Comparing OEM Balljoints to Aftermarket Parts. 

I buy OEM parts whenever I can because they're engineered to work as a part of an overall system of OEM parts. An aftermarket part can introduce variances into your system of parts that other parts aren't necessarily engineered to work with. Even with overbuilt parts, you can have excess pressures, stiffnesses, etc that cause other parts to fail - and so then you can end up with a "war" of parts all trying to break each other.

Fantastic video. Excellent records! With a little luck Toyota will keep producing quality OEM parts.

I'm glad I was able to help you out with this video. I went through quite a bit of trouble with aftermarket balljoints and just wanted to post this to show others and hopefully save them some time and money.

I have pulled the plug on Moog branded parts. I just had too many failures of them in pretty short order.

Thank you so much for taking the time to film and post this video. You're saving people a lot of money and time by avoiding aftermarket parts. Cheers m8

It's the exception that makes the rule. The shaft is considerable larger in diameter. Also, the aftermarket braces and brass bushings are designed to fit the Duralast idler arm.

Thanks! I purchased a 2001 Suburban, and it looks as though the previous owner never did a chassis lube. I know that I will have to change the bushings, ball joints and tie rod ends. I was thinking about Moog, but after this video, I will be sticking with original GM OEM parts. They’ll be a little more expensive, but I’ll have more peace of mind, and will save money in the long run. Seriously. Even though totally neglected, the front end is still reasonably tight. The originals were built to last.

And the maintenace log book is a good tool for keeping track of everything I do. I can do my oil changes on time, and all other fluids. If I install used parts I mark the year/make/model/mileage of the donor vehicle so I can know how old the part actually is after I've had it for a while. And in the unusual case I have an issue with anything I can reference my book and see how long ago I last made the repair.

OEM rules! I came to the same conclusion Alex.......Nice review!

I love seeing a video like this! I work in a shop and have been trying to tell the guy that works with me ( who has 30 years experience) that moog is junk and he still swears by them! It’s so frustrating!

I always buy OEM whenever possible. I bought brand new KYB complete struts and installed them on my 2006 toyota sienna. As soon as I went for a test drive I could hear a clunking sound from the drivers side. The passenger side made the same sound but not as often. I tried everything to remedy the problem but to no avail. I replaced the strut bearings, the rubber seat, the upper strut mount, everything, but it still made the sound. It turns out it was the inside of the shock absorber making the sound from shoddy manufacturing. I finally gave up on KYB and bought original Toyota. When I picked them up from the dealership I opened the box to inspect the parts and to my dismay they had the dreaded KYB brand stamped right on the strut. I asked the sales clerk at the dealership about this and he said that KYB makes the Toyota parts according to Toyota specs. So, in conclusion, these parts manufacturers can make the aftermarket parts much better, but they don't because they have a contract with the dealerships to only make the superior products for them. So if we want quality dependability and durability we have no choice, we must pay.😪 Its dirty and rotten but it's the sad state of the 🌎 we live in.

nice, well done video. thanks. i liked your attitude and diligence. a shortened cone, BTW, is called a frustum just for future reference.

It had play, I cant explain it........its the spring under cup design. Replace ball joint by spec. Not because you see movement. I am a red sealed mechanic that work on many makes. Often there is an "in/out" spec as the socket is compressed and people instantly freaks out about it. Only concern yourself with side to side play on ball joints when looking at the from the side. I saw movement in a balljoint on a f150 of mine that was still in spec. I drove that truck another 100,000kms and they were still in spec. last fall and as it sits on my trailer ready to be hauled to the scap yard as the body is finaly to rusty to be considered safe. Ball joints original......

100% in agreement with you Alex.. I have a 2000 4Runner and for my lower ball joint it has to be Toyota.. nothing less...

