Replacement Parts; OEM vs Aftermarket

[kevkon]

I would like to hear everyone's experience with replacement parts which are non OEM. Has anyone noticed any substantial difference in quality? Obviously we don't have any choice in some cases, but sometimes there is still an original Land Rover, Lucas, etc part available ( usually at a higher cost). All in all, how do the replacements ( ProLine, BritPart, Allmakes,etc) compare?

[SafeAirOne]

I've had good parts from RN's ProLine, and from Allmakes. I've NEVER had a good BritPart and now completely avoid them.

[Bertha]

Proline is good for the most part
Allmakes is good as well
britpart=$hitpart-dont waste your money

[kevkon]

Well let me ask this; would you always go with OEM if that choice is available? I have been told that in certain instances the replacement parts are actually better than the original.

[Bertha]

Well let me ask this; would you always go with OEM if that choice is available? I have been told that in certain instances the replacement parts are actually better than the original.

Not exactly true-depends on which part

[jac04]

You guys do know that Proline = Britpart in some cases, right? My Proline brake shoes are Britpart, and they don't even fit.

But, the worst part is that someone at RN actually took the time to place a Proline sticker over the Britpart sticker, and they also used a razor to cut around the Britpart logo on the box and peel off the outer layer of cardboard box to remove the logo. Now, RN claims that they make no attempt to hide the manufacturer of their Proline parts, but it doesn't seem that way on my brake shoes. Sorry for the rant, but things like this don't sit well with me.

[Bertha]

You guys do know that Proline = Britpart in some cases, right? My Proline brake shoes are Britpart, and they don't even fit.

Been a while since I ordered shoes(thanks to a good supply on my parts shelf) last time I got a proline set, they were Lucas(I think). I guess it is possible to get britpart through allmakes, however when I dealt direct with them years back, I used to tell them what suppliers I would accept and which ones I wouldn't. Now that I deal strictly with our hosts, I have yet to get a britpart anything, but maybe things have changed. britpart and bearmach are certainly the bottom feeders of the parts business. I wouldn't use parts from either company-but that is just my opinion.

[TeriAnn]

<soapbox>

The truth is not pretty. For those of you old enough to remember the Pogo comic strips "We have met the enemy and they are us" For Series Land Rover parts fewer words ring truer.

One would think that all American Series owners have immigrated from the poor backwoods of Scotland and have learned to pinch each penny tight enough to make Scrooge McDuck proud. Quality materials, quality manufacturing processes cost more than pot metal pattern parts. Which one do we buy? Why the cheapest one of course. We force our retailers to purchase low quality stuff because it is cheap and it sells. The more expensive quality part that is better fit for use languishes in unsold inventory tying up money our retailers need to keep the company afloat and new inventory coming in. Manufacturers of OEM and OEM quality products are going out of business because no one buys their parts. They can not compete with the low quality pattern manufacturers.

As end users we get what we are willing to pay for. The retailers have to buy what sells as does the wholesalers and the manufacturer's of crap get rewarded while the manufacturers of quality parts go into receivership or get bought out by larger companies who often reduce quality to return the new division to profitability. After Lucas got purchased the owner licensed out the use of the Lucas name to some manufactures of crappy electrical parts. There is no comparison between today's Lucas points to old Lucas points.

There is a lot of crap out there BECAUSE it is the only stuff we end users are willing to pay for.

</soapbox>

Proline is good for the most part
Allmakes is good as well
britpart=$hitpart-dont waste your money

Proline - Hopefully good but I personally have a problem not knowing where the part comes from

Allmakes - I consider them to be a mixed bag. They are a wholesaler who buys from different manufacturers. They try to source quality parts and most of the time they do. I've gotten some stuff from them that I thought were superior to Genuine Land Rover. I've gotten some stuff I thought was a step above junk. Luckily I think the former happens a lot more often than the latter. I've found most of their stuff to be fit for use and provides an acceptably long service life.

Britpart & Bearmach - I've had nothing but bad luck with them and personally avoid them whenever possible.

Companies I like include Payden, OME, Mintex, Ferodo, Delphi, Timkin, Spicer, GKN and Borg & Beck. There are more brands I prefer but these are ones that come to mind at the moment.

But, the worst part is that someone at RN actually took the time to place a Proline sticker over the Britpart sticker, and they also used a razor to cut around the Britpart logo on the box and peel off the outer layer of cardboard box to remove the logo.

I avoid buying parts unless I at least know who the primary wholesaler company is, preferably the company who actually manufactured the part.

Well let me ask this; would you always go with OEM if that choice is available? I have been told that in certain instances the replacement parts are actually better than the original.

I figure you can never go wrong with OEM, but sometimes aftermarket parts can be a lot better. Two come to mind:

One is a set of lock tabs I got from Allmakes. The genuine LR parts are flat stamped steel and unfinished so they pick up a layer of rust quickly. The ones from Allmakes had the tabs slightly bent so it would be easy to slide a tool under the tab and bend them the rest of the way. And they were plated.

The other is Series floor mats that British Pacific carries. The factory mats are thin rubber that rolls easily and gets worn through in a few years. The ones that BP caries are a couple times thicker, stay in place and after a couple years use almost like new. The bad news is that you get what you pay for. The better mats are more expensive than the originals.

