How to Prepare for a Salvage Yard Visit

If you have never been to a salvage yard to buy auto parts, rest assured: you don’t have to be a mechanic to have success finding and removing the parts you need. However, you will need to make some preparations to ensure that your trip to the salvage yard is a success. Salvage lots are professionally operated businesses that work like well-oiled machines, pun intended. To make your visit a success, be sure to prepare for the occasion in the following four ways.

Bring Your Own Tools

The most important step for how to prepare for a salvage yard visit is to bring your own tools. One reason that parts from salvage yards are inexpensive is that you remove them yourself. To do the work, you will need your own tools. The tools you need depend on the part(s) you need, but a ratchet wrench set, a screwdriver set, a small pry bar, and penetrating oil are quite helpful.

Dress as Safely as Possible

Most salvage lots require you to wear closed toe shoes to help prevent foot injuries, but your feet aren’t the only body parts that could be hurt while working on a car. If you have them available, wear steel toe boots and a full-body mechanic’s suit to help prevent cuts and bruises. These last two recommendations are just suggestions, but they will help keep you safe.

Leave the Party at Home

Lots of people choose to visit salvage yards on the weekend, a time when they also like to relax and have a few cold ones, along with a cigarette if they’ve picked up the habit. Salvage lots aren’t interested in moral policing, but they do require you not to drink or smoke in the lot. Drinking at a salvage lot is dangerous for obvious reasons, and smoking could start a car fire.

Bring Extra Hands if Necessary

Another important step for how to prepare for a salvage yard visit is to bring extra manpower if you need it. Most small and medium size parts can be removed without extra help. However, if you plan to remove something as heavy as an engine or the bed from a commercial flatbed truck, you will almost certainly need additional help. Otherwise, you won’t get the part you need.

Contact Wrench-A-Part

If you are looking for quality pre-owned auto parts for great prices, Wrench-A-Part is the place to find them. If you need to know how to prepare for a salvage yard visit to our locations, check out the policies page on our website. There you will find a list of rules and regulations that will help you prepare for your visit. For more information about our vehicle inventory and services, call one of our locations in Austin, Belton, or Lubbock today. We look forward to speaking with you!

What Tools Are Needed to Remove Junk Yard Car Parts?

What tools are needed to remove junk yard car parts? Ultimately, the answer depends on the type of parts you need to remove. However, to arrive at a junk yard fully prepared, it helps to bring the things listed below with you. An engine pulling A-frame is an exception. Many junk yards keep a few of these pieces of equipment on hand to help customers remove whole engines. A wagon may also be provided to transport the engine to the payment counter.

Ratchet Wrench Set

If you ask what tools are needed to remove junk yard car parts, a wrench set will likely be one of the first answers. Yet, why mess around with a big set of wrenches when you can use a set of ratchet wrenches instead? Ratchet wrenches work the same as traditional wrenches. However, they can provide more leverage to unscrew bolts and help you remove bolts that are located in tight spaces. Bring a set of ratchet wrenches and you likely won’t need to bring a single wrench.

Screwdriver Set

You should also bring a screw driver set that contains various sizes of Phillips screwdrivers and flat head screwdrivers. While it is commoner to find engine parts bolted in place instead of screwed in place, there are still plenty of engine components that feature support screws in addition to sturdy bolts. With a screwdriver set, you will be set to remove these screws.

C-Clamps / Sturdy Wire

C-clamps and sturdy wire are useful for holding long parts in position while the bolts and screws that secure them under the hood are removed. In some cases, not supporting the portion of a long component that has had bolts and screws removed can cause the component to warp under its own weight, as it hangs loose while the remaining bolts and screws are removed.

Medium Size Hammer or Mallet

Even after the hardware that holds a part in place has been removed, it may still be bonded to other parts due to the heated compression of grime and engine fluids between the pieces. The bonds are often relatively weak and can be broken by hand. For bonds that are tough to break, you may need to give the part a few gentle taps from a medium size hammer or rubber mallet.

Penetrating Oil

Penetrating oil isn’t a tool, which means it isn’t listed in response to the question: What tools are needed to remove junk yard car parts? However, the oil can be just as valuable as a tool for removing used components. Over time, nuts, bolts, and other fixtures can become stuck in place. Penetrating oil frees up the bonds by sending lubrication into the smallest crevices.

