I have often noticed that aftermarket companies will promote their parts as good, better, best. The good is often promoted as just meeting OE specs, whereas if you get the best, also considered premium, they make you think your getting something better than OEM. I have often noticed their are specs of how parts perform, like filter capacity for filters. OEM parts are generally silent in all that. So are premium aftermarket parts better than OEM parts?
Aftermarket parts vs. OEM parts marketing
- Thread starter NH73
- Start date
Ok, I understand there are places like electronics you don't want to deviate from OEM. I am talking your normal wear items like filters and brake pads.
My answers stands.
The only time I recommend aftermarket parts is if there is a specific issue with the OEM part.
Brake pads are a common area with better choices than oem.
Filters too, sometimes. You can get better performance or worse, for more or less money.
What do you think of Fram Ultra oil and air filter compared to Toyota OEM? They look better made than the OEM.
ACDelco rates many replacement parts using the good/better/best scale.
In ACDelco language:
Silver (Advantage) = Good
Gold (Professional) = Better
GM OE = Best
The actual OEM part is always top of their tier.
A good example of improved and better than OE is the Ball spline inner cv joint as a replacement for wobble prone plunge type CV joints on some vehicles, they effectively eliminate the wobble.
I will say that a Fram Ultra is better than the OEM filter from Toyota.
-Sturdier build.
-Almost double the cost
-synthetic blend media
-Made in the USA vs Thailand
-Could screw the drainer on vs. having to push it on
-Can go 20,000 miles
-Can filter 99% vs. ?
-Sturdier build.
-Almost double the cost
-synthetic blend media
-Made in the USA vs Thailand
-Could screw the drainer on vs. having to push it on
-Can go 20,000 miles
-Can filter 99% vs. ?
Aftermarket tubular suspension with poly bushings is way better
Depends. Many are trash & bend after meeting a pothole. Not all have better geometry. Delrin > poly
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- Jun 8, 2022
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Your good/better/best profile is subjective. Using your own example of toyota oil and air filters - there made by Denso. Toyota owns 51% of denso. Is the OEM one better, worse, or the same as Denso - it depends on who you ask.
To answer your specific questions by part - OEM air filters are usually pretty good, OEM brakes generally aren't that great, and OEM Oil filters are adequate but normally not the best.
Realize that OEM's don't make a lot of the parts we need to buy. For example I know that most of my Nissan sensors are made by Denso, NTK, and Bosch - they say that right on them. I can buy the same sensor from RA that I would buy from Nissan for 3X the cost.
To answer your specific questions by part - OEM air filters are usually pretty good, OEM brakes generally aren't that great, and OEM Oil filters are adequate but normally not the best.
Realize that OEM's don't make a lot of the parts we need to buy. For example I know that most of my Nissan sensors are made by Denso, NTK, and Bosch - they say that right on them. I can buy the same sensor from RA that I would buy from Nissan for 3X the cost.
Yeah someone discovered torn filter media on Motorcraft FL400S filters on here years ago and I haven't used one since.
Yes, I have learned that just because OEM parts are made by a certain manufacturer, doesn't make buying a part from with just that manufactures name on it, it will be the same. Sometimes you need to figure that out. I once figured out on my truck that OEM Ford used a Bosch fuel rail sensor, and somehow, so I bought the Bosch part and when I took out the old one, that same Bosch part number was on the old part as the one I ordered. Worked like the old before it malfunctioned.
On the flipside- I ran into some new/old Fram stock that proceeded to explode on the engine, I don't need to buy Fram for any reason....plenty of competition out there.
Must of been from the time when they were bad and the seller didn't want to use them and rather sell them at a loss.
If you don't want to read all this just go to the bottom for the bottom line:
There are some parts that might be considered wear items or long term wear items were you rarely get better quality than oem: mainly aftermarket bearings, bushings, ball joints and anything electrical (sensors) are hardly EVER better than oem. SOMETIMES you get lucky and the aftermarket brand that makes the oem part sells the exact same part at a significant savings (I have a Timken Hub bearing that is the exact same part as the Motorcraft hub bearing equivalent but half the price...but that often isn't the case. Oem often get superior parts even when made by the same brand you can buy off the shelf).
