what parts are ok to cheap out on???

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Sasquatch

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I was cursing out loud like a drunk sailor. We figured that there was no way they would sell two faulty rebuilt crap alternators but they did and because it was my job i had to do it. That damn alternator had to be removed from the bottom and was a nightmare to get to. My boss just got tired of pissing away money on free labor to replace garbage.
 

02_Tahoe

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i understand the difference between cheap parts and cheap price but i was just curious what parts you guys think its ok to cheap out on no matter the brand or price. same thing goes for parts that are probably dealer/OEM only. i've heard that with a GM suspension its best to just get ACDelco or Moog, whichever is cheaper. i've also heard that as long as an oil meets API standards that its ok no matter the brand, but obviously other brands have better protection
Anything that won’t cause a wreck if it breaks. If you go too cheap you might have to replace it again. But if it’s not steering or suspension and won’t risk you or others lives then go ahead a cheap out on it. I know I’ve done it before. You can’t get all the high dollar shit when you work at a grocery store and go to college like me.
 

ScottyBoy

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The ONLY time I ever cheap out on parts is if it's on a vehicle that I am about to post for sale. On my own Suburban and my wife's car, I buy the best parts that I can afford. I never buy the absolute cheapest. Sometimes not the absolute best or most expensive parts, but I always try to buy the parts with the best warranty I can find. At the same time, I also weigh price over warranty. I was discussing this with my son the other day about a radiator. He can get one with a lifetime warranty for $240 or one with a 2 year warranty for $120. Do the math, if you get the two year rad and in just over two years it craps out, you can buy another one for $120 and STILL not be more into it than the lifetime warranty radiator.
I use the same logic when buying a battery. I get a decent priced one with a two year replacement warranty for half the cost of one with a 3 year replacement warranty. It a no brainer for me.
 

adventurenali92

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I’d rather spend a bit more on a better quality part to replace, so I can try to avoid replacing it more than once. I hate replacing things twice, so there’s that. Lol
 

mooman

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Everything I have replaced, has been ACDelco or Moog. Brakes, Steering componets, ball joints, even tires. "Do it right the first time. So there won't be a second time."
 

Bombsquad85

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When i can i try using better quality stuff. When I had my 01 tahoe money was tight and the front suspension needed to be revamped so I bought a $150 kit from 1aauto. Looked nice for what it was but I soon found out that the inner and outer tierods needed to be replaced 6 months later.

This time on my 05 denali i went with better quality stuff (moog problem solver LcAs, timken hubs and beltech components. I can tell you I can SEE the quality difference between the quality parts and the cheap parts
 

xjsc16x

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Tell you what, I bought cheap shocks off Rockauto for my Dakota R/T when I was in high school and believe it or not they were WORSE than the 10 year old rusted shocks that were on it already. Less than a year later I replaced them with Belltech Street Performance shocks because I was sick of my truck riding like ass. Just my 2 cents :)

I'm now saving up for full Bilsteins and new Moog Z71 coils in my 02 'hoe.

-Jusitn
 
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