openinverter forum

There is a crazy amount of gatekeeping for used parts.
I need to make axle stubs and can only find rebuilt axles for retail prices. Seems like a waste since I'll be cutting them up to use a small part.
I also need an hv cable that I can't find for less than $150.

I've built a lot of cars over the years and I've never had such a hard time finding used parts..
The title may be a little misleading, I know that teslas don't go to junkyards

Have you tried eBay? Lots of used axles under $100 w/free shipping in USA. Lots of cables too. Contact the sellers outside of eBay, they will often give you a better deal, especially if you can pick up locally.Where are you located?

I have checked eBay but haven't found CVs for less than 120 each. The HV cable is also $120-150. That's the point I was trying to make about retail
I don't need any of these parts to be warranty quality And plan on cutting them up. Junkyard CV axles are $10 each.
im in Atlanta, in case there's a local member

Where are you? USA?
www.car-part.com
www.rockauto.com
Those 2 should handle 95% of what you need unless it's a low production volume vehicle.

jrbe wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2025 11:46 am Where are you? USA?
www.car-part.com
www.rockauto.com
Those 2 should handle 95% of what you need unless it's a low production volume vehicle.

Oh man, I love car-part,com. I've used it for years but like is said in my first post, it seems like the pricing for junkyard parts is nearly the same as retail.

link
I dunno, I see lots of options under $100. Maybe we're getting different results based on our location or something, but this is in S. Carolina, which is pretty close to you. $75 free shipping is a pretty good price for OEM axles.

I'm up in NC and have typically found Tesla parts on Ebay. Some other hybrids and EVs I can find at local yards, but most local yards avoid EVs.

The thing with finding EV parts on Ebay or on Car-Part is realizing that you likely know more than the junkyard about the part, and the inventory/listing system they have hasn't really kept up with the adoption of EVs (see: car-part still only having "hybrid inverter/converter") and the fact they have different parts. Add to that Tesla's ever updating part numbers, and it becomes hard to find stuff. Further complicating things is that some yards seem to still believe Tesla parts = gold, and keep the prices artificially high. Capping off the issue is Tesla's stranglehold on parts means you don't have all the parts store brand's new parts putting pressure downward on used part prices, as is the case with legacy manufacturers' ICE vehicles.

My best advice for cheap EV parts is persistence pays off. Check Ebay all the time, use multiple different search terms, and be ready to pounce on good prices. Also, don't trust Ebay's categories. Search generally, then sort by price and scroll. Also note that ebay sometimes hides listings it doesn't think are relevant but actually are, so look for that and click for it to show you more.

Prices of used parts are possibly under the same influence as the stock price.

One strategy I would consider would be to try and do a part search for something easily identifiable in car-part.com's inventory to identify if a nearby yard has a vehicle potentially containing the part, then call them and ask about the specific part you need. I think you can do the same with ebay.

Keep a very close eye on the "you pull it" style yards. The local "Pull-a-Part" close to me has had two Nissan LEAFs in the last year, so EV stuff is starting to show up in all yards. This works particularly well for hybrid parts. This is likely to not be a fast strategy, but try your luck anyway. "Pull-a-Part" in particular has a system to text you when a new car of a certain make/model arrives on the lot.

thanks for all the insight. I was able to get the axles ordered and will start my search for the HV cables.

I have used car-part for vintage bmw stuff and found super rare parts because i knew what I was looking for. I think I was just getting frustrated that all (most) of the pricing for tesla dismantler parts were basically the same as new. I had thrown up my hands, but I take a lot of pride in my thriftiness so that I can build the stuff I like without paying what everyone else pays.