEM equiv domestic plastic tank radiator and an OEM water pump.
 
84jimmy said:
@Jody Treadway & @shawn any advise on my radiator option? There is only 1 reply and I am thinking to just go with the non-aluminum tank with two rows
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People hate plastic tanks because the radiator inevitably leaks from the joint where the tank is glued to the radiator body. But IME, that typically doesn't happen until the radiator is 15 or 20 years old. I don't know what the specific options are for the ZJ, but I'd buy the cheapest/thickest OEM one available. Find the one that's sized for towing package plus AC plus auto trans or whatever.
 
NCJeeplover said:
Only thing about ordering on Amazon is the number of knock off parts. They'll look like a factory part but will be cheap chinese crap. I learned that trying to buy Motorcraft coil packs.
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Thankfully I ran across this before ordering coils for shits and giggles.

 
shawn said:
People hate plastic tanks because the radiator inevitably leaks from the joint where the tank is glued to the radiator body. But IME, that typically doesn't happen until the radiator is 15 or 20 years old. I don't know what the specific options are for the ZJ, but I'd buy the cheapest/thickest OEM one available. Find the one that's sized for towing package plus AC plus auto trans or whatever.
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Yeah, generally there's nothing wrong with a nylon/PA66 endtank for a stock replacement if it's a quality radiator. I had the OEM rad tank fail on my Subaru at 20k miles and 2 years old, but that car was also subjected to -20degF Colorado temps when it happened. My other Subaru has never had an issue with the same winter conditions, and now has 160k miles.
 
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I no longer buy much, but get oils / fluids, at Walmart. Most other stuff, at Advance, & order on-line, as long as I can find what I want. Store "indicated" In stock, is usually right. 20-25% off! I have used Rock Auto, but find their parts, Very difficult to navigate! Maybe it's just me. bought 1 set of shocks through them, but had to call & get assistants. When I bought my new truck, I ordered 6 AC/Delco oil filters from them. The more Quantity, the lower the price. Haven't checked, but I don't think Advance or others, will do that. Last month, I reordered my oil filters, & also got the factory air filter & cabin filter. My orders arrive in 3-5 days. I have tried to price check RA on other items, but being Unable to find them, I just went on to Advance.
 
shawn said:
RA just delivered a tie rod end and three pair of windshield wipers to my door for less than AutoZone wanted for the TRE alone.

Check Walmart for fluids. They're often a lot cheaper than the parts store.
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shelby27604 said:
Yeah, but then I have to go to walmart....which pretty much guarantees I will be pissed off for the rest of the day.
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I always enter and leave the local walmarts/cary/apex through the garden center and avoid the crowds in the parking lot and at the main door and check out. The automotive sections are also close to the garden door. I usually grab the stuff I want and check out @ the sports and outdoors register or the garden center.I can be in and out in 5 mins. and i drive in and out from the side/back parking lot w no traffic at all.
I have not been there since the covid BS has made the WMs a zoo. I've been there twice in 3 weeks but both times the backdoors/gate to the garden center were locked.

Iv'e also bought a lot of stuff from rockauto and have no complaints whatsoever so far.
 
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