SKf still make an excellent product, BCA and some Timken is also good. Felpro are fine but not for HG. The best timing chains by far are from Iwis.
Except the OE's don't make any of that stuff - and there are only a handful of companies that do make it for the OE's - Denso, NTK, Bosch, Infineon, Hitachi, etc. They usually have their logo on the stuff when you pull it out, and sell the same parts to the jobber market at a fraction of the OE price.
I can stamp whatever I want on a box, as the customer will you take me for my word, or actually take the time, energy, and costs of purchasing each tier of part and validate my claims and design targets?
True. Side note it also does seem that their is variation between Factory OE, Dealer OE, and OEM parts. OEM and Dealer OE parts seem to be almost the same, while Factory OE perform a bit better (Looking at you Toyota ZZ part numbers vs full numerical Factory OE parts vs the OEM Denso/NGK).
Shocks: OE or OEM, or even better, Bilstein, if it is not already OEM on vehicle.
It depends where. In control arms? Yes, polyurethane can create lots of NVH. In rear subframe? Always polyurethane. Actually, in BMW’s many put aluminum bushings and it is really hard to notice difference in NVH.
Not that familiar with Toyota so you will need to enlighten me on the ZZ part numbers. However having been in a lot of these plants, I can't fathom someone like Denso or Bosch going to the trouble to build a lesser quality zirconia 02 sensing element, or use some sort of cheaper circuit board or components for a aftermarket part. Those places work on maximizing volume and throughput on their multi million dollar manufacturing line. Stopping production to make a different part wouldn't make sense. Now what I could see is them assembling it in a cheaper housing with a cheaper connector or whatever, so that's certainly possible.
Sounds like PST or similar poly. I wouldn't replace them, they're bloody awesome. If they squeak, just grease them. (Seriously.) Friend's father has them (albeit black) in his Econoline, and the improvement, especially towing, is dramatic.
The VW Auto Group logos is in a different position from the scratched off area.
I have preached that logic for years when people suggest companies make 19 different "versions" of a part, one for the OEM, one for Walmart, one for Autozone, and so on. It makes almost no sense to do that. Same with something like a chemical/fluid. They want to buy a million liters of fluid additive "X" in order to make product "A". They do NOT want to buy 250k liters of "X" to make "A", 250k liters of "Y" to make "B", and so on. They get volume purchasing power by sticking to one version and for other versions, they simply exceed a spec here and there.
Because it doesn't matter (to the OEM). It meets their requirement (plus a safety factor) and they can call that data proprietary. They aren't "marketing" the product for retail sale anyway so they have no need to promote it, advertise it, etc.
That seems to vary across manufacturer though. Toyota and Ford OEM brake parts seem to be extremely high quality and last a very long time. Some people buy them as replacements but the average Joe sees Raybestos pads for $29.99 or Ford pads for $109.99 and go aftermarket. Same with rotors. Those are made-up numbers but the idea is the same.
That's sad to hear.... Almost certainly a cost-cutting matter there and Gates is putting cheaper-priced bearings in. The housing is the expensive part to produce (at least the original casting pattern) but the finished part will accept any brand bearing of the appropriate size.
