The Activant Report: key products sales activity

What's hot

Light-truck and SUV chassis components have taken a severe beating, both on and off the pavement. Yet, many of these vehicles' steering and suspension systems are based on automotive, not truck, designs for a more "car-like" ride. As a result, it's not uncommon for trucks like GM's C/K 1500 family and Ford's F-150 to go through multiple sets of ball joints, tie rod ends and idler arms.

This month's Activant® Vista® data snapshot of parts demand in the idler arm category shows just how popular these GM and Ford models are among repair professionals. The 1997 and '98 C/K 1500 models ranked first and second in electronic catalog transactions last month, yet the fastest riser was the 2000 Ford F-150, which jumped 15 spots from August 2007 to fourth this year.

The popularity of replacement idler arms for C/K 1500 models is no secret to seasoned undercar professionals. In the cases of both the C/K 1500 and F-150, the OE designs — featuring non-hardened bearings — probably aren't robust enough to withstand the punishment meted out by today's drivers.

If domestic vehicle manufacturers are looking for those rare quality issues facing overseas competitors, the brake master cylinder category offers plenty of ammunition. The Activant Vista snapshot from August shows surprising dominance by one of the industry's most reliable models — the Honda Accord — within the top 10 master cylinder replacement applications.

What is the real culprit? In many cases, the internal lining of the brake hose begins to separate from the outer housing, causing a piece of lining material to act as a hydraulic check-valve. "Apparently this problem is well known among Honda dealers and import specialists," one brake parts representative says. "But general repair shops are spending a lot of time trying to get their customers back on the road."

A more widely known problem can be seen in this month's engine mount category. The 2000 Ford Focus rose 16 positions from August 2007 to first place last month. A quick review of queries on a popular online technical discussion forum shows that the Focus' front engine mount is often to blame for excessive vibration.

"A lot of times you can't see whether the original mount has failed," writes one technician. "Just use a pry bar under the mount and have an assistant sit in the driver's seat; if the vibration goes away, the mount was bad."

What's not

While late-1990s C/K 1500 pickups rank at the top of idler arm electronic catalog transactions, the 1992 and '93 models dropped to 14th and 12th place. "These are 15- and 16-year-old trucks, and the owner is less likely to be upset about loose steering," one shop owner explains.

The fastest falling application in the master cylinder category was the 1993 full-size front-wheel-drive Buick, which fell 17 positions to 25th place. Also dropping from the top 10 were the 1986 Ford F-100-350 pickups (falling eight positions to 17th) and 1997 C/K 1500 pickups (down three spots to 13th).

Two Honda Accord model years — 1991 and '93 — fell out of the top 10, to 24th and 18th positions, in the engine mount category. The Nissan/Datsun pick-up and Nissan Quest minivan fell out of the top 10, falling 15 positions to 25th place.

Methodology: The parts demand data captured through the Activant Vista solution is processed and aggregated on a daily basis through Activant's unique statistical methodology. Collected information includes eCatalog lookups, product availability and sales transactions by vehicle and SKU. For a complete analysis of these three categories, visit www.search-autoparts.com.

Rod Bayless is the product director for Activant Solutions, Inc. For additional information regarding Activant Vista market data, write to [email protected]. Activant is a leading innovator and the industry standard for information and supply chain technology in the automotive aftermarket.