cheap replacement parts or just cheap

SDE · Aug 31, 2016

I am confused by how two parts will both fit the repair/application, but the price is night and day different. How do you know if you are getting a good quality part for a very good price? I need tie rod ends for my car. I saw some for under $10. Can I expect them to be the same quality as the more expensively price parts? While checking out some wheel bearings for a Saturn Vue, a person said that the cheaper ones only lasted a year. Not a good value. Is it a pig in a poke, a crap shoot? How do you decide?
Thank you
SDE

Fred Werring · Aug 31, 2016

That's one of my many gripes anymore.

Could be the same part, just one place is charging $10 and the other puts it in a different colored box and charges $30.

You just don't know.

Fred

Ken Macfarlane · Aug 31, 2016

There is a huge difference in tie rod end qualities and its not always tied to the price. With the advent of rock auto you get to find prices are more complex than just quality. I had to order a brake master cylinder for a car, dealer wanted 800$ because it had abs and was a standard transmission with a port to supply the clutch master. Bought one for 60$ off rock auto, low and behold, same brand the oem installs in the part manufacturers box.

It's getting harder with all the new names the offshore parts companies put on products to figure out the quality but I've started considering the off label stuff once the big brands started stuffing overseas stuff in their mid grade boxes and charging North American made prices.

jimg.allentown · Aug 31, 2016

Go for the one with the better warranty. If it turns out to be a piece of junk, at least it won't be costing you a lot of money. As already posted, they could even be the same part, just in different boxes.

Leroy · Aug 31, 2016

Same parts made on same product line, just shipped to different places and they package them to what they want and price acording. The dealer is gambling on the fact that most comsumers think the dealer part is better than the aftermarket parts store parts and so that they will pay 4 times the price for the product just because they have been brainwashed into thinking the factory parts are better. Years ago at Deere's Deere Day program the local dealer was trying to show why the deere parts were better than TSC parts and his demonstration showed why I would prefer the TSC parts.

RBoots · Aug 31, 2016

Not sure anymore. I was putting the front end of my truck together a couple years ago and needed it the next day. After cleaning and getting ready to pack the front wheel bearings I found one was a bit rough, and it was fairly late. Of the 2 "open late" auto places where I live, only one had an inner and outer bearing and races, but only the one year warranty ones. Didn't matter, I needed it. I don't usually go to either of these places unless it is late, but I had to. When I got the bearings, they were Timkens, only made in China. I had replaced the other side a couple years before with Timkens made in USA. The China ones went about 11 months before flaking and getting noisy, so I replaced them free under warranty with more of the Chinese Timkens. That set went about 14 months before getting noisy and flaking. They got replaced with more expensive ones that time as they were no longer warranted. The other side, the USA made made ones, still going strong after quite a few years.

Olliejunkie · Aug 31, 2016

I was getting manifold gaskets quite awhile back. They asked if I wanted standard or premium? I said what's the difference. They did not know so I said bring them both out. Turns out they both had the same part number stamped in them. One set just had a NASCAR label. Got to watch them parts stores.

4020_guy · Aug 31, 2016

Generally there are 2 or 3 different lines of prices, qualities, and warrantees. The ones guaranteed for 3 years,5 years or life aren't the same as the ones that have 90 day warrantees. My experience anyways......Ron

tractorguy2 · Aug 31, 2016

I used to sell magnet is and used a lot of distributor caps for IH mags. I used NAPA,CARQUEST,TSC,FARM AND FLEET, AND FROM CT COUNTRY. The prices ran from $13.00 to 22.00.

The caps were the exact same one. I showed the caps to my Carquest salesman. He could not pick out his cap.

oldtanker · Sep 1, 2016

Depending on the parts store there can be a huge difference. As an example: Chevy 1/2 ton 4X4 pickup. 98 model. Front wheel bearings. Napa carries 2 different one at different prices. One is a lot more. But the cheap one averages just about a year, maybe a little more while the more expensive one will last a very long time. Tie rod ends and other suspension parts the difference can be nigh and day as to quality. These are not only my observations while working as a mechanic but the view of several different mechanics running their own shops that are friends.

Rick

sms · Sep 1, 2016

Was a story a while back in a major newspaper about counterfeit auto parts. Cheap chinese parts boxed in look alike expensive maker boxes, shipped hidden in containers to U.S. and sold at the high prices. So it can be hard to get the right parts.

