Changed my front lower ball joints Firday night and I need a new bolt. Somehow the bolt that pinches the ball joint in the spindle got pretty banged-up and can't be re-used. Anybody have one lying around or know where I can get one? I looked at all the usual local places but nobody had a grade-8 metric like this. Hell, I don't even see it in the parts diagram...
Last time I called the closest Mazda dealer, they said "oh, we don't have anything for cars that old." I asked them why they coudln't order it and they said "we're just not going to deal with old parts like that." They ARE a relitivly new dealer but I wonder what they would do if I showed-up at the service department and asked them to fix the car...

Anyway, IM, PM, Emial...whatever,
Thanks,
Cory

 

They would find several other things wrong as well, and charge youa huge amount of money to fix them.
That said, junk yards are your friend. That and Victoria British and Mazdatrix.

 

Did you check a local fastener shop? It's a fairly standared item, at least around here.

Of course the US is STILL not Metric even though it has been a worldwide standard for years, so you may have a little less selection where you are.

 

Oh, the hardware stores (ACE, Home Despot, Lowes) have TONS of bolts. They even have metric. EVEN a few grade-8. But nobody had one like his yesterday.

If I call around Atlanta tomorrow, I'm sure I can find one. It seems like such a pain for one stinking bolt that I shouldn't have f'd up in the first place...

CW