[kevkon]

Point well taken TeriAnn. I'm a mechanic so I understand the value of quality and I always choose on that basis. That's why I asked the question central to this thread. I also don't like purchasing parts and components without knowing who the manufacturer is ( although these days it all seems to come from China anyway).
There is , however, another issue where the "truth is not pretty". That would be the overall decline of the British motor industry and it's standards. I have seen this reflected in some of the OEM stuff I have worked with. Now relating to vintage cars and specifically Land Rover, given that it is a relatively small market comprising mainly enthusiasts, I thought that there would be a good chance that the aftermarket parts might actually be made with that in mind and be preferable to OEM. It seems that you are saying it's a mixed bag.

[KSMTAW]

my 2 cents

As usual- Very well thought out and thorough answer by Ms. Terri Ann. Thanks. Always insightful.

British Pacific and Rovers North do have an obligation to ensure the parts they sell us fit and work.

My 20 years of experience with both of them has shown me that they will uphold their end of the bargain if they sell us something that does not fit or is not what we expected- they will refund us.

No one is perfect- I would guess that once in a while an inferior piece gets mailed to one of us. I really don't think they do it on purpose.

I am interested in what happened with the brake shoes and the "sticker over" thing mentioned above. But I still trust Rovers North and British Pacific. They are good companies trying to do good business.

As far as cost goes- I can’t help but keep my eye on the cost. A gallon of milk costs almost $5.00 here in Maine- A quart of oil is about $4.00. It is a balance though. You don’t have to always buy OEM or always buy aftermarket. Boards and discussions like this will help us all make good decisions. It will also help keep the companies in check. If something shady did happen with those “relabeled” brakes- now they know we know. If nothing shady happened- no real harm.

[jac04]

Proline re-labeled brake shoes:

[Calef]

ProLine

Jac04,

Im sorry to hear you felt deceived.

What makes a part a ProLine? We call parts ProLine because we have tested them and we sell them backed by our 1 year unlimited milage warranty and industry leading customer support.

As far as putting our sticker over the original manufacturers sticker, we do that for customer convenience as it reduces confusion. If a customer calls in referencing the manufacturer's numbers on the box, our tech support can't easily help. So we put our sticker over the original one, so everybody speaks the same language.

AND, Lets be real here, you guys don't really think Britpart, Allmakes 4X4 or Bearmach actually manufactures all their parts do you? They put their stickers on parts other people manufacture just like we do. The difference is that we are cutting costs and passing on the savings by not putting them in custom ProLine boxes. By the way, the ProLine box is a solution we have discussed, but we decided our customers would rather not pay for packaging.

And while at times there is a great deal of quality difference between the different brands, they often share manufacturers on certain parts. On top of that, no one brand is perfect with all the parts they sell. You can't say every Britpart is crap or every Allmakes 4X4 part is perfect. That is why Rovers North has the Pro-line. We pick out the best parts at the best price and stand behind it with our warranty so customers don't have to worry.

[Firemanshort]

This sort of falls into the same story as what has already been stated above.....

I bought a replacement rear brake light assembly from Paddocks a while back while I was in the UK. The thing was cheap-as-chips - 2 quid or something. It was Wipac brand.

I installed it without any problem. It replaced an old rusted and coroded Lucas brand light assembly that appeared to be factory.

Time passes.

I was looking at my rear light this past week (preparation for getting the truck inspected). The Wipak light assembly is plastic. The ears on the light bulb have half stripped through the plastic mounting assembly and now the bulb fits a little loose. Also, the light lens has a gap in the rubber seal at the bottom to allow any moisture to drain out - but on this light, things are all lined up wrong and the gap sits about 8:30 instead of 6:00 - direct bottom. So, the lens was holding a small amount of water inside the assembly and my constacts were coroded. Finally, the plastic screw mounts have started to crack - probably from some dumb owner over tightening the lens screws (ok - that was me).

Other side of the truck still has a Lucas brand light assembly on it. It is made out of metal and ... well... infinately more durable than its new plastic brother.

I am definately putting this down to getting what I paid for. Live and learn.

[greenmeanie]

<soapbox>


One would think that all American Series owners have immigrated from the poor backwoods of Scotland and have learned to pinch each penny tight enough to make Scrooge McDuck proud.

Uh huh I do.

If I can make a part I do. If I can't make it I'll see if I can get it from the local autoparts store or replace it with something where I can. I'll then look at industrial suppliers for things like bearings and seals. Depending on the part I'll spend some time phoning around the usual suspects looking for used.

As a last resort I'll buy genuine but I usually shop around both the US and UK. As an extreme last resort I'll even buy Britpart but by that time I am usually modifying the truck to replace that part of the system with something better and that takes me back to the top of the list.

This all takes time and an understanding of what you are dealing with but works out considerably cheaper than buying from an a la carte catalogue.

[TedW]

FWIW I've been pleased with Bearmach.

Thst said, I am willing to pay extra for Genuine, but that's just me. In appropriate cases I prefer good used Genuine parts to aftermarket.