Other wear items like oil filters, shocks and struts are sometimes better than oem....but it's reflective in the cost. A good quality aftermarket shock or top tier oil filter generally cost more than an OEM replacement. Your average consumer isn't going to notice or feel something is wrong with a low buck shock or a oil filter with cellulose and rubber ADBV. That's not money well spent. But you will notice if your wheel bearing goes bad, your control arm bushing is half gone or your crank position sensor kicks the bucket. They don't want to be in the business of replacing wheel bearings or MAP sensors for free every 10k miles until the warranty is up or extending warranties because x,y and, z are wide spread known for going bad shortly after the warranty is up. On the other hand some companies don't care. Rarely does a BMW make 100k miles without needing oil filter housing gasket, valve cover gasket or water pump (most use external) if not all three and it's been than way for decades. These are money makes for the dealerships since they don't think their affluent clientele minds spending $1000-1500 a pop on wear item repairs at the dealership. In cases like that really doesn't matter, both oem and aftermarket are going to be trash.
THEN there are markets like Jeep where aftermarket "upgrade" parts may be made considerably more beefy and heavier than oem parts BUT that doesn't mean the attention to detail is better. They'll last longer merely on being built for intended abuse IF you use them as such or you have no choice because your need the adjustability after lifting them that oem doesn't have.
bottom line: bearings, bushings, sensors, electrical parts, timing chains, gaskets stick with oem when at all possibly. The only aftermarket brands I usually trust universally for OEM replacements are Felpro gaskets and Spicer (because they make dang near all domestic oem driveline parts and jeep oem ball joints). You can't trust Moog, Gates, Timken, Gates, Airtex, SKF, Delphi etc like you once could for OEM like quality. You might get it or you might get something that last no longer than an eBay special.
There are some parts that might be considered wear items or long term wear items were you rarely get better quality than oem: mainly aftermarket bearings, bushings, ball joints and anything electrical (sensors) are hardly EVER better than oem. SOMETIMES you get lucky and the aftermarket brand that makes the oem part sells the exact same part at a significant savings (I have a Timken Hub bearing that is the exact same part as the Motorcraft hub bearing equivalent but half the price...but that often isn't the case. Oem often get superior parts even when made by the same brand you can buy off the shelf).
Other wear items like oil filters, shocks and struts are sometimes better than oem....but it's reflective in the cost. A good quality aftermarket shock or top tier oil filter generally cost more than an OEM replacement. Your average consumer isn't going to notice or feel something is wrong with a low buck shock or a oil filter with cellulose and rubber ADBV. That's not money well spent. But you will notice if your wheel bearing goes bad, your control arm bushing is half gone or your crank position sensor kicks the bucket. They don't want to be in the business of replacing wheel bearings or MAP sensors for free every 10k miles until the warranty is up or extending warranties because x,y and, z are wide spread known for going bad shortly after the warranty is up. On the other hand some companies don't care. Rarely does a BMW make 100k miles without needing oil filter housing gasket, valve cover gasket or water pump (most use external) if not all three and it's been than way for decades. These are money makes for the dealerships since they don't think their affluent clientele minds spending $1000-1500 a pop on wear item repairs at the dealership. In cases like that really doesn't matter, both oem and aftermarket are going to be trash.
THEN there are markets like Jeep where aftermarket "upgrade" parts may be made considerably more beefy and heavier than oem parts BUT that doesn't mean the attention to detail is better. They'll last longer merely on being built for intended abuse IF you use them as such or you have no choice because your need the adjustability after lifting them that oem doesn't have.
bottom line: bearings, bushings, sensors, electrical parts, timing chains, gaskets stick with oem when at all possibly. The only aftermarket brands I usually trust universally for OEM replacements are Felpro gaskets and Spicer (because they make dang near all domestic oem driveline parts and jeep oem ball joints). You can't trust Moog, Gates, Timken, Gates, Airtex, SKF, Delphi etc like you once could for OEM like quality. You might get it or you might get something that last no longer than an eBay special.
Better on a racetrack where you are chasing tenths of a second? yes. Better on the street... no. The increased NVH negates any handling gains.
It really depends. Working for auto suppliers for much of my life I found that the OEM Manufacturers made component price a major consideration in choosing a supplier.
Very few people think OE shocks for example are superior to a brand like Koni or Bilstein for just one example. Same with tires or brakes.
Very few people think OE shocks for example are superior to a brand like Koni or Bilstein for just one example. Same with tires or brakes.
My 1994 Explorer has what my mechanic called "some kind of race car radius arm bushings." They are red, and they are probably getting replaced with normal ones the next time I am in the suspension.
People get irrationally angry when we tell them that the radius arm bushings from Ford are all individual and not in a kit like aftermarket.
