Commercially Rebuilt Parts

[Terry M.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

It would have been interesting to know more about exactly where the issue was. I put 4-wheel disks on my 1967 Chevelle and I think the rear brakes are basically what you were working on the Cadillac. I got them as a kit, so their origins are not so clear to me, but I think I may be exposed to the same issues you are having. It may be a long time before I have to work on those brakes, but then maybe not.

[Bill H.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

Glad to here you got them done, Joe.
If nothing else, at least you know they were done right.

[Gary R.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

Hi Joe
I share your opinion on how things are done these day, certainly nothing like years ago in either quality or service. Years ago I worked for awhile as a parts counterman and we stocked MOOG, Standard, Delco,Reliance, Cardo, etc and the parts were great. Yeah once in a while we would have a bad part but those were all made here in the USA and the quality was second to none.

I see a lot of issues with corvette work these days both with parts and services. The parts come from all over the place but the service is by some well known vendors that would probably surprise most of you.

Things I've seen in the past few years:

Steering boxes
"new" boxes with the center lash looser then the worn out box they replaced
Rag joints welded to inputs
The current quality of rag joints and rebuild kits
Ball nuts on the steering gear purposely installed upside down to try and reuse worn out gears
Worn teeth on the gear welded and filed down.

Differentials
Fast work with cheap parts.
using cheaper imported bearings and seals
reusing RG bolts, even the flanged head ones
reusing cap bolts, not checking the cap fitment
using new loaded posi's without regard to the quality of the build. I've had out of the box new posi's with 030 endplay in the spiders. As well as these using fiber clutches and huge springs.
Loose backlash-new gear sets with over 025" lash
Terrible pattern setup
Telling people 030" + yoke endplay is what to expect
Not correctly installing pinion seals
shimming over-crushed pinion sleeves

Trailing Arms
Again swapping out USA bearings for imported
Using poly bushing in the arm- this is not recommended for T/A's
Not compressing and flaring the bushings
Cutting the spindle flange to get to the parking brakes
Having to machine and mod some of the new parking brake parts
Hole patterns off on new backing plates
Bent or twisted arms that were rebent
replacing spindles because they are "bent" unless impacted hard the spindle will not bend. They will have runout which was there from day 1.
Using imported spindles that twist under load
rotor runout well over 005"

And much more but I think you get my point. Front suspension part kits are another great topic on quality but that has been beat to death by now.

I just replaced front bearing assemblies on my '02 S10 that had less then 40k miles since replacing the original GM bearings that had 135k miles on them.

[Terry M.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

Amen Gary.

We live in a world that demands the least expensive part and then asks it to last forever -- after all one can get a "lifetime guarantee" on parts that won't last 30K from the corner FLAPS. Never mind they will only replace the part with a like POS and forgetabout the labor to replace it. Increasingly one can not find quality in the automotive parts field at any price. One used to be able to count on the quality of Chevrolet SPO (that shows how old I am since SPO is long gone too) or AC Delco parts; but no more. Sometimes I blame the manufacturers, and sometimes the "public." I don't know where the fault really is, but the problem goes well beyond the automotive parts field. No one demands quality in either parts or service, and increasingly there is none to be had.

[Patrick N.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

Sometimes I blame the manufacturers, and sometimes the "public." I don't know where the fault really is

Great comment- it may be symbiotic. I wonder how many people still repair their own vehicles and what percentage of people out there feel a vehicle becomes "unreliable" after say 150K miles or so, and it should be traded in before it looses all equity. Why continually fix it when you can replace it with a newer model. Meanwhile, productivity savings will always be pushed within every corporation to help bottom-line growth (Top-line growth from new sales). There is a point of diminishing return however where no more cost can be engineered out of a part without compromising performance or longevity.

[Jack H.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

As has been touched on in threads already in this topic, I think this is as much a problem with incompatible brands as it is with quality issues. Don't get me wrong, I think there are lots of quality issues with reproduction parts across the board, but there now seems to be an additional wrinkle with incompatible parts from different brands. My theory is that with so much much pressure on lowering costs, and combined with many manufacturers offering lifetime warranties, I think there is some redesigning/tweaking going on here. It seems as though OEM specs are not always honored as a result.

Another related annoyance I've seen lately, particularly with some of the major aftermarket brands, there are now multiple quality offerings by a single brand. Raybestos has already been mentioned, so I'll use them as an example. I needed disk brake rotors for the wife's SUV, and Raybestos offered at least 3 different ones, Professional Grade, Advanced Technology, and something else I can't recall (OEM Replacement or similar?) all at significantly different price points.

