China bearings

I wonder if the quality of the Chinese bearings has improved in the last few years? If we buy a water pump it's probably made in China, with china bearings. At 1/3 cost of US made it's tempting. Any thoughts? Stan

I bought a pair of Moog torsion arms for a Chrysler 300. Lifetime warranty, made in China.

I bought a pair of Gabriel Ultra front struts for the same car. Lifetime warranty, made in China.

I put a replacement wheel bearing on a 2001 Dodge Neon. Lifetime warranty, made in China.

I could keep going, but I think you know where this is going...

Just my humble opinion, but here it is.......

China has just as much and just as good manufacturing capability as we ever had. They can make quality products as well as junk. They make us whatever and however we order it. If the importer wants cheap junk to sell at a high profit, that is what he gets. If companies like Gabriel, Moog, TRW, Fel-Pro, Delco, or whoever else orders a high quality product that must meet predetermined standards, I will assume that they get what they bargained for. How else could they offer long term warranties without going broke??

Please do not get me wrong. I am NOT defending the Chinese. Just offering what I must take as fact. It truly bothers me that so much of our manufacturing has gone to other countries. At the same time, it is pointless to become a "buy American" freak to the extreme. This too will come full circle in time, and manufacturing will leave China much the same as it has been doing here. Workers get a taste of consumer goods and they want more. Just like Japan. Remember when "made in Japan" was the big thing to avoid??

We live in a throwaway society, buy it, and then chuck it., It's really that simple.

I have been using those new China built water pumps for around 10 years now, no bearing and seal problems. I like the new castings, as so many rebuilts were using some pretty sorry used castings. I also appreciate the NEW China made brake cylinders,they have new smooth bores that work and last, VS kitting a used pitted cylinder where my success rate was less than 50%
The new cylinders selling for less than what it used to cost for a repair kit. They still make the old stuff too. Napa had no problem getting me all 4 wheel cylinders for a 72 scout I am rebuilding. Less than $10 each for the cylinders.

Very well said.

Theres a crap ton of corruption here, most of the third party inspectors will get a pay off from the factory to pass thier goods.

Factory procurement staff will get kickbacks from favored suppliers, but they're not all bad Japanese run factories are real strict, alot of the factories that supply to America are all over the place with quality for the reasons mentioned above, I've been living and working in china for 10 years with the last 4 doing quality control.

Hey Jon,
I'm selling off I all the parts from a '78 Scout that were to go back on a glass body project. Email me if you need something.

The secret to Lifetime Warranties, is the companies are betting we will not have the car,truck,tractor long enough to ever use the guarantee. We used to sell lifetime guarantee muffler,it was the same muffler that had a one year guarantee, we just charged three times as much for a muffler we might replace twice, before the car was traded.

🐂💩

Sometimes we have no choice,but then when we buy China stuff it is to save some money . Then the IRS sees that you have made some money so they have their hand out so they can spend it unwisely.

Big circle, goes round and round.

My opinion only

from the land of almost right. these companies are betting that nine out of ten people will trade their vehicle before the bamboo part craps out. I don't like to patronize communist.

I just bought some spider gears and crosshafts for a JD,from A&I company.Had right on the boxes,made in Turkey??That's a new one,never had anything from there.

They have been improving. GM and other large companies have built state of the art factories there. Even Embraer (aircraft) has one going.
Like in JimG.Allentown's post, globalization has spread even name brand suppliers all over the place.

I don't prefer to buy foreign made but the reality is that it is virtually unavoidable. Like the discussions in "Tool Talk" as of late, you can't hardly find power tools that are made here. The other factor is that most of us have limited income.

You use an old Chevy 2 ton and an old tracked tractor so I believe you're doing as much as anyone to keep America going.

If I have a choice right in front of me I will choose the domestic product. If it's not clear where the things are from or if they are all China made I will weigh cost vs. quality. I the part is highly stressed or hard to get to/hard to change then I will search out the best one I can afford even if it means waiting a few days for shipping.

More than China I would avoid parts and such from India. They're generally where China was 15 to 20 years ago IMO.

I buy thousands of smaller bearings a year and most that I buy are not even made in the US anymore. The US bearing manufactures buy the bearings from China cheaper than they can manufacture them here. The bearing sales company I buy from have their own quality control in China and I have never had a bearing quality problem.

Here is a 79 I built and have parts of 4 so if anybody needs parts I have them.

Nice one, jm. I sure miss driving those things. The winter road salt just ate them alive. Last one I had was a ,79, 345, 4-bbl, 4 speed with traclok. The '78 I was rebuilding had the 4-196 and was much easier to drive in the snow.

I've come across a number of parts from Turkey and India.