[greenacres68]

Hi All;

I'm new to working on a Toyota and I don't know the quality of the various parts brands available. In the past, we always took our Toyotas to the dealer and all repairs worked well.

However, I have a 8th Gen Corolla (2002) and to economize I am doing the repairs.

So, the question is: Which parts should I buy at the dealer? Which brands should I stay away from? And, which brands are OEM or have a reputation for high quality?

If it helps, I'm rebuilding the front end - brakes, struts, mounts, bushings, etc.

Thanks!

 

[riceroni]

Bosch sensors= bad


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[BeigeCorolla]

Hi All;

I'm new to working on a Toyota and I don't know the quality of the various parts brands available. In the past, we always took our Toyotas to the dealer and all repairs worked well.

However, I have a 8th Gen Corolla (2002) and to economize I am doing the repairs.

So, the question is: Which parts should I buy at the dealer? Which brands should I stay away from? And, which brands are OEM or have a reputation for high quality?

If it helps, I'm rebuilding the front end - brakes, struts, mounts, bushings, etc.

Thanks!

Depends on the application. Remember sometime you can get away with the fact your buying from OEM who makes the OE. Aftermarkets a hit or a miss


Brakes: the rotors Toyota sells are brembo Blanks relabeled. I upgrade Caz the OE pads which are oem akebono pads are not inspiring, so I went hawk hps.

Struts and mounts depends what you want to invest in. The car. For least cost get a quick strut from rock auto or any MNC (gabriel fcs, etc). If you want to use OEM then go quick strut from KYB.

Bushings: Toyota only, upgrade to poly as an upgrade.

 

[jc_canadian_8thgen]

Hi I've done pretty much all the repairs a 300k km or 186k miles car would need wich means everything :lol:

I've discovered that the jobbers for toyota are cheap ass parts and you won't save money if you want to keep the car for more than a year.

A lot of people are buying of Rockauto for replacement and for most stuff it's allright
Please don't buy stuff from the dealer because they'll rape you on the bill. 12$ for an oil filter and Worldpac sells the same for 2.57$


Try to find a friend that has an Worldpac account , they supply OEM stuff at a wholesaler price.

Jobber link kits lasted 6months ... just like the balljoints

Steering/suspension parts : Sankei 555 only (OEM)
Tie-rod and ball joints are +/- 30$
I'd find some poly bushings for the sway bars , my MOOG lasted about 8months before they got bad cracks in them , poly can't be worse

If you want to replace the front control arms bushing just buy a whole assembly from MOOG it comes with the arm , new bushings and balljoint a freaking bargain for +/- 100 (paid 60 for a FEQ unit)

KYB is a great replacement for shocks and quickstrut makes a rapid install but at nearly 200$ a piece it seams expensive but the top plate itself is around 60 and the shock is 100$ so if you want to replace all shock parts it's the way to go.

I just installed 4 news KYB GR2 with Eibach sportline that is a 1.25 inch drop and keep a great ride quality

Brakes :like Beige corolla go for the OEM brembos wich are the same price at a good retailer than a medium grade jobber disc at a chain parts store.
And change those dangerous stock brakes to Hawk HPS ,with brake fluid you'll believe there's a big brake kit compared to stock :rofl:

Clean everything and replace guide pins and use synth/ceramic lubricant for smooth and non sticking brakes.

Check for the waterpump and replace it if it feels rough once the belt is off it's easy to replace and around 30$ . While you're doing the waterpump , replace the thermostat and of course coolant for Red longlife .... no dirty green stuff please.

I think you'll have a great car after

 

[greenacres68]

Thanks for the insight.

The reason I asked is that I went to the local parts store (Lordco in western Canada) and bought new rotors and pads. They were Beck Arnley and offered to me as a premium brand. However, the parts are made in China which makes me very suspicious. I don't mind "Made in China" as long as the brand has rigourous quality control and audit processes. I don't know about Beck Arnley's reputation although they seem to be a large company.

Anyhow, I appreciate your comments.

Thanks!

 

[BeigeCorolla]

Thanks for the insight.

The reason I asked is that I went to the local parts store (Lordco in western Canada) and bought new rotors and pads. They were Beck Arnley and offered to me as a premium brand. However, the parts are made in China which makes me very suspicious. I don't mind "Made in China" as long as the brand has rigourous quality control and audit processes. I don't know about Beck Arnley's reputation although they seem to be a large company.

Anyhow, I appreciate your comments.

Thanks!

Beck and Arnley, Raybestos, etc etc are not premium brands. Not saying their rotors are garbage, but their economical replacements that maybe ok. Im guessing they charged you markup prices.

Akebono and brembo are what toyota shipped these vehicles out off the factory line.
I would stay true to that as much as possible. Very good setup for a daily driver setup whose not to hard on the brakes.

