Hi all,
My 4Runner needs new front LCA bushings. Seems to me that buying whole new LCAs is my best bet, considering my time/benefit/lack of garage equation. My question is: is it worth spending much more on the OE parts over NAPA or Rock Auto?
Prices per arm:
OEM: $210
AC Delco: $76
Beck/Arnley: $109
NAPA: $157
Altrom: $170
OEM for sure. I am on the Tacoma forum, and many LBJ that people used from aftermarket has failed. On my Toyotas, I usually like OEM. YMMV
Id really recommend OEM, I had to replace moogs every 40k, oems lasted 80k till I sold it.
With a price delta that low, I'd go OEM for sure.
OEM all day, e'ery day.
Check Altrom it may very well be the oe manufacturer who supplies them.
Not always a hard and fast rule here. I'll offer the OEM ball joints on Jeep Patriots which are utter garbage. MOOG replacements are better, plus come with grease fittings.
Best way to decide is research the forums and see what kind of luck others are having. Sometimes OEM is best, sometimes it ain't.
Just to be clear, I'm asking about control arms w/ bushings, not ball joints.
Just to be clear, I'm using ball joints as an example that there is no universal one-is-better-than-the-other rule. 
I personally do not like Moog, and have never had a good experience with them, always seem to run into impropper casting/machining, stripped/missing zerk fittings, or lack of reliability.
I am a huge advocate of OEM parts for stuff like this, aftermarket has its place, but to save 40$ Vs. your safety?
ddavidv said:Just to be clear, I'm using ball joints as an example that there is no universal one-is-better-than-the-other rule.
To be fair, you used one of the cheap Jeep's as an example. That vehicle was garbage with 4 miles on the odometer.
1SlowVW said:Check Altrom it may very well be the oe manufacturer who supplies them.
This.
ddavidv said:Not always a hard and fast rule here. I'll offer the OEM ball joints on Jeep Patriots which are utter garbage. MOOG replacements are better, plus come with grease fittings.
Best way to decide is research the forums and see what kind of luck others are having. Sometimes OEM is best, sometimes it ain't.
That's fair, we can amend the rule to "OEM is usually best, unless the vehicle is Italian."
ddavidv said:Just to be clear, I'm using ball joints as an example that there is no universal one-is-better-than-the-other rule.
Ha, fair enough.
I'm ordering OEM, thanks for spending my money everyone 
If moog or napa built a 4runner, would you buy it?
In reply to Carbon :
...Probably.
Carbon said:If moog or napa built a 4runner, would you buy it?
OEM parts for them would be cheap...
Carbon said:If moog or napa built a 4runner, would you buy it?
It would probably be that sweet blue, right?
Carbon said:If moog or napa built a 4runner, would you buy it?
Do you think components like ball joints, bushings, brake parts ..... are made by GM or Ford. These companies don’t build those parts just like apple does not build the iPhone.
They design it, put sub assemblies and parts out to tender, then assemble into a vehicle.
Full disclosure I work in the aftermarket parts industry, so I’m biased. But if you buy a gates rad hose from an oe dealer or an aftermarket distributor it’s more than likely the same part. The same can be argued for many parts on a vehicle.
You can always find out who made the parts for the manufacturer and buy them direct. Example: My '97 Camry's water pump was made by Aisin. The Aisin pump and housing from Rock Auto was 50 percent of the OEM price. The only difference between them was the absence of "TOYOTA" cast into the pump.
z31maniac said:ddavidv said:Just to be clear, I'm using ball joints as an example that there is no universal one-is-better-than-the-other rule.
To be fair, you used one of the cheap Jeep's as an example. That vehicle was garbage with 4 miles on the odometer.
Wrong.
It was garbage before they even built the parts.
... Why yes, I have a burning hatred of those POS's, why do you ask?
In reply to 1SlowVW :
After 16 years in both aftermarket and OEM parts, I can say this is sometimes true. Kinda. With replacement parts you have to consider the OEM. Honda/Toyota? Most of their OEM parts are better than 90% of the aftermarket stuff unless you find the exact manufacturer. GM/Ford? You can pretty much find better stuff at walmart.
Then we get into the part that is being replaced. spark plugs? Obvious. Alternator? Not so obvious. Radiator? Depends on the aftermarket company. What I can say is that after 10 years with Acura, the cars with 250k miles on the odo weren't usually maintained at Joe Blow's shop down the street with Autozone parts. They were usually dealer maintained with OE parts when needed. I rarely had good luck with import aftermarket starters/alternators. Domestic alternators seemed to be perfectly fine with whatever junk you threw at it.
In reply to bobzilla :
I’ll admit there are product that are harder to find good quality aftermarket replacements.
But most wear components can be found in the aftermarket in equal quality. The challenge is when you don’t realize that aftermarket suppliers are also more than happy to build a product to a price point. Consumers want an 18$ ball joint so the aftermarket builds one that can be sold at 18$ and still turn a profit.
Like so many things in life many parts are get what you pay for. If you compare a poorly remanufactured alternator to oe you will be disappointed. Buy one from a reputable company and you’ll have years of use out of the part.
mr2s2000elise said:OEM for sure. I am on the Tacoma forum, and many LBJ that people used from aftermarket has failed. On my Toyotas, I usually like OEM. YMMV
This. My Sequoia uses the same LCA setup and parts, and on the Toyota forums it's pretty widely agreed to ONLY use OEM. I actually bought one of the aftermarket brands and installed them, and after all the reading I did, I got pretty sketched out and actually took them out and bought the more expensive OEM ones. There are some scare stories about various aftermarket ones, and this is a pretty damn important piece. Don't cheap out.
Note: I use Moog balljoints and RockAuto control arms on the BMW rally car, because they have a better rep in that application. My Sequoia has plenty of non-OEM replacement parts on it as well. I'm only saying SPECIFICALLY for the lower balljoints for Toyota trucks, almost everything I've read is adamant that OEM is the only reliable option.
Then I guess you all have your answers lol. If you replied that you would by a car made by moog or napa, then by all means, buy their parts and put them on your rig. If you wouldn't, then dont. My experience has been that if you're talking about a premium Japanese manufacturer, then the quality of eom parts vastly surpasses that of the usdm aftermarket replacement parts. Each to their own. I fully realize that oems outsource parts but in my opinion the quality of part suppliers are not all equal.
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