Bad luck with cheap parts
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Premium/economy part comparison
Economy parts are lighter duty and might not hold up long.
When you go to the auto parts store for replacement parts, the salesclerk will usually quote
the price for “economy” grade parts. They're cheaper but not nearly the same quality as “professional
grade” parts. Unless you're planning to junk the car in a year or so, you're better off
spending more for the better parts.
I learned this lesson the hard way on my minivan with
200,000 miles on the clock. I bought “economy” tie rod
ends. Big mistake. The suckers wore out in less than
a year, forcing me to replace them again. This
time around, I bought “professional grade”
parts and paid for another alignment, making
the economy parts a losing proposition.
Thinking that experience was a fluke, I
tried again with economy wheel bearings.
Same result. Now I won't touch
economy parts.
Learn from my mistakes. Whether
you're doing the repair yourself or having a
shop do it, if you expect the repair to last
longer than a year, insist on professional-grade parts. They cost far
less in the long run.
