What is the longest you've seen cheap bushings last? Is Omix-ADA a good brand?

[Grahame]

Specifically rear control arm upper bushings, I am hesitant to drop $125 for the MOPAR brand as I only need a couple more years out of the Jeep.

I did the balljoint 24 months ago so I don't want to do the whole RCA assembly at $300.

How is Omix-ADA for a brand? I was thinking of ordering everything from them through rockauto:

Waterpump & gasket
Rear Upper Bushings
Thermostat (Since I gotta do waterpump I figured why not do this at the same time?)

Thanks for the help!

 

[HoosierJeeper]

I'd do Mopar for the Tstate. Water pump, maybe Gates or Mopar. Bushings, I'd do Moog PS ones (K part number). Some people have issues getting the old bushings out without bending the arm.

 

[Grahame]

Thanks for the response.

I found the bushings you suggested, they are a good price.
Does GATES make different level quality pumps? This one is $39, seems low for something so important but maybe I'm missing something.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

What are the rest of them price wise?

I got a Napa reman in mine and it was in the $30 range I think. I think the Gates one I got for my XJ was $30-$40. If you go to Gate's website it should more info than rock auto.

 

[tommudd]

If you want to get two more years do it right and get quality parts
Thermostat only from Mopar, water pump from NAPA got their best one forget the price since I walked out yesterday with over 250 bucks worth of parts for the 03 and 05 :gr_grin:

 

[Conundrum2006]

Omix-ada used to be a good parts source, I've had a pulley for the 4.0 XJ go bad from them in about a month. Box said made in china.

Know of somebody who's Omix alternator is going out and has very noisy bearings.

Don't know about this part specify but just be ware of them.


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[Grahame]

How long have you been running the GATES pump you got?

 

[Grahame]

If you want to get two more years do it right and get quality parts
Thermostat only from Mopar, water pump from NAPA got their best one forget the price since I walked out yesterday with over 250 bucks worth of parts for the 03 and 05 :gr_grin:

I just called my local NAPA here in Alberta, Canada. They carry only 1 brand for me, Cardone $110 w/ gasket.

The more research I do it seems *everything* is made in China and *used* to be a good brand *until China....*. So I guess it's about finding the best Chinese brand?

Thanks for the help.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

How long have you been running the GATES pump you got?

Me? The Gates on in the XJ is about a year old...about 10k miles. So far so good!

 

[Grahame]

Me? The Gates on in the XJ is about a year old...about 10k miles. So far so good!

Thanks, I am going to go with the Gates water pump.

The MOOG bushings I like, but my mech is worried he will snap the control arm with his press. Do you know if MOOG makes a solid control arm assembly, also?

 

[HoosierJeeper]

The MOOG control arm doesn't use the good bushings.

 

[Grahame]

I bought this one:

Information for MEVOTECH GS25156

I found some people who hate that brand and say its junk, I found others on other forums who say they have had no problems with them.

It's impossible to figure out the car part world. Most people say "Just go OE from dealer, it's better..."

But my dealer wants $315 for a waterpump and $600 for this control arm. That is completely impractical for me and insane.

I worked at a dealership, I know that of the $315, maybe MAYBE $100 is actual cost of part, the rest if pure cash extraction. So if there is that much markup on MOPAR parts then why is it so hard to go aftermarket that isn't complete junk??

Sorry for the rant, it's just much harder than I thought to drag advice out of the jeep community. Most of these people say go OE or don't want to admit they didn't go OE.

Thanks for all your help, I'll let you know in this thread how the part behaves. It is getting 6000 Kilometres (3,750 miles) put on it right away on a cross country road trip this summer. Some of it through the canadian shield and some ******** offroads.

Meh, Ja will provide.