Engine Pulling A-Frame

If you need to remove a whole engine, you will need the help of an engine pulling A-frame to accomplish the task in a safe, hassle-free manner. Thankfully, many salvage lots provide engine pull A-frames for free to customers that need to remove engines. Remember, though, that you would still have to use the equipment on your own. So, you may want to bring extra manpower.

Contact Wrench-A-Part

Wrench-A-Part is a professionally operated junk yard that has a large inventory of salvage vehicles and used vehicles that still drive. If you want to pull parts from our salvage vehicles, bringing the tools listed above will only help. However, if you need to pull a whole engine, an engine pulling A-frame will be provided free of charge to help you remove it. To find out if we have the car from which you need parts, browse through our online vehicle inventory today.

 

How to Pick Your Own Auto Parts From a Salvage Yard

When you pick your own auto parts from a salvage yard, you can save you lots of money. However, getting your own auto parts from a junkyard involves a different process than buying them from a mechanic’s shop or an auto dealership. If you aren’t familiar with the process for how to pick your own auto parts from a salvage yard, below is an overview of what you need to do to get the quality used auto components that you need to repair your automobile.

Check Online Vehicle Inventories

Professionally owned and operated salvage lots typically list their vehicle inventory on their business website. You can use the inventory to search for the automobile from which you need components. You will need to visit the salvage lot in person to check on availability of parts.

Read a Salvage Lot’s Safety Policies

Most professional salvage lots have a strict list of safety policies that everybody must adhere to when they are in the vehicle lot, such as no smoking, no use of flame cutters, and wearing closed toed shoes. Violating the policies may result in being asked to leave the premises.

Bring Your Own Tools

A junkyard supplies you with pre-owned auto components, but it doesn’t provide the tools you need to remove them. The exception is when the business provides engine pulling A-frames for removing engines. Even if you use this tool, you would still need to bring tools to free the engine.

Bring Extra Manpower if Necessary

If you need to remove a large part such as an engine or a flatbed from a flatbed truck, it’s a good idea to request help with the task. Because a junkyard doesn’t physically help people remove components, be sure to bring all the extra manpower you will need to safely remove them.

Remove Parts and Pay for Them

After you have removed the components you need, it’s time to take them to the payment destination and make payment. Some junkyards provide customers with wagons and wheelbarrows for transporting parts. If this equipment is available, take advantage of it.

Conclusion

There are five basic steps you should take to pick your own auto parts from a salvage yard: check online vehicle inventories, read through a junkyard’s safety policies, bring your own tools, bring extra manpower if necessary, and remove the components you need and pay for them. For more information about purchasing pre-owned auto components from a junkyard, contact any of Wrench-A-Part’s locations in Texas — Austin, Belton, or Lubbock — for assistance.

 

Things to Remember Before You Pick and Pull Car Parts in Austin, TX

If you need to pick and pull car parts in Austin, TX, from a junkyard, it’s important to remember some things before you arrive at the salvage lot — things that can help you with removing parts and transporting them to the payment destination, and assist you with protecting your investment in parts. Before you pick and pull car parts in Austin, TX, from a junkyard, be sure to remember the important facts listed below. They will help make your junkyard experience a good one.

The Business May List Its Vehicle Inventory Online

Some junkyards list their vehicle inventory online to make it easy for prospective customers to find the vehicle that contains the parts they need. Getting parts from a yard that lists its inventory online helps expedite your search for parts, and can prevent time wasting trips to salvage lots.

You Must Remove Parts on Your Own

One of the reasons that junkyard parts are inexpensive is that you pull them without assistance from workers at the salvage lot. If you need to remove a large part that is too heavy or unwieldy to handle on your own, bring some extra manpower to the salvage lot to help you remove it.

The Business May Provide Equipment for Transporting Parts

Pick and pull junkyards don’t help you remove parts, but some of them provide free equipment for transporting parts to the payment destination. For example, Wrench-A-Part provides wagons and wheelbarrows for transporting parts, and engine pulling A-frames for removing engines.

You May Have the Option to Buy a Parts Warranty

Getting a warranty for used auto parts may seem too good to be true, but some junkyards do have a warranty program that lets you insure the parts you buy. At Wrench-A-Part, we offer a warranty option of $1 per part per day. That’s about as cheap as investment protection gets.

Looking for Quality Used Vehicle Parts?

