A/M vs OEM suspension parts, am I too anal (retentive)?

I've heard that TRW and Moog are good.

I've been battling the budget/quality availability game for a while, just as everyone else here. I like Lemforder and MOOG parts. Not much of a fan of the Uro stuff, or Scan-Tech. My rule of thumb is: the further you have to dig in to replace it, the higher the quality of the part should be. Kaplhenke stuff looks expensive, but if you'll NEVER have to worry about it, it seems like a great long-term value. If you're just flipping these things for a buck, it obviously won't pay. But, you do have to sleep with your conscience...

Boge(which you really won't see unless its nos), Lemforder, TRW are all OE parts. There is absolutely no reason to buy Volvo 'blue box' parts when it comes to ball joints, inner & outer tie rods. Often times TRW will be more expensive but its the same quality as Lemforder(which for the most part has reasonable prices). I've used all these brands and never had any issues.

For belts, Gates brand is the way to go(made in usa, if that matters). When it comes to coolant/overflow tanks, you do have to go Volvo(expensive but worth the price). I learned long time ago when I bought an aftermarket tank and it started leaking after a month of light use(sad, but true).

I've used URO intercooler hoses and radiator hoses and these have held up fine. Even if you had to replace them every 2-3 years(I believe they would last longer), you would still be ahead on the cost of Volvo hoses. For the heater hoses, I would go Volvo for sure, that's just something you don't want to skimp on.

One aftermarket brand that I've had pretty good success is Beck/Arnley. I've used their inner/outer tie rods & ball joints and have been very pleased with the quality.

When it comes to brake rotors and pads, I've used Centric and would definitely recommend it to anyone. Rotors are reasonably priced and pads are super cheap and very close to Volvo quality.

There are aftermarket brands that you can use, you really just need to do your research and see which brands have worked for others.

I can also add that corteco is also an oe supplier for some bushings. Their parts will probably come in the blue box with volvo pn. It is funny how no aftermarket can figure out how to make a rubber bushing!

Hard to follow all the part#'s of what seems to be the same part. I suppose many labels have the premium line and the economy. I get it, and I hate it. During a brief search for ball joints I saw some that seemed to be the same L&R and others that clearly were Rights and Lefts.

Search continues.... Might just get NAPA local "Lemforder" rebrands. I suppose I'm in no hurry I still have to decide on struts. I'll find that old thread an bump it too!

I worked at Volvo for 5 years starting in the parts dept and later in both service and parts. We sold a mix of aftermarket (mainly on used vehicles to be repaired to a sellable standard, and situations where we couldn't wait for an OE part to arrive) and OE parts. So I got a pretty good idea over time of which was good for what. And what lasted up to at least 5 years. Unfortunately I've found it's often a case by case scenario as to whether AM or OE is the best way to spend your money. As a general rule, the bigger the job, the more I will spend. If it's head bolts on my V70 (which is considerably more time consuming than my 242) I'd go Volvo/ARP. It's just not worth doing again. I'd rather pay double and get ripped off a little than do it again. If it takes under an hour I generally won't buy Volvo.

In most cases I find the Volvo part is over priced compared to a good quality reputable aftermarket brand.
If it's a part that isn't specific to Volvo I will go with a good aftermarket brand. Say for instance fuel injectors. Mercedes, BMW, Volvo all have Bosch injectors. If you purchase Bosch injectors you'll get the same thing for half the price of the blue Volvo box.

For tie rods I've gone with TRW and haven't had one fail yet. Alternator/fuel/ignition, Bosch (though I think Volvo plug wires are Bougicord). Remember, almost all Volvo parts are not manufactured by Volvo, rather they're bought from the aftermarket supplier and assembled to the car at Volvo. So if you can ID the original AM supplier for that part you can often get the same quality for half the price. That said, some AM suppliers will sell 2 tiers of the same part. One to OE spec and one cheap...So you can still end up with sh*t.
If it's a part that's specific to that model of car, ie: the heater fan example below, I find OE is often better.

Anyways...Even following those general rules, it's still not easy to always make the best choice. Here are some examples where I made regrettable choices:

AM oil cap gasket - We were out of stock and hell...it takes literal second to replace. So I went AM. Turns out that AM version is rubber and the Volvo is neoprene. The rubber gasket requires way more compressive force to seal (like that attain from screws). Leaked immediately.

AM rad (V70) - Figured it's not a moving part. So I went with a high end AM brand, as I knew cheap ones crack at the seams of the end tanks. Though the build quality of the rad was good overall. Rather than threaded holes that are in the factory one. It came with supplied sheet metal screws and tabs that fell out every time I put the rad in. 6-7 Hours later I realized every penny I saved I lost in my own time installing it.

AM heater fan (V70) - Got the most expensive AM fan, which was still half the price of Volvo. It had a molded plastic shroud that didn't fit quite right with the molded plastic surface it mated to. Had to file and sand a bunch of plastic to make it fit right.

OEM doens't mean anything in regards to quality. OE does.

All it means is that the manufacturer made some part for some new car company at some time. They could have made e-brake covers for a '73 Ford Pinto and they still can call themselves an Original Equipment Manufacturer. It doesn't mean that the part they are selling you is the same as what was fitted to your car originally. Parts counter jockeys and internet sales departments like to throw the term around while knowing that the implication is basically a lie.

Those trailing arm bushings that Lemforder sells are indeed identical to what Volvo is now selling, but the ones they are selling now are not identical to the ones they sold in the past that had a crescent-shaped piece of steel in them. It's most likely another example of Volvo going the cheap route (selling a $6 part for $35) as has become their practice now.

canyoneagle said:

I bought and installed Lemforder tie rods/ends and ball joints on my old 740 and plan to do the same of my 240. When researching manufacturers I had read that Lemforder make OEM-grade stuff. I'm not sure if this is true (internet disclaimer), but my experience was good with those parts.

Click to expand...

I always used and recommended Lemforder for Volvo?s but that was when their parts was made in Germany and other european countries.
Now their aftermarket parts are made in China (Not Lemforder factory) and quality went down the drain together with the quality inspection.
I have a pair of new Lemforder tie rod ends that i will not install on my 940, Will order a pair of TRW instead.
Before the rubberboots was also marked with brand but now they are just plain and in a crappy chinese quality that detoriates due to cold and roadsalt.

An example of the issues (Notice the change of logo with a L in a triangle on the parts)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=327980&view=previous