OEM Quality

[landtoy80]

How do you tell if a part is OEM quality when you get parts at a part store?

[Vadar-Frank]

Kurt, in my opinion, if you want OEM Quality, stay away from cheap auto parts stores... Kragens, Parts-Plus, and all those other everyday auto parts stores you see on almost every corner. Stick with the Dealer (who also sells performance parts), or a good performance store that like 4 wheel parts wholesalers. I have a 2nd job running a fleet of 45 hard driven vehicles, and I have found that the parts from the cheapy local auto stores either break, fail, or have to be returned for some reason or another.

Good luck !!

[amac209]

a lot of oem parts suck and are way overpriced.
take a driveshaft steady bearing for a chevy they cost about $180 from the dealer and $30 from nappa. and guess what?? they're both make by Timken. or look at chevy balljoints they're crap moog aftermarket ones last longer than the ac-delco brand. don't get me wrong theres tons of aftermarket jobber junk i wouldn't get caught dead buying. like those $12 brake pads!! ha yeah right but if you get good aftermarket brake equipment from raybestos or bendex it's just as good as oem if not better. starters and alternators?? i've had terrible luck with the aftermarket. just remember you get what you pay for and if you do your homework you won't get burned. and remember ac-delco parts are available at most parts stores not just the dealer. but for gm parts you have to go to the dealer they're always more than the ac-delco ones even though they're pretty much the same thing. fuel/water seperators for the duramax diesel went from $95 can. in a gm box to $50 in an ac-delco box. hell i can't tell them apart. for electrical components I always go to the dealer, had to many bad experiences with jobber junk(aftermarket), same thing with oil seals there's about a 90% chance you'll get the wrong one from aftermarket.
It's a buyer beware world!!!!