If so, you can find them at Wrench-A-Part. We are a professionally operated junkyard with locations in Austin, Belton, and Lubbock. We keep an updated list of our vehicle inventories on our website, so you can be sure we have the vehicle you need before you arrive. We also provide certain types of equipment for transporting parts and give you the option of buying a parts warranty. If you need to pick and pull car parts in Austin, TX, visit us online today.

Using a Pick and Pull Salvage Yard in Belton, TX, to Build a Classic Hot Rod

Building a classic hot rod often requires a significant amount of two things: time and money. If you have the time to build a hot rod but not the money, there may be a way to afford the parts you need after all: buying them from a pick and pull salvage yard in Belton, TX. New parts for classic hot rods can easily cost hundreds of dollars each, but used hot rod parts from a junkyard cost significantly less. Discounts of more than 50 percent off the original price are common.

U-pick Yards Versus Counter-Jockey Yards

There are two basic types of professionally operated junkyards: u-pick yards, where customers are responsible for picking and pulling their own vehicle parts; and so-called “counter-jockey” yards, where parts are already removed from vehicles and ready for you to buy. Getting vintage hot rod parts from a counter-jockey yard may seem like the most hassle-free option. However, there are two potential disadvantages of buying auto components from this type of junkyard.

  • Because parts are already pulled, the cost of labor increases their price.
  • Counter-jockey yards deal mostly with new vehicles and not oler ones.

Counter-jockey yards keep an inventory of mostly late model vehicles, but the vehicle inventory at u-pick yards is typically comprised of both early model and late model vehicles. Not only do u-pick yards have less expensive parts than counter-jockey yards; they are also likelier to carry the vintage vehicle from which you need parts. In terms of cost and availability of components, shopping at a pick and pull salvage yard in Belton, TX, is the best option for hot rod parts.

Contact Wrench-A-Part Today

If you need parts to build a classic hot rod, Wrench-A-Part is a great place to find them. Our inventory of vehicles is constantly expanding and includes early model cars that may be useful to your hot rod rebuild project. We list our vehicle inventory online. To see if we have the vehicle from which you need parts, just visit the website for our pick and pull salvage yard in Belton, TX, and browse through the inventory. For more information, give us a call today at (254) 831-4905.

 

Things to Avoid as You Pick Your Own Auto Parts

Buying auto parts from a junkyard can save you lots of money, but a successful trip to the salvage lot depends on more than finding the parts you need for a great price. There are also some things that you should avoid as you pick your parts. If this is your first time getting parts at a junkyard, take some time to read about the following things that you should avoid as you pick your own auto parts. Doing so will increase your safety and help you choose quality parts.

Failure to Observe Safety Rules

Most junkyards have a list of safety rules that regulate behavior in the salvage lot. Before you travel to a junkyard, visit its website to see if it has safety rules posted. If it does, read through the rules and make sure you can comply with them. Non-compliance may result in the business manager asking you to leave the premises until you are able to comply with the list of rules.

Buying Corroded/Oxidized Parts

Metal parts that are corroded or oxidized may still work, but how long will they work is the question. It can be difficult to tell how deeply corrosion or oxidation has penetrated a part. Especially risky is buying a part that is inside an irremovable metal housing that has rust or corrosion, as it can be almost impossible to tell whether the part is corroded or oxidized, too.

Handling Large Parts on Your Own

Junkyards that let you pick your own parts expect you to perform the task on your own. If a part is too large for you to handle, be sure to enlist the help of others. Wrench-A-Part provides wagons and wheelbarrows for transporting parts to the payment counter, and supplies engine pulling A-frames for hoisting engines. However, like other junkyards, we do not help you use these resources.

Not Buying Warranties for Parts

Regardless of their price, used auto components are an important investment when you use them to repair your car or truck. Consequently, you should ideally pick your own parts at a junkyard that lets you apply a warranty to what you buy. At Wrench-A-Part, we offer a warranty option of $1 per part per day. Opting for a warranty is the ultimate form of investment protection.

Contact Wrench-A-Part Today

If you plan to pick your own auto parts from a junkyard, avoiding the things above will help make the endeavor a success. At Wrench-A-Part, we have safety rules for our salvage lot listed on our website, so you can take the necessary safety measures before you arrive. We also sell high-quality parts that have plenty of life left, and give you the option to protect the parts with affordable warranties. For more information about our services, call us today at (512) 501-6946.