This is a detailed unbiased review, and I hope MOOG takes notice and makes the necessary changes. OEM is always the best, but aftermarket serves its purpose. There are items you can replace with aftermarket, and there are items you should not put aftermarket.I don't doubt that there is a good aftermarket replacement for your IFS. *The hard part is actually finding who makes it*. As a big aftermarket purchaser who has put over 160,00k miles on my 97 Honda Civic (now has 299,000 miles), I can vouch for aftermarket parts. I've saved thousands over purchasing OEM. I've purchased some "ehh" parts like a mirror that vibrates more than I'd like, but overall I have saved lots of money, and the car is still running fantastic. The biggest problem in the industry is the exorbitant dealership markup on some OEM parts. It often times makes buying OEM not even worth it over a GOOD aftermarket brand. I've seen dealerships purchase parts at $20-$25 at cost and sell them for $60-$90 (OEM Motorcraft coils for the Fords for example). $40-50 would be more reasonable. We need more retailers who will sell OEM parts at more honest profit margins (usually a 30-50% profit margin) to regular consumers, not just auto shops with "special" accounts. That is what the industry desperately needs, and that is why aftermarket auto parts have gained such a foothold in the industry.

thanks Alex you did a good job in helping me to made my mind up great video one more time keep posting God bless you.

In my experience I had good luck and bad luck with moog. Thanks for this video reason being is because it's hard to find a good decent aftermarket brand. It takes money and time to remove these suspension parts. Not only that you have to your vehicle to get aligned again depending what parts you replaced.

Thank you so much for sharing this!!

they feel tight on the bench, but have play in the truck, because they are SPRING LOADED, and it takes the weight of the truck to compress the internal Belleville spring, and show the play.

Thank you for posting this. I learned something today. Apparently the rubber sidewalls on the moog caps are to thick or stiff. No flexibility causing the caps to tear or move from its proper position and nothing to hold them in place. I'm not sure that this was the whole problem. I think the quality of the entire product must be lacking as well on some moog parts. The duralast seems to fail on both aspects even when it's closer in looks to the original part. Thanks again, Great post.

ok- a few things...#1, just cuz the ball stud turns in the joint, and moves around easily, DOES NOT MEAN IT'S BAD. what matters is vertical and side to side play after installed. moving easier actually means it will return to center on steering wheel easier, with less steering drag. #2, just cuz the seal just presses on, DOES NOT MEANS IT'S BAD. cuz ALL ball joint boots were that way for decades, over 50 years, before they went to clamped types. and once the weight of the spindle is on the seal, and it's torqued down, it effectively SEALS the boot with compression. your logic is faulty there. you are not stating why you "had to replace" the ball joints, did they have excessive play ? #3- if you put larger tires/rims on a truck, or higher suspension lift, it angles the lower control arm, and will pound the ball joint out- cuz it's not putting the load evenly on the entire ball- only on the inner corner. #4, if you put very high rate springs/shocks on, that don't give as much, they won't absorb the shock loads, they will simply transfer them like a straight axle, and pound the shit out of the ball joint. so there's a lot more to this. #5, try to find a ball joint made in USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, UK, Belgium, Poland, Russia, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Australia, Norway, Sweden ,Denmark, Finland. you get my drift. avoid parts from China, Korea, India, Taiwan, etc. in a pinch, parts from Philippines, Malaysia seem to be slighter better quality.

Loved the Cat invasion at 5:10!

The truck is lifted about 2 inches. I have heard of no such issues from other people running the same setup as me. I do wheel the truck but once again, so do many other people with the same setup and they are fine. I even greased the hardware before and after each trip.

Thanks, dude.made up my mind to go oem on mine.

My OEM Toyota ball joints lasted 250k miles. I'm at 290k now and the new ones already have split boots! ...Thankfully they're still tight, but I imagine after winter they'll need to be replaced.

thanks for this video lessons learnt from your experience.

I totally learned my lesson . Certain parts should not be bought aftermarket . I should have went OEM from the beginning and now I'm paying the ultimate price

We must stick with OEM. 🤘🏽 I use to use napa/moog hub bearings to cv axle replacement parts, but they due not last!

Boycotting moog, doing two today...

I'm not ASE certified. I do have an ASE hat that I found and washed. But seriously, I do try to do things right. Most of the vehicles and equipment I work on belong to me, my family, or my friends, so I always try to do things right. That ethic becomes habit and carries over even when I'm working on a friend of a friend's car, or the car of someone even more distant.

Why wont the aftermarket guys just make better stuff. (The Chinese CAN build to whatever quality you want, and still going to be cheaper labour) Thanks for your time in putting this video together.

Thanks for the excellent video and sharing your real-world experience with after marker ball joints. I agree that Toyota engineers designed the ball joints with the bellow design so it can flex and withstand daily abuse. I was considering aftermarket brands for my Toyota Tacoma but my Tacoma's upper ball joints lasted 18 years and 170k miles so I am sticking with Toyota ball joints when I replace them in a week. I am not looking forward to doing that job.

