The Parts Graveyard

Roof Rack Rust at 14 Months — What Salt, Sun, and 8,000 Miles of Trail Vibration Actually Do to Powder Coat

This is a Parts Graveyard entry that hits close to home — literally. My roof rack started rusting 14 months after I installed it. Not a cheap rack from a no-name brand, either. It came from...

The Parts Graveyard

Control Arm Bushing — 18,000 Miles of Dirt, Rock, and River Crossings, Cut in Half to See What's Inside

This is the second entry in the Parts Graveyard — a forensic breakdown of a front lower control arm bushing from my 4Runner after 18,000 miles of hard off-road use. The bushing looked fine f...

The Parts Graveyard

CV Axle Autopsy — Grease Contamination, Heat Scoring, and the Boot That Didn't Survive 40 Miles of Washboard at 105 Degrees

This is the first entry in the Parts Graveyard — a forensic breakdown of a CV axle that failed 40 miles into the Mojave Road in June. The boot split, the grease cooked, the bearings heat-sco...

The Parts Graveyard

The $400 Air Compressor vs. the $80 One — Both Died in the Mojave, But One Died Differently. Cut Open Side by Side.

This is a double autopsy from the Parts Graveyard. Two air compressors, both used on the same Mojave Road trip, both dead by the time we got to pavement. One cost $400, one cost $80. Both fa...

The Parts Graveyard