 

How to Pick and Pull Car Parts in Austin, TX: Tips From Junkyards

A professionally owned and operated junkyard is a great place to get auto parts for less than they would cost at a mechanic’s shop or an auto dealership. However, if this is your first time getting car components from a junkyard that lets you pick and pull car parts in Austin, TX, it is important to understand how the part removal process works. To aid you in removing parts, below are some helpful tips from junkyards about how to pick and pull car parts in Austin, TX.

Consult the Online Inventory First

Limiting your search for a junkyard to businesses that list their vehicle inventories online can save lots of time. Instead of traveling from junkyard to junkyard to find the parts you need, you can search for the vehicle from which you need parts by performing a simple web search.

Review a Junkyard’s Safety Policies

Most professional junkyards have safety precautions that customers must follow while they are in the salvage lot, such as no smoking, no drinking alcohol, and no using cutting torches. Before you visit a junkyard, review its safety policies so you don’t unwittingly violate one of them.

Remember to Bring Your Tools

To pick and pull car parts in Austin, TX, at a junkyard, you need to bring your own tools. In most cases, a wrench set or a ratchet wrench set, a set of screwdrivers, and a mallet for tapping parts loose is all you need. Bringing a can of lubricant to loosen tight bolts is also a good idea.

Ask for Assistance if You Need It

You can remove most parts on your own. However, if you need assistance removing a large part like an engine block, don’t hesitate to ask for help. At Wrench-A-Part, we’ll help you remove an engine block by providing an engine pulling A-frame, a tool you probably don’t have at home.

Contact Wrench-A-Part Today

Wrench-A-Part is a professionally owned and operated junkyard that lets you pick and pull car parts in Austin, TX. We also have locations in Belton, TX, and Lubbock, TX. If you need quality used car parts for a great price, just browse through our online inventory to see if we have the right automobile in stock. If we do, then call us at (512) 501-6946 to learn whether the vehicle contains the components you need for your car. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Using a Pick and Pull Salvage Yard in Belton, TX: Frequently Asked Questions

Junkyards (a.k.a. salvage yards) let you pick and pull your own auto parts. In addition to saving you money, getting parts from a junkyard instead of a mechanic’s shop or an auto dealership can assist with the automobile recycling process. After usable parts from a salvage car are sold, the scrap metal is sent to a vehicle recycler for processing. If you need some basic information about using a pick and pull salvage yard in Belton, TX, the questions below should be helpful.

Can I view a junkyard’s vehicle inventory online?

Some junkyards list their vehicle inventory online. For example, Wrench-A-Part lets you search its inventory of salvage vehicles and used cars by visiting our business website. Using the internet to search for the vehicle from which you need parts saves you time and money.

How steeply are salvage auto parts discounted?

Many salvage parts cost 50 percent less than their original price, and finding parts for 75 percent off the original price isn’t uncommon. Rare parts from vintage automobiles can be an exception. If the parts have more value than parts from newer vehicles, they may cost a bit more.

What tools do I need to bring to the salvage lot?

In most cases, parts can be successfully removed with tools that are commonly found in a personal toolbox, specifically: a wrench set, a screwdriver set, and a ratchet wrench set. Some additional tools that can help you remove parts are a mallet, C-clamps, and sturdy pliers.

What if a part is too large to remove on my own?

If you need to remove a part that is too large for you to remove without assistance, the junkyard should provide hardware to help you remove the part safely. For example, if you need to remove an entire engine, Wrench-A-Part will provide an engine pulling A-frame to remove the large part.

Is it possible to get a warranty for salvage parts?

A pick and pull salvage yard in Belton, TX, may offer warranties for salvage parts. For example, Wrench-A-Part has a warranty option of $1 per part per day. A vehicle is a major investment. Opting for a warranty helps you protect your investment in your automobile.

Contact Wrench-A-Part

If you are looking for a pick and pull salvage yard in Belton, TX, choose Wrench-A-Part. Our broad inventory of vehicles contains a variety of makes and models, from new domestic vehicles to well-used foreign vehicles. To find out if we carry the vehicle from which you need parts, just browse through our inventory online. If we have the right vehicle in stock, feel free to call us at (254) 831-4905 to see if the automobile contains the components you need.

