Recently replaced a failed outer tie rod end with a $17.99, lifetime warranty, non-grease fitting, MasterPro tie rod end from O'Reilly. I had four tie rod ends from O'Reilly's to choose from. Prices started at $17.99 for the MasterPro part I bought, up to $71.99 for a Rare Parts tie rod end. Both the cheapest tie rod and the most expensive had lifetime warranties. Seems like a no-brainer to go with the cheapest since it still carried the lifetime warranty and is only a 10 minute job should it fail prematurely. O'Reilly tends to stand by the parts they sell, so I'm not overly concerned regarding quality. Anyone else experience such drastic prices in parts from the same retailer? If so, did you find quality was directly proportional to cost?
kcs0210
Sometimes there is a coincidental relationship, but by now the system is so thoroughly gamed that that's all it is- a coincidence.
The rationale you applied was sound, I'd probably have done same/similar.
The rationale you applied was sound, I'd probably have done same/similar.
There are certain Subaru parts that the aftermarket has failed to duplicate correctly, but for my money tie rod ends aren't one of them.
I tend to stay away from the non-brand name parts, and try to buy everything from reputable manufacturers. The pricing is also not much more (I buy through rockauto.com & Napa)
In the case of tie rods/ball joints, the boots tend to dry rot/tear and or the joint will wear out prematurely. Even if they have lifetime warranty, I would not want to have to change the parts every few months or deal with damage as result of the part failing, which in this case could be uneven tire wear (from loose joint) or worst case scenario the joint separating.
An example of this issue is with Mevotech suspension parts, (such as the forum member who upgraded their front control arms to the the aluminum version on a 3rd gen Outback), and one of the 2 ball joints that came with the arms developed play within a few months.
Some more reputable manufacturers for the outer tie rods specifically for 2nd gen Outback/Legacy's are:
Sankei 555 (Japan)
Flennor (Germany)
Delphi (Turkey)
In the case of tie rods/ball joints, the boots tend to dry rot/tear and or the joint will wear out prematurely. Even if they have lifetime warranty, I would not want to have to change the parts every few months or deal with damage as result of the part failing, which in this case could be uneven tire wear (from loose joint) or worst case scenario the joint separating.
An example of this issue is with Mevotech suspension parts, (such as the forum member who upgraded their front control arms to the the aluminum version on a 3rd gen Outback), and one of the 2 ball joints that came with the arms developed play within a few months.
Some more reputable manufacturers for the outer tie rods specifically for 2nd gen Outback/Legacy's are:
Sankei 555 (Japan)
Flennor (Germany)
Delphi (Turkey)
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