Moog parts
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Moog is generally not good quality. Problem is that aftermarket - even aftermarket that is original equipment manufacturer - is now all over the place with counterfeits, inconsistent quality, etc. that if it is a car you are going to keep I would find the original parts from GM and use those unless the cost difference is silly.
Can you trust RockAuto classification of Economy, Daily Driver, Heavy Duty and Premium?
Mevotech seems to have some parts in all 4 categories. Moog is not in the Economy section.
Mevotech seems to have some parts in all 4 categories. Moog is not in the Economy section.
How does one know which quality line a part is in?
I like Moog suspension parts. But always buy their Problem Solver line.
Moog were once the gold standard for steering, suspension and chassis parts but those days are long gone. Once the company was sold to Federal-Mogul quality started to decline, then Tenneco took over and things only got worse, the final nail in the Moog coffin was being bought by Apollo investment group.
Apollo is a company only interested in bleeding every last cent out of a company then either unloading it or sending it into bankruptcy like they did with first brands. Moog are not quality parts and should be avoided.
Apollo is a company only interested in bleeding every last cent out of a company then either unloading it or sending it into bankruptcy like they did with first brands. Moog are not quality parts and should be avoided.
A suspension or steering part is not an easy to replace part like an air filter so who would waste their time installing a crappy part? Some like a tie rod require an alignment. Assume most shops would figure out the good part brands vs crappy part brands and not want to install crappy parts since eventually they will have pissed off customers.
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The issue is not about wasting time installing a crappy part, it's about figuring out whether aftermarket parts that are not deathtraps still exist.
Used to be a time one could fully assume paying expensive labor to install crappy parts, as long as all the elements of the equation were solid. Say, I need this car to last me another two years and 50k miles, because this is what my plans are, then I'll junk it or whatever.
Nowadays, the crappy part element is constantly shuffled between brands. Brands that were known as decent alternatives will go to crap. Brands like Sankei 555, which used to be great, will have to be Sherlock Holmes tracked to have a Made in Japan stamp to be trusted. Then the irony - brands like Beck Arnley or whatever would be bought with no expectation, and found to have a Made in Japan stamp and a barely visible 555 logo. Then will come the question - are they new, or is that some rebuild that makes it even shadier?
It's the lack of consistency that is the killer. I want to know that a cheapo part is crap, and that a brand name (even if aftermarket) is not.
I've seen this process live in Eastern Europe a couple of decades ago. It was epic. Cheapo parts were all over the place, counterfeits, deathtraps everywhere. Eventually, the following hierarchy settled up:
- If it says Made in Japan or Made in Germany and it's not overpriced from the dealer: run. It's a fake. Simple as that.
- If it says Made in China - it's crap, but it probably won't kill you. If they bothered claiming the country of origin - they are at least somehow legit.
- If it says Made in Turkey - it used to be absolute crap, but is getting better every year and it might not only not kill you, but will also likely last.
What do you know, RockAuto now has a Made in Turkey brand for suspension parts (forgot what it was, it sounded like a girl's name) which is possibly ok.
I've had mixed experiences. My Moog wheel bearing is closing in on 100K and no signs of quitting. Meanwhile, a set of control arms gave up in a few years. Some of their stab links look well built, but I'm not willing to find out. Rock auto sells Delphi so that's who I'll use if oem isn't an option I want to pursue financially. As far as axles go...who knows. Napa brand has been doing well on a Nissan with a cvt so there's that.
They're Trakmotive.
https://assets.genpt.com/pdf/id/166326289
If you call the number of the NAPA Axle Warranty sheet, it takes you to Advanced Innovative Technology Corp....which is the umbrella corp over Trakmotive.
I've been pleasantly surprised by them. About $125 a piece, as opposed to several hundred vs oem and all is well pushing 50K. With Cvts a vibration will be amplified if the CV is junk. This is on an 09 so cost was a factor
Moog has declined into another garbage aftermarket brand. They still have nice looking boxes though.
It would seem at some point capitalism would come into play and a company would make quality parts for a not-cheap but less than OEM price. I can buy Akebono or Wagner (and others) quality brake pads so why isn't the same true for suspension and steering parts? While no guarantees if you buy on Amazon, companies like NAPA and RockAuto are big enough that I would think they can vette their supply chains and eliminate fake parts.
Mevotechs heavy duty line looks interesting. But reviews are mixed. A friend worked at the Delphi plant in Saginaw yeas ago when they made steering components for GM. The plant closed and he was lucky enough to finish out down the road in flint. Now Delphis name comes in a china box, but hopefully to higher standards?
I have used many Moog parts on Honda And Acura front suspensions. Never had an issue and the parts always had a good feel.
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I go through those every year in my Ram because of the angle after the lift. The ball joint in them gets warbly really fast.
