Westar Auto Parts

Many more hard to find parts just became easy to find with the addition of Westar to the RockAuto catalog. Top quality Westar parts with RockAuto's reliably low prices! Westar builds motor, transmission, and strut mounts, drive shaft center supports, and numerous suspension parts you might think are only available from car dealerships, if they are available at all. For example, restore an air suspension to like new with Westar air springs, or completely replace a failure prone air suspension with a Westar shock absorber conversion kit.

Westar was founded in 1986 in Maryland. Westar's well-equipped R&D department, state-of-the-art endurance test machines and ISO 9001 and TS169469 certified manufacturing facilities help ensure that their parts meet or exceed original equipment specifications in both fit and function.

Maybe you have given up on finding parts for an antique or are considering trading in a late-model vehicle because the parts it needs seem too expensive? Before you despair, open the catalog! Whether you need motor mounts for a 1948 Ford F2, a drive shaft center support for a 2000 GMC K3500, a transmission mount for a 1998 Lexus LX470 or an air compressor for a 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis, find Westar parts under the Engine, Transmission- Manual, Transmission-Automatic, Suspension and Drivetrain categories of the RockAuto catalog.

Forum of the Month

GMT400.com is the ultimate '88-'98 GM truck forum. We cover a range of topics from street and track, to lifted and offroad, to the interior and exterior. By joining, you will be invited to share your wisdom or learn something new. Registering is fast, free and simple! Once you’ve registered share a picture of your truck in "The Member Truck Thread" and introduce yourself in the "Introduction" area and tell us about your truck!

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

One Saturday morning, several of us guys were hanging out at the local store/gas station shooting the breeze. A lady pulled up to the pumps in an old Chevy Caprice, and the owner of the store proceeded to pump the gas for her. A few minutes later, she was still sitting in the car. We realized she was having car trouble.

A couple guys went outside and the next thing you know, the hood of the stalled Caprice was up. But, after a while, it still was not running. Next, someone tried jump-starting the car, but the starter would not turn at all. Then someone started banging on the starter with a hammer - eventually pronouncing the battery and starter as bad. Finally, one of the members of our brain trust had an idea. Our new hero decided to check the fuse panel under the dash. Next thing we know the car started right up!

While checking the fuses, he noticed that the transmission had been in Drive instead of Park the entire time. DUH!

Check the simple and least expensive things first!

Dale in North Carolina

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please e-mail your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

Automotive Trivia

The tire store technician was the first to tell the used car lot owner that the '67 Mustang GT and '86 SVO Mustang he had just bought at auction were not authentic. What might might have tipped the technician off about both cars?

A. Neither car had the original supercharger.
B. Both cars' wheels used four lug nuts.
C. Both cars had disc brakes.


Answer below

Caring for Boots

If you want to meet Mopar fans without needing to turn a wrench, then buy a late-model Dodge Challenger. I have been surprised by the number of friendly Chrysler buffs that come up to me in parking lots and start reminiscing about the Barracuda, Coronet, etc. they own or once owned. Maybe it is the “Plum Crazy” paint on my Challenger, the baldness of my head or the grease under my fingernails, but somehow they know I am one of them.

This century’s Challenger is modern below its retro skin. One of the modern features that may surprise classic car enthusiasts is the abundance of flexible boots/bellows underneath. The independent rear suspensions, common on newer cars, use CV half shafts similar to those found on front wheel drive and four wheel drive vehicles.

Every new vehicle built these days likely has flexible boots protecting CV joints, inner tie rods, struts and/or brake components. The boots are relatively inexpensive, but they usually protect expensive parts. Replacing cracked boots can also require a lot of labor. This leads customers to wonder if there is any routine maintenance that can help boots last longer.

Typical CV, Steering and Brake Caliper Pin Boots

Flexible boots/bellows are usually made from a neoprene-based synthetic rubber recipe. Neoprene is used in all sorts of abusive environments including freeway expansion joints, power line insulation, timing belts, engine mounts and shoe soles. Neoprene-based rubber boots are built to survive underneath a car. They withstand oil, dirt and temperature changes. They are designed to flex multiple times during every mile the car is driven.

Ozone and UV rays are enemies of automotive rubbers and plastics. Underneath the car, boots are mostly hidden from the sun’s UV rays. Neoprene withstands ozone well, and there really isn’t much a car owner can realistically do to protect their boots from the air. Well-intentioned efforts might even backfire. Something like silicone or petroleum jelly smeared on a boot will attract dirt that could cause premature wear inside the boot’s folds. Here are my two tips for making automotive boots last longer.

1. Regularly replace your shocks and/or struts. Shocks/struts control suspension movement. Less extreme suspension movement means less extreme flexing of the CV joint and steering boots. This theory has been quasi-proven by a non-scientific test using my wife’s 1987 Mazda 323. Its CV joint boots split and needed to be replaced twice within a couple of years. I started following the rule of replacing the struts every 50,000 miles (80,000 km) and have not needed to replace the boots since. New shocks/struts also help protect other suspension, brake, steering, etc. parts.
2. Periodically rinse mud, salt and other debris off of boots so it does not start grinding away like sandpaper at the boots’ surfaces. Keeping the boots clean will also make it easier to inspect them for cracks and tears. Catching a cracked boot early and replacing it is the only way to prevent dirt from getting inside and damaging the part the boot is meant to protect.
   

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