Very impressive video. What happens is when you change ball joints you don't (mostly) replace in pairs and don't log the info for your records. So you rapidly forget where and when you did the repair. Definitely high stress parts demands highter quality control and materials. I'd assume discount stores are good only if you have to fix a car that is going to be sold soon. Even so, a great deal on safety concurr with it. Thanks for the video and please continue pressing ASE standards.

OEM Parts are the best, thanks for the good comparison of why.

Fantastic, I have had so many problems with ball joints on my cars. (BMW and Hyundai) I am finding the aftermarket joints are just not holding up. Sometimes I do not even get a year out of a joint. Like you I have decided to go OEM only from now on. I have tried the very cheapest to the so called top of the range but only about 1 in 4 holds up. In fact some of the very cheapest are still going after 10 years. I thought moog may be the way to go however after your video I am changing my mind.

Toyota doesnt make ball joints so who makes the "Toyota" ball joints?

testimony to the longevity of the Toyota.

I have a 2006 Ford F350. Factory ball joints lasted 160,000 miles, replaced with Moog they are bad now and I have 205,000 miles on the truck.

I think you have overgreased them, you have put so much grease in them that the seal couldnt keep it inn anymore. A grease gun has more than enough pressure to tear apart the seal or pop it off

Just stumbled upon video.. You should do a video on car parts should def go OEM on. Thanks for the Video.

+1. .. Great topic, a must watch by any DIY'er. .. The ole saying "you get what you pay for" takes the issue, not always by a long shot. .. If quality is your thing, it is mine, check your part components carefully. .. Thanks TheAlexManVideos

Im convinced A/M parts are designed to either get you to the wreckers or temp replacement untill you can put oem back in. However, finding oem replacements can be difficult, a lot of dealers will only sell oes, which is dealer aftermarket.

it is who ever puts them together at the time. I have gotten stock parts from the dealer and ended up replacing them three days later. it all depends on the batch the ones who make them. I got moog on one car no problems and have 9k on the ball joints. used fords ones lasted 1k. same with my chevy and same happened all what who assembled them that they may had a bad day or week.

Well done, and great information. I am going to stick to OEM for my older BMW now, especially for any steering/suspension stuff.

Moog "problem solver" is their cheap line, they do make better parts. I agree that O.E.M. parts are the best choice-when you can get them. I don't know how old you're Toyota is, but it looks like a late 80's-early 90's truck. Personally, I build GM square body trucks for the most part. My preference for ANY steering/suspension components for them, other than springs and shocks, is TRW, since they were the O.E.M. supplier for GM back then. I get springs from Eaton Detroit Spring. Shocks depend on what the end use of the truck will be. Generally though, I use some sort of Rancho on 4x4s. For 2 wheelers, it's usually some sort of the old reliable Gabriels.

Toyota 4Runner going through mud video pretty much explained your problem with ball joints. It doesn't matter if they are aftermarket or OEM, if you are submerging them in mud, you are not going to get the mileage out of them than if you drove on normal roads. Whenever you submerge parts in water and mud, there is atmospheric pressure and the water pressure trying to get into the ball joints. What is mud? Basically small rocks and water.

That I replaced alot of parts in my truck. I need to make a data sheet like yours. I do keep ally receipts though..

I can vouch for Moog RK series. “Value” line made in China. Upper control arm/ball joint assemblies on a 6th gen Accord didn’t even last 18 months before failing state inspection. Rock Auto stood behind the warranty & replacements went up on eBay

OEM parts aren't all made by the car manufacturers or the manufacturers brand like acdelco or motorcraft. I bought a set of acdelco shocks and the bushing at the end had gabriel stampt in it

I wish I saw this video last year. I tried saving money with box store brand , after I pressed the ball joint in and was threading castle but the cotter pin was to high. Lost an hour and was not able to finish the job that day. Moral of the story do it once and do it right with OEM parts.

I bought aftermarket parts for years and had no problems, however over the last three years i have had lots of problems with aftermarket parts. they have lowered the quality a lot. With the current quality decline it presents a safety issue as well.

