parts house foe suspension parts

[tomiaccino]

looking for a reputable parts house for upper and lower ball joints and bushings and steering linkage

[SteinOnkel]

I like Auto Ricmabi's kit. Seemed like quality components, installed easily.

After about two years I did notice a bit of rust on the ball joints where exposed. That's a bit of a bummer, so maybe clearcoat them before you put them in. Not that it matters or that anybody else will ever see it.

[RRoller123]

AR is probably the most reputable supplier around, in my experience.

[DieselSpider]

The Forums Sponsor Vick AutoSports is very good too. Its not a bad idea to throw some business to the Hand That Feeds You from time to time. I try to mix it up between local parts stores, Vicks, AR and Oberti.

I just had my clutch cable bind in the pedal fork and snap again but went local with AutoZone since they will get me the Pioneer Brand CA-251 Cable the next day for $19.99 with no shipping or handling charges required.

I did try to weld the end back on but my welder is just not up to the task and gas welding it would get the jacket too hot. Anyways I got more practice on the 10 to 15 minute job of swapping out the clutch cable since I made 3 attempts to weld it back on.

[tomiaccino]

so i checked out the Vick's site
Do you have to call them to get prices on the kits
they seemed to price everything individually??

[DieselSpider]

so i checked out the Vick's site
Do you have to call them to get prices on the kits
they seemed to price everything individually??

They have the kits most asked for which are the complete sets of A-Arms all set up with new ball joints, bushings, etc completely assembled and ready to install which for $235 is not a bad deal. Ball joints are in pairs and control arm bushings are individual unless you want to convert to the performance versions which are sold as a kit since when converting you need to replace them all. You could call them and speak with them about other options not listed on their site but most will go with the Prima 1 Kit and be done with it getting all new arms ready to install with the added plus of having the upgraded lower shock mount that makes it easier to deal with adjustable shock absorbers.

See: https://www.vickauto.com/FIAT-PARTS/FIA ... KU-65-5397

[SteinOnkel]

The Forums Sponsor Vick AutoSports is very good too. Its not a bad idea to throw some business to the Hand That Feeds You from time to time. I try to mix it up between local parts stores, Vicks, AR and Oberti.

I just had my clutch cable bind in the pedal fork and snap again but went local with AutoZone since they will get me the Pioneer Brand CA-251 Cable the next day for $19.99 with no shipping or handling charges required.

I did try to weld the end back on but my welder is just not up to the task and gas welding it would get the jacket too hot. Anyways I got more practice on the 10 to 15 minute job of swapping out the clutch cable since I made 3 attempts to weld it back on.

Ah, this. Speaking of AR.

I was on the phone with someone there a few months ago after I expressed my dissatisfaction with a clutch cable that broke apart after about 500 miles of use. Turns out, the issue is the pedal itself. They sold me a new one at a discount and gave me the clutch cable for free.

The cables should last 100k+ miles no problem. I suspect your issue is in the pedal as well. The broken ones will install fine, but they don't allow the head of the cable to move as much as it would like. And then they break off.

As for welding cables like that, I have stopped trying. Even with a mig setup it simply can't be done.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Like Dieselspider, I try to mix it up with Vick Auto, AR, Chris Obert (fiatplus.com), and I'll also put a plug in for Midwest-Bayless, as they have been very helpful in finding some used parts for me (most recently a countershaft for a '69 transmission).

I also use eBay, but it can be one of those "let the buyer beware" situations, so I use that route only for relatively cheap, hard to find used parts.

-Bryan

[DieselSpider]

Like Dieselspider, I try to mix it up with Vick Auto, AR, Chris Obert (fiatplus.com), and I'll also put a plug in for Midwest-Bayless, as they have been very helpful in finding some used parts for me (most recently a countershaft for a '69 transmission).

I also use eBay, but it can be one of those "let the buyer beware" situations, so I use that route only for relatively cheap, hard to find used parts.

-Bryan

Yes "Let the eBayer Beware" Indeed!

[DieselSpider]

The Forums Sponsor Vick AutoSports is very good too. Its not a bad idea to throw some business to the Hand That Feeds You from time to time. I try to mix it up between local parts stores, Vicks, AR and Oberti.

I just had my clutch cable bind in the pedal fork and snap again but went local with AutoZone since they will get me the Pioneer Brand CA-251 Cable the next day for $19.99 with no shipping or handling charges required.

I did try to weld the end back on but my welder is just not up to the task and gas welding it would get the jacket too hot. Anyways I got more practice on the 10 to 15 minute job of swapping out the clutch cable since I made 3 attempts to weld it back on.

Ah, this. Speaking of AR.

I was on the phone with someone there a few months ago after I expressed my dissatisfaction with a clutch cable that broke apart after about 500 miles of use. Turns out, the issue is the pedal itself. They sold me a new one at a discount and gave me the clutch cable for free.

The cables should last 100k+ miles no problem. I suspect your issue is in the pedal as well. The broken ones will install fine, but they don't allow the head of the cable to move as much as it would like. And then they break off.

As for welding cables like that, I have stopped trying. Even with a mig setup it simply can't be done.

I found that the barrel on some of the new clutch cables are a little larger in diameter than the old ones so not a perfect fit in the OEM pedal. I will pay closer attention this time and be sure that the fit is correct before fully assembling it. I only addressed the width of the slot which was too tight and didn't pay attention to the diameter where the barrel seats when I put the cable in a few years back. Almost wish I had gotten the lifetime cable as they were only a few dollars more back then. Now a lifetime BeckAndArnly clutch cable is about $60.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Like Dieselspider, I try to mix it up with Vick Auto, AR, Chris Obert (fiatplus.com), and I'll also put a plug in for Midwest-Bayless, as they have been very helpful in finding some used parts for me (most recently a countershaft for a '69 transmission).

I also use eBay, but it can be one of those "let the buyer beware" situations, so I use that route only for relatively cheap, hard to find used parts.

-Bryan

Yes "Let the eBayer Beware" Indeed!

Agreed, it's not for the faint of heart, but I did manage to score off eBay a 124 dashboard, used but in excellent shape, for the princely sum of $100 with free shipping. Same thing with two heavy gauge steel rocker panels for $80 total with free shipping. Required a bit of trimming where the jack slots are on the underside, but otherwise worked fine.

I know people crack on eBay, but there are deals out there if you know what you're looking for and what you're willing to pay. But, tread carefully as there are tons of people wanting to sell you used engine bearings for more than they cost new. They're vintage, I guess, complete with vintage gouges on the bearing surfaces....

-Bryan