I prefer used

Near consumables on a sedan race car, like calipers, axles and so on- I will go to the junkyard for high mileage OE parts long before I will purchase a parts store reman unit.

Agree, or disagree?

yes and no … things like hubs for my Honda are NLA … (at least from the manufacturer) .. there is an aftermarket machine shop that are making better than OEM and come loaded with better bearings w/ARP long studs … pricy but lots better than something from the junkyard

as for axles, I'll take new OEM over used any day

I get starters and alternators from the junkyard for my volvos because real denso and bosch works way better even after 20 years than the junk autoparts stores sell

Agree. Especially if you can buy the wear items from the dealer and repair yourself.

wbjones wrote: as for axles, I'll take new OEM over used any day

Oh yes. I was talking about parts store stuff, not OE.

I actually get OE axles from a parts store … an indy … they are Japanese, made for Honda's … not remaned Chinese POS

if these sources ever dry up, I'll probably switch to Raxles

Calipers I would prefer to rebuild myself, axles I'd prefer to reboot/grease good used factory units. I know Denso alternators rarely need more than bearings and brushes, just solenoid contacts on the starters.

I keep hearing this, but I have never had a failure of a rebuilt part from any auto parts store and I've been fixing my own junk for 30 years.

Every vehicle I own has cheap rebuilds on it from any one of the following, Advance, Autozone, Napa, Amazon, Rock Auto or O'Reilly's. I usually buy the house brand and the auto parts stores, and whatever is on sale at the other two. None of them have failed. Axles, PS pumps, alternators, calipers, master cylinders, all with no issues. I've even used their wheel bearings with no problems.

How are you guys having all these failures?

In reply to Toyman01:

I keep hearing about guys that get 12 hours of track time out of R tires too...

I'd say 4/5 of my parts store purchases are fine. Once in a while there is something that is total garbage. Either it doesn't fit correctly, or fails very soon.

Belt tensioner for the Saturn is like this. I've also had bad luck with reman A/C compressors.

In reply to Toyman01:

Luck of the draw I guess, the one parts store reman ps pump I've used whined, only alternator (Advance, pushrod Ford Taurus) E36 M3 out in 24 hours(replacement held up AFAIK), I guess that reman caliper I bought held up ok, I've never used non SKF/Timken/FAG/NSK/etc. wheel bearings (or any bearing really) on anything that stuck around for more than a year.

The only bad part I've had from the aftermarket was years ago with strut mounts/bearings for a Mk2 VW. OEM units are stupid and sucky. At the time, the Mexican made replacements from Napa were far worse.

I've put in several reman parts over the years. Alternators, water pumps, steering racks, calipers etc. Never had any issues that I can recall.

Friend of the family owns a transmission shop, he's had a lot of parts fail lately, says even the timken bearings are no longer the sure shot for quality bearings. he has to buy from certain vendors to get the US made bearings since Timken apparently opened a chinese facility.

Toyman01 wrote: I keep hearing this, but I have never had a failure of a rebuilt part from any auto parts store and I've been fixing my own junk for 30 years.

^This. With the exception of an alternator which lasted 9 months before giving out and was replaced under warranty and the recent grenaded TO bearing on the Lot Lizard I've never had a failure from a parts store part in over 130 cars and 30 years of wrenching. Maybe I'm just lucky.

You guys know I'm talking about race car parts, right?

I don't think the majority get that...part. :)

I dunno. I've had so many dang clutch slave cylinders fail from parts stores it isn't even funny.

Have never had a problem with much else though, just clutch hydraulics that seem to hate me.

The only part that ever gave me a problem was hubs for my expedition. Replaced them 4x on each side under warranty. Finally the manager at the store gave me a name brand as a replacement and I never replaced them again.

Other than that house brand reman stuff has not given me any issues.

I only use the junkyard for stuff that is either one off for a car or a dealer only part that is in my mind over priced. Just got like new upper and lower rear control arms for $20 a set. Dealer wants $130 each. So it was $520 versus $40.

Toyman01 wrote: How are you guys having all these failures?

I went through THREE starters for my toyota truck on ONE day. Yay, Dangervancezone.. Never again. One of them had a cracked end cap. If you spun it with no load on the test stand it was fun, apply a load with a gear..... Bearing would bind. Another had a cracked magnet. Another was DOA.

Streetwiseguy wrote: You guys know I'm talking about race car parts, right?

PepVanceZone don't sell race car parts.

I avoid junkyard parts unless absolutely necessary, meaning parts aren't available new/reman or the price is so hideous that I'll take the gamble. To date I've had to do this exactly once: replacement throttle body/MAF unit for a Nissan, because $25 was a lot more palatable than $500 and I wasn't 100% certain that the MAF was even at fault. (It was)

My rationale: The part I'm replacing is also a used part, and it's NFG. The car I'm getting from was in the junkyard for SOME reason, too...

Knurled wrote: My rationale: The part I'm replacing is also a used part, and it's NFG. The car I'm getting from was in the junkyard for SOME reason, too...

I agree with this if the car has no body damage, but typically cars in junk yards were running when they were crashed......

HORRIBLE, terrible, no good luck with parts store crap. Alternators, starters, etc, I would absolutely take a used OEM part out of the yard over a reman. I would also have them rebuilt at the local overhauler vs a mexican rebuilt from a box store.

airwerks wrote:

Knurled wrote: My rationale: The part I'm replacing is also a used part, and it's NFG. The car I'm getting from was in the junkyard for SOME reason, too...

I agree with this if the car has no body damage, but typically cars in junk yards were running when they were crashed......

Locally, it seems people just start neglecting cars when the rust gets to be bad, and they tolerate all the failing systems as long as it still moves under its own power. Then they scrap it when it stops doing even that.

I forgot the time a cheap ass no name brake pad material separated from the backing plate on my ranger. No more non name brand for me.