I'm running into this same thing on Mitsubishi 4wds. Moog quality just doesn't seem there anymore.

completely agreed I change my toyota cressida front lower control arm bolt joint and first time Greece after a couple of months now I check them over and they have too much play definitely not going back to Moon

you just prouved my pointabout aftermarket crap

I found the reviews for Toyota LBJs to be much more positive than the MOOG in Gen 1 Tundra/Sequoias (similar design). As far as I know, the OEM is the best out of everything I read. Given that failure of any ball joint will cause the wheel to fall off, I went with Toyota OEM on all 4 (upper/lower), and even ordered the factory Toyota bolts for the spindles since those have been known to shear off as well. It's more cost up front, but pays for itself in peace of mind and actual quality.

I replace my ball joints last year for this same time they were Moog this time I'm going with original parts

Good video I'm finding same with just about every part I buy, OEM better than 90% of the time is the way to go. I hate doing it twice when I have to do it three times I go NUTS!!!!!! TheReaper!

stock ball joints lasting 300,000 miles? all highway then

Always call the dealer for suspension parts. The price can be very competitive compared to inferior aftermarket parts. I drive German cars so it seems easier to buy oem from parts stores than with many other makes. Think Bosch, Ate, Bilstein Sachs, etc

I replaced my old lower ball joints in my 100 series land cruiser with the duralast from Autozone just for preventative maintenance due to its age. Three months later, all grease were out due to a hole in the boot. Pretty disappointed.

Thank u, i guess i will go for oem parts

Very helpful.

Hi Alex, you mentioned that the OEM ball joints from toyota only cost you about 25% more than aftermarket, yet I am finding that the parts cost three times as much as aftermarket. The lowest I can find is $100 per ball joint. Where on earth are you shopping?

Well I agree with you on many things but the cost $121 to $171 for LH Front Lower Ball Joint. Rock Auto has Front Lower 4x4 Ball Joints starting at $13 progressing up to $47. If we go the cheaper Toyota price that is 2.5x to 9.2x the price of after market. No doubt the OEM will last forever like it did the first time around just saying you can not remotely say the cost is almost the same! DIY guy would just keep going back to Autozone to get new ones when they failed. The Chinese will build what ever you ask for and pay for. They do have nukes and a navy and space program and all of our TV's, Microwaves, Laptops, Computers, Cell phones are made in China! If Moog is selling cheap parts that is because they asked for cheap parts if they were not happy with them they would either go some place else or do their own QC!

Trucks lifted and oversized tires. Get used to replacing them every year if your putting miles on. I have a 2000 Dakota with a 6’ body lift and 33’s OEM wear out fast too. I buy cheap because I know either way I’m replacing them.

I've not been impressed with Moog products myself, even on stock passenger car applications. They seem alright out of the box, but they wear very quickly. From what I can tell after dissecting them, the way they're designed is flawed. They're double-articulation joints, which gives a great steering feel, but also doubles the wearable surface area. That doesn't sound bad until you consider that it's a ball inside a ball-sleeve, compression fit inside a two piece spring steel housing. The design just doesn't last. They fail REALLY quick if they're over-torqued. I've had good luck with Raybestos Professional Grade (not Service Grade) ball joints and tie rods, though! Many times, comparing side by side, they're the OEM units. I haven't had a comeback yet on a customer car, and my folks' 02 Yukon Denali has 20,000 miles on a set of Raybestos inner tie rods and lower ball joints, and they still feel good as new. :-)

You must have had a defective Moog from factory because I had a drifting 240sx never a single problem in 2 years.

Alex, you don't need to be ASE certified when you have the best teacher, your father. I saw the video about the red honda and is clear his has the dedication, perseverance and patience for auto cosmetic. The repair's log for every car you fix is powerful tool to go with your honesty. Later you will find out why more people will bring their cars to you. Keep it up with relevancy.

Just had an upper ball joint on the driver's side of my 2004 Durango replaced by a shop I trust. They replaced it with a Moog. Said it had a grease fitting, which the OEM didn't, and talked up the quality of Moog. Hope my application lasts longer than yours. Sounds bad for Moog.

Try lowering your torsion keys if you have them. The truck looks like its sitting a little high and that was my problem for going through many ball joints in a short amount of time

OEM parts gets properly tested. Where as 3rd party doesn't necessarily does get tested. I own a 2008 Jetta SE and I buy all OEM parts. The brake pads for example has lasted 7 years and has 30% life left. I drive 1000 miles per month average.

