Parts Arrived

"Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness" (long-voyager-2nd-edition)
06/14/2019 at 07:31 • Filed to: Parts, Mopar, Caravan

Original Post:

I love 90s Mopar.

The 92 is in need of new brakes up front finally at 75k. Time to gather parts:

I suppose I should get rotors too:

Sweet, I’ll have about $20 in new brakes for the front.

Update:

My parts arrived last night. I went with the “expensive” $.97 pads, which were listed as “Prostop” brand, and the API Rotors, which have been on the car for the last 25k miles without issue.

In case anyone was wondering what $.97 brake pads look like:

They look like good Raybestos Prostop pads.

Given I have already used API rotors on the car, with very good results, I have no concerns with them either.

I started toying with RA’s cheap parts when I started working on the car. To be completely honest, most of what I’ve gotten so far is better quality than the name brand junk I used to use.

As it stands right now, the car has cheap pads/rotors/shoes/drum , cheap axles, cheap wheel bearings, cheap struts, Moog suspension components. So far all the cheap parts are showing no sign of giving up, m eanwhile I’ve already had to replace the Moog sway bar bushings.

After getting numerous junk “name brand”/ “expensive” parts right out of the box, or having them fail 500-1000 miles later, I figured “ screw it, if I’m going to have to replace it once a month anyway, I might as well save my money”. You know what, since I started “saving” my money buying the cheap parts, I spend less time fixing because the parts are actually better!

DISCUSSION (20)

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/11/2019 at 10:27

WHAT THE FUCK

EDIT: Nvm, the Mini’s rotors are just as cheap:

Kinja'd!!!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/11/2019 at 10:32

*scratches head*

swapping brakes on my bicycle is more expensive than that (and they still arent working right)

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/11/2019 at 10:43

I got some rotors and pads at napa and they lasted 20k miles before they corroded away and started to pulsate. I was not happy considering the OEM’s went 60k and down to the metal. I spent slightly more at Autozone and already I am seeing a huge improvement in initial bite.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/11/2019 at 10:53

We found a huge improvement with early 2000s moparvans in going to drilled rotors. The extra weight with puny and very hot brakes needed the help.

LongbowMkII > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/11/2019 at 11:17

Are they clearing out a warehouse of k-car pads? I know mass production makes for ridiculously low unit costs, but damn

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > LongbowMkII
06/11/2019 at 12:06

AS-Body, get it right. ;)

No idea, parts are insanely cheap for 90s Mopars.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
06/11/2019 at 12:13

The 2nd gens don’t really need it, they’re running the same brake setup ( almost ) on a vehicle that’s over 1000 lbs lighter.

I did opt for them on my van as it sees towing/hauling duty and brake ride off road. Been happy with them, but I won’t spend the extra money on this one, I’m replacing the original rotors/pads at 75k.....

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
06/11/2019 at 12:19

These are roughly the same rotors/pads that I put on the car when we got it. I was able to get 30k out of them before they started making noise and I drive that one hard, so these should last 40-50k without issue.

The cheapest pads at Autozone are $18.99, cheapest rotors are $32.99. So for less than the price of 1 rotor I can replace everything. If it last me half as long I’m not going to complain.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/11/2019 at 12:21

You will spend more money on synthetic oil than a brake job. Amazing.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
06/11/2019 at 12:22

Hell a conventional oil change costs more than my brake job....

Urambo Tauro > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/11/2019 at 21:48

I usually scroll right past the cheap “economy” stuff on RockAuto, but now you’ve got me curious...

Looks like the cheapest front brakes I can get for my Mustang would b e $11.25 for the pads and $ 22.89 per rotor. Neat!

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Urambo Tauro
06/12/2019 at 07:15

I used to do the same.

Given the car is just a work beater I started grabbing some of the super cheap stuff for that.

First it was brake pads/rotors. They seemed decent quality, they lasted 30k miles under my general hard use of the car. My only complaint is they are kinda dirty, but most pad options for my vehicles are.

Next I got all Moog suspension parts, but opted for cheap struts as I was trying to keep cost down. I ended up with these OSC’s: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=8388332&cc=1228283&jsn=377 Figured for $24 a piece, I can change them once a year and still come out ahead. They’ve been on 30k miles now and still seem great, holding up better than any Monroe I’ve ever had the misfortune of putting on.

I used to believe in “you get what you pay for” and “name brand = quality”. After getting numerous junk parts out of the box, having “quality” parts go to hell in 500-1000 miles, etc, I no longer believe that.

Wheel bearings are a great example. I went through 2 SKF bearings ($65 IIRC) , 3 Timkens ($59 IIRC) , 2 Mopar (over $90) , and 5 Duralasts ($41.99) on my van in 20k miles, thankfully all were under warranty . I said screw it and bought a $16 Ultra-Power off Rock, that was about 20k miles ago and it’s still fine.

IMO at this point in the game, for my vehicles at least, all you’re really paying for is the name. If you can get over the thought of “needing” name brand, you can save a shitload of money.

Urambo Tauro > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/12/2019 at 08:02

That’s a really hard thing to accept, but come to think of it, I ha ve been see ing some QC issues with trusted brands like Moog right out of the box lately...

A t least when it comes to brakes, you already know they’re a wear item, and expect to have to replace them again at some point. Good thing they’re easy to get to.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/13/2019 at 17:33

I don't think I trust $0.95 brake pads.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
06/14/2019 at 07:18

Last I knew, Raybestos were decent pads:

Kinja'd!!!

I went expensive and opted for the $.97 pads ;)

Flavien Vidal > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/14/2019 at 07:41

RockAuto is quite cheap in general, but those prices are insane lol

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/14/2019 at 10:01

It’s been awhile since I’ve seen riveted pads, probably since the set I changed on the front of my former 91 F-150 after I bought it back in 2003.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
06/14/2019 at 10:11

90s dude, 90s.

WildlyMild > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/14/2019 at 10:27

Moog had an activist investor purchase controlling interest in the company. He also owns a large chunk of pep boys. Hes thr kinda wall st fuck that will fill the board room with his people and force the sa le of property and assets then have the company lease them back. Then move dump and run. His acquisition of federal mogul includes some well trusted gasket, bearing and suspension names. It’s going to be fun relearning quality component companies again.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > WildlyMild
06/14/2019 at 12:18

So far:

Mevotech has proven good for suspension components. Moog is hit or miss.

KYB has never done me wrong when it comes to shocks/struts. Monroe/Gabriel are junk.

Cardone Remans/Surtrack Remans have proven good for axles, any New axles are junk ( they redesigned them to use a smaller main shaft, which is prone to breaking ).

SKF for bearings, otherwise the cheap ass Ultra-Power that RA sells have been very good for me. Timken, Precision, Mopar have all proven junk.

Standard and NTK have proven decent for engine electronics.

Delphi/Bosch for fuel pumps. Spectra Premium/Airtex are junk.

BWD/NGK/Beck Arnley are my go to for ignition components.

That’s what I’ve found to be true so far for components across the board. Many times the cheaper things have proven to be much better quality than the more expensive brands.