What brands from RockAuto do you trust?

MOOG!

I have had their balljoints in the rx7 for 5 years and 3 of those years saw many rallycross and ice racing and general highly abusive shennanigans. I have all moog bushings on my truck as well. They are owned by federal mogul and they make components for many OEMs.

AC Delco is fine (in my opinion) when your buying parts for your chevy, but thats about it.

Dorman is pretty cheap and is 'good' for a "this will do" kind of moment. IE, when it doesnt need to perform flawless, it just needs to perform and its not something super important like main bearing (which I doubt they make)

Timken is good, 100 year mfg of bearings is good enough for me but be careful because they have their good parts and their bad parts:

IE my throwout bearing in my truck had a plastic collar, broke pretty quickly, stupid design the price reflected the quality. Most of their seals are re-branded FNOK.

My only problem with Rockauto is the poor job of packaging on several items they have shipped to me.

In their defense, they have promptly reshipped the parts. (Usually in better packaging.)

Rog

Check your local stores and other online places as well. The last couple of times I've tried to order from Rock Auto, the shipping was so high I could get it locally for about the same price. One of them was $200 in parts and $130 for ground shipping. Everything seemed to be coming from a different warehouse and they hammer you on freight for each item. I've about gotten to where I don't use them anymore.

Toyman01 wrote: Check your local stores and other online places as well. The last couple of times I've tried to order from Rock Auto, the shipping was so high I could get it locally for about the same price. One of them was $200 in parts and $130 for ground shipping. Everything seemed to be coming from a different warehouse and they hammer you on freight for each item. I've about gotten to where I don't use them anymore.

+1.

I saved almost $200 on my last parts "spree" by paying attention to shipping costs. Even though RA was clearly cheaper on the part, the shipping made it nearly the same price or MORE then what I could have gotten that part from either AJUSA, Scummit, or locally.

A1-Cardone is TERRIBLE stuff. As a former parts slinger, I remember seeing a lot of stuff from them being either broken or straight up wrong right off the shelf. Sometimes, they would send a part (such as a windshield washer motor for my 1979 Trans Am) that was a blatant core that they spray painted right over the dirt! I went through 5, count them 5, before I got a good working unit. AVOID.

Moog stuff is great. Never had a problem with their suspension bits.

Dorman is hit or miss. Some stuff is great, while other stuff just isn't. For a non-OEM part, you can't expect everything to be perfect.

Timken makes nice bearings, at least they did when I was a parts guy. Almost nothing I sold from them had issues.

AC Delco makes nice stuff. I like their oil filters, and since they were a GM-run manufacturer at one point (did they split off in the Bankruptcy?) there's at least some decent quality control.

My aftermarket oil filters of choice are the Purolator PureOne line. I have been using them for a while in a lot of different cars. Nice filters.

As far as the cheapo brands from Rock Auto go, I've used their Centric brake rotors a few times and their Penitus brand filters. I haven't had any issues with either product line.

I buy a lot of stuff from Advance too. I like their product line, and the fact that you can order online and pick up in the store with all the hefty discount codes is great.

depending on what it is, dorman parts often address the weakness in the original design. ive compared them back to back with other aftermarkets and been impressed more often than not.

A1cardone sucks, but sometimes the only choice.

Honestly O'really's masterpro is normally the same part as the MOOG stuff. I've had them pull both to compare. I usually hit them up for parts or order from advance online and pickup in store since there is always a discount code on their website.

If I'm ordering parts for a project I compare RA vs local stores and pay attention to what warehouse my parts are coming from. I'll order everything I can from one warehouse and sometimes go local for stuff that would have to ship from another warehouse. I can get the bulk of my order with cheap shipping and just buy the one or two parts that would be double the cost with the extra shipping locally.

I'm biased but SKF seals and bearings seem to be pretty good stuff. I made seals for what was their CR division many moons ago, here in Kansas.

SilverFleet wrote: As far as the cheapo brands from Rock Auto go, I've used their Centric brake rotors a few times and their Penitus brand filters. I haven't had any issues with either product line.

I've used the Centric brand several times as well, and only had one problem. If you order their brake pads, make sure there's a picture. I put a set of pads on a friends MB E320, and the pads I ordered didn't have the slot for the wear sensor. The description didn't say anything about the wear sensor, and since it was standard on that car, I assumed the pads would have the slot. Not so much.

16vCorey wrote:

SilverFleet wrote: As far as the cheapo brands from Rock Auto go, I've used their Centric brake rotors a few times and their Penitus brand filters. I haven't had any issues with either product line.

I've used the Centric brand several times as well, and only had one problem. If you order their brake pads, make sure there's a picture. I put a set of pads on a friends MB E320, and the pads I ordered didn't have the slot for the wear sensor. The description didn't say anything about the wear sensor, and since it was standard on that car, I assumed the pads would have the slot. Not so much.

I haven't used their pads yet. Good call.

Speaking of Rock Auto brakes....

Has anyone used the combo packages they sell now that include the performance pads and rotors? I've read that the pads are similar in compound to Hawk HPS's, but I'm weary of the cross drilled and slotted rotors. I was thinking of getting this setup for my daily driver Mazda 3, because it's going to need brakes soon. Whatever I do, I'm not getting the same brakes that I got for my wife's 3, because when she backs up after the car sits, it sounds like a sad, dying cow.*

*(And yes, it's the brakes, Wagner ThermoQuiets, in fact. I've taken them apart twice since their installation, scuffed them, chamfered the edges, anti-siezed things, and it still does it. Her stock brakes never did that.)

93EXCivic wrote: I am looking at a bunch of suspension parts for the Yugo, W123 and Civic on Rockauto. I am sure some of the brands I am seeing are better then others. So which brands do you trust or not? Brands that I am seeing a lot of Dorman, Mevotech, Beck/Arnley, Moog, Raybestos and AC Delco.

Moog is good. I am a fan of KYB, but not sure if they have parts for your application.

IMHO Dorman is the cheap stuff that has a part for a 89 Cutlass that is close to the size you need, and since youre in a jam, you buy 4, modify a few different ways , one actually fits, then gets replaced with something better when you make it home and can order the superior part from Amazon in your underwear.

Gearheadotaku wrote:

AC2 wrote:

Gearheadotaku wrote: I'd say no to Mevotech and approach Dorman with caution. They used to have good stuff, but have gone downhill in some areas.

Why no to Mevotech, have you used them before?

Good friend of mine is a tech w/20+ years under his belt. Had too many comebacks on Mevotech stuff. Moog? No problem.

Oh yeah? When did he stop using them? It seems like they've made a lot of changes in their product engineering processes in the last couple years, their website also says that they JUST released a new lifetime warranty. I'm going to try them out and take a chance on the underdog