 

[jc_canadian_8thgen]

Beck and Arnley, Raybestos, etc etc are not premium brands. Not saying their rotors are garbage, but their economical replacements that maybe ok. Im guessing they charged you markup prices.

Akebono and brembo are what toyota shipped these vehicles out off the factory line.
I would stay true to that as much as possible. Very good setup for a daily driver setup whose not to hard on the brakes.

You gotta try carbon graphite pads like Hawks HPS or Agna. It feels like the Akebono when cold and getting better and better with heat and they don't wear as fast when pushed.

 

[funman1]

My input is, if you replace all the parts on your car with the garbage from auto parts stores you no longer have a Toyota and it will not perform like one anymore.
STICK to OEM, it's what keeps the cars running forever.

I don't care if the part from the auto part stores have "Lifetime Warranty" when you get stranded and have to either re-do the labor or PAY to have the labor to be redone..
Just NOT worth it!!

 

[jc_canadian_8thgen]

My input is, if you replace all the parts on your car with the garbage from auto parts stores you no longer have a Toyota and it will not perform like one anymore.
STICK to OEM, it's what keeps the cars running forever.

I don't care if the part from the auto part stores have "Lifetime Warranty" when you get stranded and have to either re-do the labor or PAY to have the labor to be redone..
Just NOT worth it!!

I do all the work on my car but it's equally frustrating having to do a job once but no you won't save from a 30$ OEM tie rod end to the cheap 15$.
I honestly don't understand how those compagnies stays open , guess there's a lot of people that are less OCD than car enthousiasts

Yes for all suspension works/directions/injections and all my parts are OEM and as I said I paid for the best jobber before OEM and lasted 5 months before it started knocking again. And especially for steering parts , MOOG heard a lot about lifetime warranty but everybody that has them keeps on going back for warranty work .... still pay labour

But I won't settle for stock brake pads, I've tried pretty much all major pads and indeed they are scrap they dust , sound or fast wear but I disassemble/clean/grease my brakes every 6 months. I have two almost new brake pads set in my closet

I'm fully aware that higher friction pads will wear faster but I prefer braking faster than the stocks wich don't have any endurance over heat like driving in 15% . Like the PBR top of line wich was 60$ at cost price : amazing initial bite, never heard a sound except from the tires , good endurance over heat but lasted 3/4 of the life of OEM.

Wagner are a waste of time and truly dangerous in my opinion , anything that says Quiet in the pad's name says it all , no brake sound because it doesn't brake. Ditched them after 2 weeks.


My personals bests
1) Agna extremestop wich is *fleet* brakes wich uses carbon/kevlar or graphite wich are as nice as the Akebono cold , never sqeeled , not much dust and they still wanted to brake like a champ after 10 trips from 0-60-0 in a row. Oh and they don't wear so far I'll have to mesure them but visually maybe it lost 1/32

 

[jc_canadian_8thgen]

Thanks for the insight.

The reason I asked is that I went to the local parts store (Lordco in western Canada) and bought new rotors and pads. They were Beck Arnley and offered to me as a premium brand. However, the parts are made in China which makes me very suspicious. I don't mind "Made in China" as long as the brand has rigourous quality control and audit processes. I don't know about Beck Arnley's reputation although they seem to be a large company.

Anyhow, I appreciate your comments.

Thanks!

Had 20$ discs from PBR and 30$ from Brembo if you didn't install the rotors bring them back

Beck Arnley , Wagner , MOOG is all the same company btw and please try another parts dealer.
And yes even if it's premium for them it's still made in China and is the same manufacturer thant the *cheaper* discs .

Bought some World parts for my gf 9th gen wich was what was available , the guy told me it's a great quality rotors compared to the cheap one that is made in China but it was written china on the 50$ rotor :wtf: The rotors were *coated* wich means be the cheap one and paint them if you're going to buy china

And he didn't want to sell me the carbon graphite pads because he needed to order them and were 12$ more expensive .... fine but there was no carrier shims , so I saved 2$

 

[lexusman]

My input is, if you replace all the parts on your car with the garbage from auto parts stores you no longer have a Toyota and it will not perform like one anymore.
STICK to OEM, it's what keeps the cars running forever.

I don't care if the part from the auto part stores have "Lifetime Warranty" when you get stranded and have to either re-do the labor or PAY to have the labor to be redone..
Just NOT worth it!!

lmao...funny
Toyota makes nothing..oem parts are in fact sold at ur local parts suppliers. I work at napa and we sell advics..akebono..adaptive one as well as many other makes including aisin..npw which are also oem. so ur statement couldn't be any more misleading or uniformed.

 

[funman1]

Agreed, so correction Toyota does not make parts.
Stick to the same brand and part number as Toyota does (lots of Denso, and other high quality brands)
Duralast is GARBAGE

 

[71Corolla]

Agreed, so correction Toyota does not make parts.

Yes they do. Many components are from suppliers but not everything, buy a piston or crankshaft that's made by Toyota. Toyota tends to make other stuff in house like turbos and superchargers.