Moog is now sourcing parts from different countries to cut costs. Which would explain why some ball joints look like they are made in China. They are and others look like they are made in the USA. They are and they are made many other places too. Just like so many manufacturers the bottom line gets in the way and Moog is taking a dump and turning into a Detroit axle fast

nice video Alex. I've been shopping around for lower and upper ball joints and tie rod ends for my 86 toyo 4x4 turbo, yes I actually found a 22rte but anyways I don't want 2 go cheap so I called my local dealer ship and they are asking 110 bucks per ball joint so I'm looking at about 580 with tie rods. I was hoping u can tell me where u bought ur oem parts. thanks

the reason you had no play problems with the upper ball joints, is because they are not the load bearing ball joint, most likely. in all front end designs, either the upper or lower are load bearing, but almost never both. one just swivels, and one is load bearing and swivels.

OEM is the best.

Just ten years ago moog was the best. It’s now time to do my 97 ranger and after seeing this video I’m not sure what to put in.

Did you crank up the torsion bars to get two more inches of lift out of your truck?

You probably could set a world record for quickest joint swap with the experience dealing with Duracrap and The Problem maker parts.

Alex the man!!!!

I have not used moog for a long time, used to be great stuff. MSD is another great company that went bad.

Great video, and I couldn't agree with you more about the Moog brand. They're not the Moog of old and certainly don't last very well at all. Where I'm from, they challenge you on the return policy; before they warranty them, they want to see service intervals when they were greased. Just Chineseium junk as far as I'm concerned. You should also do a video on those crap National bearings as well!

Moog ball joints used to last the life of the car while the the OEM ones were shot around 50,000 miles! Guess the old brand names don’t mean much anymore.

Were you able to get your money back from the other parts?

Well I know for fact MOOG parts are made in alot of countries. In fact my 2001 Volvo S80 MOOG ball joint is made in Italy and I paid only $38 on AMAZON. I hope they last since I only hear positive reviews with many shops and shade tree mechanics about the brand.

Great Video

How about wheel bearings? I checked SKF and TIMKEN bearings for my car (2002 SATURN SC-2); both brands now made in China.Are they quality parts? Who knows. As others have said, aftermarket parts can be just as good as OEM-but some are not.

If this is any help to anyone out there. If you're looking for Japanese made ball joints/tie rod ends for your Toyota, try looking for the Sankei 555 brand.

Spicer and Napa make the best aftermarket ball joints, from experience and riding on 40's Napa gold is actually better than oem, it's also the most expensive. But spicer is the best hands down for the money.

Just because it spins loose in the bore, doesn't make it bad. End play determines if it's worn. When in doubt, get oem

I have been a mechanic for thirty two years and have found the same results with almost all after market parts. You should hear me whine when I don't get the parts I request. It's better than a parts failure.

Ball joints are supposed to rotate if not the would spin in you steer knuckle and wear the castle nut holding joint in.

You mentioned "reading over at Unitech". Is that an auto repair forum? I couldn't find it.

Glad I found this before my order of Moog parts shipped out from Rock Auto! Thanks for the comparison. Looks like I'll be biting the bullet for some OEM Toyota steering components. I see you went with duralast for the idler arm, I'm guessing the pitman arm is probably fine from autozone too as is it's a pretty basic component?

Moog used to be the high standard in aftermarket, but the last few years some questionable quality changes.

The million dollar question is who makes these for Toyota?

moog used to be top of the food chain but cost 3 times more than the off brand. now they're hit and miss just like all the rest. i'm also reading that timkin bearings are failing as well.

I put all moog on my 98 3500 chevey, the driver side tie rod end broke after 3 years or 60,000 miles of no drastic use mind you that this is even a RWD truck. of all 8 joints 2 seals are still good.

good luck with any part. who knows where it is actually made and what spec it would meet. I have relatives that worked for american companies that changed the made in labels from foreign companies to made in usa tags. It is all about the money folks and game over.

Can't you get replacement boots that fit and seal properly? Granted they shouldn't leak but maybe the part is of decent quality

dude, you answered your own query here, if you got 300k miles out of oem ball joints, wtf would you buy anything else ? oem quality control standards are far higher than aftermarket replacement qc standards.