Quality in general is increasingly becoming a pet-peeve of mine in general. I've never minded paying extra to get quality. I've never been penny-wise and dollar-foolish. It's just getting harder and sometimes impossible to find quality anymore. Frustrating.

Just adding my 2 cents. I feel better after venting a bit.

[Joe L.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

As has been touched on in threads already in this topic, I think this is as much a problem with incompatible brands as it is with quality issues. Don't get me wrong, I think there are lots of quality issues with reproduction parts across the board, but there now seems to be an additional wrinkle with incompatible parts from different brands. My theory is that with so much much pressure on lowering costs, and combined with many manufacturers offering lifetime warranties, I think there is some redesigning/tweaking going on here. It seems as though OEM specs are not always honored as a result.

Another related annoyance I've seen lately, particularly with some of the major aftermarket brands, there are now multiple quality offerings by a single brand. Raybestos has already been mentioned, so I'll use them as an example. I needed disk brake rotors for the wife's SUV, and Raybestos offered at least 3 different ones, Professional Grade, Advanced Technology, and something else I can't recall (OEM Replacement or similar?) all at significantly different price points.

Quality in general is increasingly becoming a pet-peeve of mine in general. I've never minded paying extra to get quality. I've never been penny-wise and dollar-foolish. It's just getting harder and sometimes impossible to find quality anymore. Frustrating.

Just adding my 2 cents. I feel better after venting a bit.

Jack------


Yes, I expect that a possible problem with the re-manufactured calipers I purchased was the use of "off-spec" rebuild components. The "compulsion" to consolidate parts, especially for older applications, might cause the introduction of parts which are "jacks of all trades but masters of none".

[Jim S.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

How about this part? Couldn't even be copied correctly! Parts with flats only go together one way. Now you find your steering wheel upside down!

Also, flex coupling rebuild kits do not include any grounding means. Therefore, it is possible that at a some later date after returning the car to the road you will find that the horn doesn't work. It's going to be real hard to relate replacing the flex coupling and the fact that the horn does not work months later.
Jim

[George J.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

As long as everyone is complaining about parts, let me throw mine in. I can't stand that there are NO good toilet parts to be had that last longer than a few years. I am so sick of replacing toilet innards every few years that I could scream. Can't someone make metal innards for our beloved seats? And I am not trying to be funny here.

George

[Paul J.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

As long as everyone is complaining about parts, let me throw mine in. I can't stand that there are NO good toilet parts to be had that last longer than a few years. I am so sick of replacing toilet innards every few years that I could scream. Can't someone make metal innards for our beloved seats? And I am not trying to be funny here.

George

Up until the late 60's toilet internals were made from brass and copper tubing and wire, and soldered by hand. Seals were leather and rubber. These things lasted forever and could be continuosly rebuilt. I even still have a set of cutters to level the refill valve seats. When they started making plastic guts, people just pulled the brass parts and threw them into the landfill. How stupid. People do this with cars, too.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

As long as everyone is complaining about parts, let me throw mine in. I can't stand that there are NO good toilet parts to be had that last longer than a few years. I am so sick of replacing toilet innards every few years that I could scream. Can't someone make metal innards for our beloved seats? And I am not trying to be funny here.

George

i think the water quality and water pressure has a lot to do with how long the internals last.

[Joe L.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

How about this part? Couldn't even be copied correctly! Parts with flats only go together one way. Now you find your steering wheel upside down!

Also, flex coupling rebuild kits do not include any grounding means. Therefore, it is possible that at a some later date after returning the car to the road you will find that the horn doesn't work. It's going to be real hard to relate replacing the flex coupling and the fact that the horn does not work months later.
Jim

Jim------


It is incredible just how "off-spec" that some replacement parts can be. Got to wonder if ANY engineering effort, at all, goes into the creation of these parts.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

Jim------


It is incredible just how "off-spec" that some replacement parts can be. Got to wonder if ANY engineering effort, at all, goes into the creation of these parts.

I can guess how that happened.

Same genius engineeer who worked on this exhaust clamp.

[Gary R.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

How about this one, rebuilt side yoke. It lasted a couple of passes on a 71 BB at the track. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this in my hand. You can see how low the seam is and then they left it hollow.

[Joe L.]

Re: Commercially Rebuilt Parts

How about this one, rebuilt side yoke. It lasted a couple of passes on a 71 BB at the track. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this in my hand. You can see how low the seam is and then they left it hollow.

Gary------


Is this a rebuilt GM axle or a bogus "reproduction"? It looks like it might have had the end replaced as it looks like I can see a parting line.