 

[BeigeCorolla]

So heres my take. if your a DIYer, and you don`t mind working on your car, I would go aftermarket OE spec all day. Those warranties ensure that your car is using new parts all the time. Heck, if your getting your car fixed from mechanics who offer warranty on parts and labor, then again by all means.

For everyone else, who doesn`t like working on their car repeatedly I would go for OEM and OE replacements. Its the standard you want to work up from. If they were the OE part mfg or the OE part then they should be good for your car now.

If you want an upgrade, go aftermarket high po parts. Just don`t expect longevity or durability quite upto OE and OEM standards (may or may not be a good thing).

KEY:
OE: Original Equipment/Toyota brand
OEM: Original Equipment mfg part
Aftermarket OE: Parts designed to be the same as OE standards
Aftermarket High Po: Parts designed to be better then the OE standard

 

[BeigeCorolla]

I do all the work on my car but it's equally frustrating having to do a job once but no you won't save from a 30$ OEM tie rod end to the cheap 15$.
I honestly don't understand how those compagnies stays open , guess there's a lot of people that are less OCD than car enthousiasts

Yes for all suspension works/directions/injections and all my parts are OEM and as I said I paid for the best jobber before OEM and lasted 5 months before it started knocking again. And especially for steering parts , MOOG heard a lot about lifetime warranty but everybody that has them keeps on going back for warranty work .... still pay labour

But I won't settle for stock brake pads, I've tried pretty much all major pads and indeed they are scrap they dust , sound or fast wear but I disassemble/clean/grease my brakes every 6 months. I have two almost new brake pads set in my closet

I'm fully aware that higher friction pads will wear faster but I prefer braking faster than the stocks wich don't have any endurance over heat like driving in 15% . Like the PBR top of line wich was 60$ at cost price : amazing initial bite, never heard a sound except from the tires , good endurance over heat but lasted 3/4 of the life of OEM.

Wagner are a waste of time and truly dangerous in my opinion , anything that says Quiet in the pad's name says it all , no brake sound because it doesn't brake. Ditched them after 2 weeks.


My personals bests
1) Agna extremestop wich is *fleet* brakes wich uses carbon/kevlar or graphite wich are as nice as the Akebono cold , never sqeeled , not much dust and they still wanted to brake like a champ after 10 trips from 0-60-0 in a row. Oh and they don't wear so far I'll have to mesure them but visually maybe it lost 1/32

1) Whats a jobber? lol

2) Agna extremestop requires a login for catalog search. Never heard of them, but coolio.

 

[Creepy Dude]

Beck and Arnley, Raybestos, etc etc are not premium brands. Not saying their rotors are garbage, but their economical replacements that maybe ok. Im guessing they charged you markup prices.

Akebono and brembo are what toyota shipped these vehicles out off the factory line.
I would stay true to that as much as possible. Very good setup for a daily driver setup whose not to hard on the brakes.

I am currently using Wearever rotors (made in China) from Advance Auto, $25 apiece and they are just fine.
I am also using Wagner Thermoquiet ceramic pads - excellent!
3 years already with this setup, no complains.

Bushings and stabilizer links from MOOG - I found then to be long-lasting. Previously mechanics installed some cheap no-name stuff, did not last a year.

 

[BeigeCorolla]

I am currently using Wearever rotors (made in China) from Advance Auto, $25 apiece and they are just fine.
I am also using Wagner Thermoquiet ceramic pads - excellent!
3 years already with this setup, no complains.

Bushings and stabilizer links from MOOG - I found then to be long-lasting. Previously mechanics installed some cheap no-name stuff, did not last a year.

:thumbsup: if it works then by all means. I tried autozone rotors and pads, didn't like them one bit. Their performance felt exactly before I went in for a replacement.

Chinese rotors etc is honestly a pita discussion. I'm pretty sure there are other people in this world who can make american made items to the same standard as the American item. Heck Brembo centric suppliers are sometimes from China.

 

[jc_canadian_8thgen]

:thumbsup: if it works then by all means. I tried autozone rotors and pads, didn't like them one bit. Their performance felt exactly before I went in for a replacement.

Chinese rotors etc is honestly a pita discussion. I'm pretty sure there are other people in this world who can make american made items to the same standard as the American item. Heck Brembo centric suppliers are sometimes from China.

For sure you can make good stuff in China and even better in Taiwan but it's the blank white box with a sticker that I'm scared of . A good china disc will stay straight but the metal will rust more.

AGNA brakes are made in Montreal, Canada and I really love the quietness, bite when hot and their longevity

 

[fj62]

Price check OEM vs generic. I have actually bought parts for my Toyotas cheaper from internet Toyota dealer than from local parts stores. I prefer OEM when economically feasible.

 

[Creepy Dude]

I wonder which company make original toyota break pads?
Rotors are Brembo, correct?