Looking for Pick and Pull Junkyard in Lubbock, TX? Come to Wrench-Apart

If you are looking for a pick and pull junkyard in Lubbock, TX, you shouldn’t have a problem finding one. Finding the best one, however, can be challenging, especially if you aren’t familiar with the sorts of things that separate one junkyard from the next. To simplify your search, we at Wrench-A-Part will tell you like it is: We are the best junkyard in Lubbock, TX. Want proof? Check out the following benefits you’ll receive when you make us your junkyard of choice.

Online Vehicle Inventory

Junkyards used to be like flea markets: the only way to find the parts you needed was to go to junkyard after junkyard and comb through their inventories. Today, the internet has eliminated the need for this time consuming process. Before you come to our location to buy parts, you can check our online inventory of vehicles to see if we have the vehicle from which you need parts.

Safe Salvage Lot Conditions

Thanks in part to Hollywood, junkyards are often thought of as places where vehicles are sandwiched together in an impossible to define mix of makes and models. At Wrench-A-Part, this type of salvage lot atmosphere is nowhere to be found. Instead, we have list of strict safety rules that customers must follow to keep themselves and our inventory safe from harm.

Assistance With Large Parts

If you need to remove a large component such as an engine, the toolbox that you bring to a pick and pull junkyard in Lubbock, TX, won’t do you much good. That is why Wrench-A-Part provides engine pulling A-frames to customers who need to remove entire engines. We also offer wagons and wheelbarrows for transporting parts — large or small — to the payment destination.

Warranties for Parts

Are you afraid to buy used car parts because the manufacturer’s warranty has expired? If so, then purchase your parts from Wrench-A-Part. We offer a warranty option of $1 per part per day. If a part malfunctions during the warranty period, you can simply exchange it for a different one that is more reliable. A vehicle is a major investment that our warranty option helps you protect.

Contact Wrench-A-Part Today

Unlike some junkyards, Wrench-A-Part leaves no doubt that we put the concerns and well being of our customers first. If you are looking for a pick and pull junkyard in Lubbock, TX, we feel strongly that we are the best option, as the level of customer service we offer essentially proves it. If you are looking for good used parts for your automobile, give our Austin location a call today at (512) 501-6946 to see if the components are in stock. We look forward to hearing from you!

Pick and Pull Car Parts in Austin, TX: Choosing a Good Junkyard

Drivers who are savvy about keeping the cost of auto repairs low know they can save money by shopping for parts at junkyards. However, not all junkyards provide the same level of service, and some of them can be downright dangerous to visit due to a lack of rules for the salvage lot. If you are looking for a professional junkyard where you can pick and pull car parts in Austin, TX, choosing a junkyard that offers the following important characteristics is the best option.

Safety Rules

Junkyards that lack rules for the salvage lot put customers at risk of injury. For example, permitting smoking in the lot could cause a car fire, and so could using a cutting torch to remove parts. Not wearing closed toe shoes could cause physical injury, and so could showing up to the salvage lot with alcohol in tow. Customer oriented junkyards are serious about keeping you safe.

Customer Assistance

A junkyard where you pick and pull car parts in Austin, TX, should assist you with removing large parts, and provide hardware for transporting parts to the payment counter. For example, Wrench-A-Part provides customers with engine pulling A-frames to help you remove engines, and supplies wagons and wheelbarrows for transporting parts through the salvage lot.

Part Warranties

Most junkyards sell used auto parts as is; if something goes wrong with the components a few days after you buy them, you can’t return them. This is why Wrench-A-Part offers a warranty for all parts at a rate of $1 per part per day. There is no use in buying parts that may not work. When you buy parts from us, you can get them with a warranty that protects your investment.

Online Inventory

Some junkyards list their inventory online, which allows you to search for the vehicle from which you need parts while sitting at your home computer. Driving from junkyard to junkyard in search of a particular part is the old way of doing things. Today, people expect junkyards to have websites that list an inventory of vehicles, so they can save time and streamline the shopping process.

Contact Us Today

If you are looking for a junkyard where you can pick and pull car parts in Austin, Texas, Wrench-A-Part is the junkyard to visit. We have iron clad safety rules that protect you in the salvage lot, provide prompt customer assistance, offer an optional warranty for all parts, and list our complete vehicle inventory online. For more information about our business and services, call our Austin location today at (512) 501-6946. We look forward to hearing from you!