A-arm Shafts/Bushings from Rare Parts

I'm in the process of getting back to work on my '65 C20 and am making a plan for the front suspension. The lower A-arm shafts and bushings are unavailable everywhere I've looked, except for one source I ran across. Rare Parts appears to manufacture what I need. Has anyone ordered from them, what did you think? I haven't ruled out a front suspension swap from a later truck yet, I'm still weighing options right now.

Thanks,
Aaron

Welcome back after your 8 year vacation. Sorry I can’t help with Rare Parts, never heard of them.

Thanks, I've dropped in here from time to time, but life happened and other commitments have stalled the progress on my truck for several years now. I'm anxious to do some more wrenching now!

Only thing I know about Rare Parts is that they are expensive.

Did you try NAPA. RARE PARTS is expensive and one of the places Advance and Auto Zone order some parts from and you pay the "upcharge". A bolter her name 3B may be able to give you a lead. Send him a private message.

Thanks, I have tried my local stores including NAPA without any luck. The parts from Rare Parts are expensive, so I don't want to jump in without making sure they are worth it. I will try contacting 3B about any other leads. I like the idea of rebuilding what's there, but in the end it seems I may come out ahead doing a crossmember swap from a newer truck.

The Moog catalog shows C20 & C10 the same. Part # K6147.

George

That Moog part number must apply to the later trucks. The shaft assembly on mine are different than those, mine have a cast or forged center section that bolts to the crossmember with 4 bolts.

Could yours be a c30? The 1 ton with heavy duty axles had one like you describe.
George

The VIN on my cab and frame match and it denotes it as a C20, and it doesn't appear that it was ever messed with.

Did you speak with a young buck on his computer at your local NAPA or an old boy who knows how to use his old catalogs and parts books?

This can make a huge difference. Those veterans are pretty crafty at finding those elusive, “obsolete”, can’t find ‘em, parts.

My guy’s name is Doug. He’s good.

This is a C20 setup. I did mine back in the mid 90's, I cringe at trying to find the bushings now.

For sure the veteran parts people are great at finding the stuff in the books.

Rant, Recently went to AutoZone and Oreilly's to get brake hoses. Granted I have a unique setup now because of the front disc conversion, but the hoses are stock hoses. I figured out the year I needed, they showed they were in stock, and this was at both stores, each kid walked around the back for 10 minutes searching for the elusive items. They couldn't find them. I left and went back to AutoZone about an hour later, got the manager, he got the rolling stairs, rolled them over, climbed up, pulled out the bin, and grabbed the hoses. Unfortunately they both didn't have the correct copper washers, one was correct, the other was metric, and they don't have a box of them, only the packs of various sizes so you end up with a bunch copper washers you'll never use. I said no sale because of the washers.

HAH! Sorry for chiming in here, but...
I know what you mean. I just attempted (front) wheel cylinder replacement on my '64 C20. I got the cylinders 4hrs after ordering them, and took 'em home to replace them. I strip the front wheels to the backing plates, and remove one of the wheel cylinders, and replace it, only to find that the long barrel fitting on the (newly replaced) brake line does NOT permit reaching the (metric) bleed nipple on the new wheel cylinder(s). It's a 9mil, and short. As a result of them being metric, you can NOT use the original (long hex) bleed nipples. BAH!
If you still have your original wheel cylinder(s). Keep them! I have the number for a couple of manufacturers (BENDIX being one) that still make the correct replacements.
In the end, I just opted to rebuild them. The cylinders weren't so bad that a good cleanup, and rebuild wouldn't cure (and did).

Why did America create SAE, if they weren't going to continue use it?!

Chris

ACDelco wheel cylinder rebuild part number (all 4 wheels) ACD# 18G5

also try autogeek.com and rockauto.com