Shimmy

Define "...checked the CV joints...". And you're sure this is not an engine miss?

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Temperature

David your problem sounds like a worn out inner cv joint, If you were to cut the strap that secures the boot to the joint and peak in at the grease I would bet it is all rusted up. The one that normally causes this problem is the passenger side but the drivers side will also cause this problem.

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

I'll put it on jack stands and take another look at the CV joints. They feel tight and the boots are fine, but that doesn't mean they aren't rusted up inside. Several years ago I replaced a half-shaft on my son's Mazda and in about 500 miles it was shaking the car badly at all speeds. It was caused by the inner joint. We had to replace the shaft again. I'm convinced that they forgot to put any grease in that inner joint and it promptly ate its self. I'll let you know what I find.

Well Glenn's post makes three votes to look at the CV joints again. :)

Aftermarket rebuilt half shafts are know for poor quality control - not unusual at all to get a bad one. NAPA used to be known for controlling the selection and quality of their suppliers - I don't know if that's still the case - I know I found it to be true with rebuilt alternators (compared to, say, Advance Auto Parts) a couple of years ago - may still be true with half shafts.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Bill, I turned in a bunch of cores the other day and the guy that takes them to the company that rebuilds them told me a little story of what the rebuilder does. One company in New Jersey Sprays the brushes with a cleaner and paints them and that's it!!!! Out to the stores they go.A/C compressors done the same way. That's why I would never buy a rebuilt unit from anyone in the aftermarket. I'm sure there are some companies out there that rebuild correctly but you cant beat an OEM part, new or rebuilt.

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

one thing u can do is remove the belts and drive the car that might help tell you if the accessory drive stuff is the cause i also know the trans in those cars had a lock up issue with the trans at about

45mph

David Dowell wrote:

Understood. However, with just a little bit of due diligence, the regional auto parts stores could ferret out the bad suppliers. I bought a rebuilt alt. for a Cadillac I used to own from Advance. The rebuilder was useing plastic fans in place of the original metal ones. Only problem was that the fan was compressed between the pulley and the shaft step, and with heat and revs, the plastic would cold flow and expand (centrifical force) so the pulley would start spinning on the shaft. The fan eventually exploded and left the pulley free to rotate on the shaft. The next two were from the same rebuilder, and they had replaced the plastic fan with a very cheesy metal one - they both also failed. After the third one failed, I demanded my money back and went to NAPA and paid a little more for one that was obviously better made and that never gave problems (not to say that higher price at NAPA always gets you a better part - brake booster - same part number from same builder $101 from NAPA, $85 from Advance). But I guarantee that NAPA would not keep a supplier like that that had rebuilt the three alternators I had for the Caddy.

But you're right - for certain items, OEM is definitely the way to go. But there are exceptions to that. For example - have you ever compared the aftermarket toe adjuster sleeves for the LH cars to the aftermarket part - a world of difference. The OEM part is designed to fail (take a look at my post, complete with photos, in this thread on the 300M forums:

I will also go with aftermarket evaporator on my Concorde due to huge difference in price, and what appears to be an improved (relative to the OEM) aftermarket part. ctually the aftermarket has two parts avialable (same guarantee) - one that is the OEM part, the other an improved design. Also many/most suspension parts for my LH car pretty much are the OEM part at much better prices.

Bottom line - you can't just make a rule, like "Always go aftermarket", or "Always go OEM". You have to use some discernment on each and every part.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Oh yea, with out a doubt, There are parts I would buy after market such as a tie rod adjuster, they are probably made by Moog anyhow, the same company that makes them for Chrysler. But at the dealer we cant put an aftermarket part on a vehicle unless it is not available from Chrysler ( warranty issues) As far as An aftermarket Evap!!! Nope I would never use one . Reason being the 12/12000 mile warranty that I can give my customers versus what ever the after market gives if there is one. If I had to take a guess I would say the aftermarket Evap is built better then the OEM but the warranty is better.But as far as pricing goes we get discounts on all parts purchased thru the dealer which helps to stop buying the Aftermarket stuff

...or TRW - one owns the other anyway. But is clearly a much different (better) part.

Even if the aftermarket part is clearly a better part. Too bad.

Uh - both aftermarket units I mentioned earlier for my LH car - 1 year warranty. So if it's better, and has the same warranty (which I'm not sure means a whole lot - yeah may or may *not* be an indicator of quality - considering the amount of labor involved in a replacement),

*now* which do you buy for yourself?

Nope - same warranty.

I bet that the prices everyone can get thru a discount dealer with an internet presence will give Joe Blow as good a price as you can get with your employee discount.

As an experiment, go to

(or any one of a number of similar sites selling OEM parts) and plug in a few DC part numbers for medium- to high-dollar items and see what price it comes back with (and trading off shipping cost for sales tax). Then compare that to what you would pay with your employee discount. I'd be interested in the results.

Also - careful what you post - you might get in trouble with your job. DC has come down hard on employees who frequent forums. I doubt they have a reach on you, but your dealer sure does (indirect link).

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

>

I dont own an LH so I wouldnt have to use one, but if I did I would go with Mopar. They would at least pay the labor and part if it were to fail within

12/12k.

Does the after market pay the labor to reinstall??

Not to sure about that with newer vehicles, but im sure on E Bay you can beat the price big time on the older ones.

We get 10% over cost, im happy with that.

I dont work for Chrysler,.I work at a dealer. They cant tell me I cant go into these forums. I use my name on here and if they want they can contact me very easy at work. I have had some E mail from the corporate headquarters at Chrysler Ask me questions pertaining to problems that I replied back to and also some to get input from certain products out in the field. There was also one of our training instructors in here at one time but since he went to Toyota I havent seen him in here. But anyway, I dont badmouth them.

No - labor would of course not be covered. I'm surprised to find that it would be at a dealer. But still - the out-the-door price would be ridiculous I think - I'll take the risk for the difference in price.

Ebay is too much of a hassle IMO - plus too risky (unless you have confidence in the seller - some of the ratings are suspect). I'm just talking on-line dealer vs. dealer down the street.

Not sure what that works out to be. Here is what I have found: The on-line dealer price is typically 20% below DC's published list. the dealer within sight of my house sells for 10% *OVER* list to everyone - unbelievable. They don't even discount to local body shops (according to a shop I have dealt with - they order their stuff from a dealer 100 miles away that delivers to their door in their own truck!). So - compared to my local dealer, the discount dealer with internet presence is 30% lower than the dealer (again sales tax vs. shipping is about a wash).

I was in the local dealer last weak getting some "nickel and dime" door panel fasteners (the "christmas tree"/"mushroom" green/white fasteners - they charged over $2 for one, over $3 for another, and I needed several

- I'll never do that again! I laughed in their face when they told me the price, and they also had signs posted all over the dealership saying that they were having a 10% off sale on all parts that week - which brought them down to full list - woopee!

Discussing pricing, employee discounts, and the like is the kind of thing that would get a direct employee in trouble. I bet we could come up with some stuff that you would be more than hesitant to discuss. :)

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

I dont deal with E bay either but have seen what appears to be good deals.

Im sure you could.

Mopar warranties Labor on replacement parts "ONLY" If installed at the dealer. If you install it yourself or have a shop install the part, you only get warranty for the part for 12 months.

The savings of DIY will way more than make up for the risks introduced by giving up any such warranties IMO.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')