Traditional Farmer · Sep 1, 2016

Funny you say that Deere wanted $430 for a starter for a JD 445 garden tractor they guaranteed it 90 days,I ended up buying a new $52 starter off ebay guaranteed for a year.That was about 3 years ago and the 'cheap' starter is still going strong.So I guess we know where we're getting cheap built parts for high prices.

Traditional Farmer · Sep 1, 2016

There is a tremendous price difference between the exact same parts these days.I just researched and bought 2 bearings for a NH 851 baler,had the bearing number and
brand I was looking for, prices were all over the place some almost 3X what another company wanted.

4520BW · Sep 1, 2016

The CV joint on my bush hog was going out,priced the parts thru them was $700+ and over $1600 for a complete shaft. Got a complete shaft thru Deere for $915 and was same brand.

FBH44 · Sep 1, 2016

I'll tell you this, Honda Odyssey replacement steering pumps at AutoZone are the cheapest ones my mechanic could get, and they work just great.... until they lock up rock-solid at 70 mph when the wife is driving I-35 around Kansas City!

Hobo,NC · Sep 1, 2016

Chassis parts in one word "MOOG"

You don't get the engineering in those cheap parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqZBfx6yfCM

Mike M · Sep 1, 2016

All I can do is echo what the others have said. So hard to know what you are getting. Most everything is from offshore and really know why to know the quality difference if any. Last time I went through this I needed frt wheel bearings for my dodge 2500 4x4. Everything seemed to be made in china so I just searched the web for the lowest price and went with those. Turned out I didn't keep the truck much longer anyhow so I have no way of knowing if they lasted. Original ones made it around 170,000 ? miles.

Hobo,NC · Sep 1, 2016

Hit summit to soon, I have seen the cheap parts come apart after assembling while greasing, I have seen them not take grease if you have a good grease gun it will jack them apart. I have had to fiddle with the cheap parts to get them to fit.

Wheel hub/BRG assy are a hit and miss most of the time Moog is plug and play. I had a ford exploader I had to replace a Moog hub with a OEM it was the only hub that would give good service. If it has a ABS sensor I price both because no matter who's hub the ABS puter may not agree with the replacment hub sensor. Thru the 90's on full size GM's only OEM hubs would hold up and the only hub that would not POP while turning it was a fit issue with the axle to hub. At that time Moog did not offer Hub assy's.

Owners of Saturn's are the best at picking up on a bad hub early because its not there first rodeo and won't be there last

Good cars with pattern failers are hard to beat.

BHpony · Sep 1, 2016

My brother went to buy rotors for 4 wheel drive truck, price was real high, so he asked for rotors for 2 wheel drive about 2/3 cheaper. Same rotors.

souNdguy · Sep 1, 2016

napa

IC14 12v coil. 60$

IC14SB 12v coil. 15$

same coil.. different box...

DLMKA · Sep 1, 2016

(quoted from post at 05:20:41 09/01/16) Was a story a while back in a major newspaper about counterfeit auto parts. Cheap chinese parts boxed in look alike expensive maker boxes, shipped hidden in containers to U.S. and sold at the high prices. So it can be hard to get the right parts.

When I worked at Cat we did some testing on black market knock-off filters. It was hard for even us comparing brand new Cat manufactured filters with the Chinese knock-offs to know which was which. Was easy to see when you got them on test stand and the Chinese filters wouldn't stop a handful of sand. We could kill a high pressure fuel pump in 24 hours with the Chinese filter and the Cat filter would last weeks under same conditions. We were pumping really aggressively dirty fuel with silica particles through as accelerated testing.

Owen Aaland · Sep 1, 2016

(quoted from post at 11:03:42 09/01/16) napa

IC14 12v coil. 60$

IC14SB 12v coil. 15$

same coil.. different box...

They both fit the same application but the parts come from different vendors. IC14 is an Echlin coil. IC14SB is the Mileage Plus line.

37chief · Sep 1, 2016

If you have the time, go to ebay. If you keep looking you may find a good made US made part for a lot less. I order most of my bearings on ebay. I just wait for the good brand to come along. I try to keep an extra of all the bearings, and deals. If you need it right now, you may have to pay the full price. I have found the bearing suppliers mark up parts a lot. I know they need to make a profit, but so do I. Stan

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