K Source, Inc. is offering RockAuto customers an exclusive 10% off instant rebate on all OEM Style Replacement Towing Mirrors through the end of September 2019! Simply add the qualifying K Source parts (watch for the yellow "Promotion/Rebate" ) to your cart to immediately save 10% off RockAuto's already reliably low prices.

K Source has been making OE and replacement mirrors for the automotive industry for nearly 70 years. All of their towing mirrors feature factory fit, finish and functions at a fraction of dealer pricing. Simple bolt-on replacements with direct fit plug-n-play wiring harnesses make installation a breeze.

Whether you need to replace a broken mirror or simply want to upgrade your small factory mirrors, RockAuto has K Source solutions. Find K Source mirrors under Outside Mirror & Glass Assembly in the "Body" category of the RockAuto catalog for your specific vehicle.

Tundras.com is a discussion forum for Tundra owners, enthusiasts and modders. Learn about your truck, talk with other owners, show off your Tundra in the free gallery and so much more.

If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact marketing@rockauto.com.

I had been planning on replacing all of the brake lines on my Chevy Silverado for some time, but never got around to doing it. But after a weekend of hauling loads of wood, one of the rear brake lines blew out and forced me to take care of the delayed repair. Since I would be doing all the work anyway, I also decided to replace the front calipers.

I was rushing through the job and not paying much attention. Once I routed all the new lines and put on the new calipers, it was time to bleed everything. But during the bleeding procedure, I noticed I had a ton of fluid pressure in the rear calipers and almost none in the front. Also, the pedal was not getting firm. After about an hour of scratching my head and much colorful language, I discovered that I had routed the brake lines through the proportioning valve incorrectly. But, my story does not end there.

I rerouted the brake lines to the valve and tried bleeding the brakes again. My father and I bled the brakes over and over and over, but the pedal was just not getting firm. I had bled brakes before, but never have I had to bleed them as much as I was. I looked on forums, asked friends who had similar trucks and looked at my brake line routing again; nothing worked. I eventually surmised that it might be the ABS module needing an electronic scan tool to properly bleed. I did not have that type of tool, so I threw in the towel and took the truck to a nearby shop.

The next day I got a call from the mechanic...I could not believe what I had done. I had put the calipers on upside down and on the wrong sides! With the bleeder screws at the bottom of the calipers, no amount of bleeding would have removed the air bubbles from the brake fluid. I had to pay the mechanic $240 to fix my blunder! Do not make the same mistake that I did. Take your time and do not rush a repair.

Cody in New Hampshire

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 email 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 RockAuto 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!

In 1940, what city perched atop a salt mine became the first in the world to apply salt to its roads?

A. Buffalo, New York
B. Detroit, Michigan
C. Salzburg, Austria

Answer below

Gaining insights from a relative handful of anonymous product reviews requires patience and skill at reading between the lines. My wife actually seems to enjoy analyzing reviews to separate out a few useful grains of information from a pile of chaff: "That woman's hiking boot review helps because she likes to wear thick socks like I do..."

Anonymous reviews of replacement auto parts are even sketchier. There are just too many parts and too many vehicle models to ever hope to get a meaningful number of useful reviews for any one part. A shoe store may have five hiking boot styles in ten different sizes that cover most men. RockAuto may have ten alternators with a choice of three amperage outputs that fit just one truck. Reviews of broad part types (alternators, thermostats...) and brands (ACDelco, Stant...) without any specific make, year, model, engine connections are likely to be nothing but vague opinions and biases.

RockAuto's heart icons () turn the extreme specificity of replacement auto parts into an advantage! A heart icon next to a part means it was ordered most frequently and returned least frequently for a specific vehicle. This is actual data from ALL customers facing similar repairs on the same vehicle. Imagine a shoe store that could tell you the hiking boots most preferred by ALL forty-three-year-old women customers who wear a size 9 shoe. Imagine a traditional auto parts store counterperson who could remember the intake plenum gasket most preferred by the 1,258 customers who own 2002 Buick LeSabres (assuming the store even offers more than one gasket choice).

A heart icon next to a part means it was ordered most frequently and returned least frequently

Why doesn't RockAuto only carry the heart icon parts? We certainly do stop selling any parts that customers do not buy and/or frequently return. A big advantage of shopping at RockAuto is that we continue to carry parts that may be less popular (sold less often) but are still needed by some customers (and not frequently returned). For example, a truck may need a less popular high output alternator because it is used as a tow vehicle.

Part popularity is always driven by crucial criteria including fit, performance, durability and price. Fascinatingly (at least to parts people!), parts popularity may change with vehicle age and other subtleties. For my daughter's '05 Ford Mustang, there are currently more heart icons next to the premium and performance brakes. The heart icons will probably gradually move to the economy brakes as many '05 Mustangs move into their twilight years when owners are just trying to eke out remaining miles.

As time goes by, the heart icons might move back to the performance brakes as the remaining '05 Mustangs become more likely to be treasured heirlooms. For some vehicles, premium parts may become more popular over time because they fit/perform better when bolted to other parts that are worn or aged. For example, the premium belt tensioner might be the best choice if the alternator and water pump pulleys and bearings are heavily worn. That is what makes heart icons great. They are based on data that automatically reflects the myriad things ALL customers purchasing that part for that vehicle have taken into account.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Toms articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

This is my 1970 Dodge Challenger base hardtop. I recently finished a restoration of it in which I did most of the work myself using parts from RockAuto (front and rear suspension parts, engine gaskets, water pump, timing chain kit, clutch kit, all brake parts, axle bearings and seals, replacement bulbs, filters and more) as much as possible. My Challenger is a standard equipment model with only one factory option, the Go-Mango orange paint color. It still has its original numbers matching 225 Slant 6 engine with just 56,000 miles. During the restoration, I replaced the 3 speed manual transmission with a 4 speed overdrive manual transmission sourced from a 1981 Dodge Ram 150 cargo van.

The car runs and drives as fantastic as it looks, and with the Slant-6/overdrive combination, I can afford to drive it as much as I want due to its excellent fuel economy! Out on the road it sure gets a lot of attention from other drivers. I cannot pass another classic vehicle without getting waved at.

Brett in California (RockAuto customer for over 2 years)

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets, RockAuto social media or other commercial use. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@RockAuto.com with your vehicles history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

In 1940, what city perched atop a salt mine became the first in the world to apply salt to its roads?

A. Buffalo, New York
Answer: B. Detroit, Michigan (source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/2/140212-road-salt-shortages-melting-ice-snow-science/)
C. Salzburg, Austria

Back up to trivia question