i just got off the phone to Bursons and then Autopro and i am disgusted!

i was asking for prices on ball joints and idler arm for my ute, and the price differences are astonishing!

heres a run down

Autopro:
Ball joints - $28each
Idler arm - $38

Bursons:
Ball joints - $42each
Idler arm - $60

how that is competition i'm not sure. it makes me angry. and i guess it also shows how a $2.00 phone call can actually save you money.

Do you guys have Coventry Auto in Vic?

They supply most mechanics shops here in Bris & are cheap as chips if you can convince them you're a workshop.

never heard of them.

we have a superexpensive, bursons and autopro near town. and a repco i think. there used to be an auto barn too. so u think there would be some decent competition, but no.

i had the same thing happen to me for some bendix brake pads a rang up 3 shops and one pair was $55 another was $88 and the other was $95!!!! i dont understand how the expensive ones think they think will sell these

Why are you buying a whole idler arm when a urethane bush kit from Super Pro [or whoever makes the red bushes] will cost less & make it better than new. I think I paid about $16 or $18 from Repco when I did mine about a year or so back.

competition! competition! competition!

one place sells something cheaper than the other but sells something else more expensive than the other!

ie. shop 1: blue paint $30, green paint $40
shop 2: blue paint $40, green paint $30

now you have to hunt, cheak every auto place and get prices (dont buy anything yet!!!) then go back and buy the things you want at the cheapest price you can!

I do it! it takes time but one day I saved $235!!! on car parts! mine you this is deni!

I'm happy that you didn't look for inner tierod ends..

They can be upwards of $110 per side. IF you can get them at all.

sheesh- I feel lucky! I got a full set of tie rods for the 1200 at $20 when Rocca Brothers closed down here in SA a while back (and became SuperCrap) they basically threw away all their parts- getting progressively cheaper over a few weeks. We got several full L-series gasket sets for $7 each!

When I needed front disks recently I phoned around, and also found wild discrepancies between parts suppliers. ABS ended up being the cheapest but didn't have them in stock, Repco then price matched them (at nearly half their original price!)

As the saying goes..Let you fingers do the walking.
This has been the case since yellow pages(Pink Pages to you oldies)where introduced

I guess it works out to time and convienience,

Bit like buying Harley parts,
Crane Single fire kit just less than $1000 localy,
$400au landed from the states.

Chrome Billet lower fork legs, $680us retail,

$340au landed, (and took 8 days over chrissy)

21"billet front wheel, $3k+ local,

$1400au landed..

just takes a bit of looking and patience...