fastnoypi

this thread is intended to give feedback on non-OEM maintenance parts as an alternative to OEM parts due to budget constraints, dealership distance, and pure necessity to get your car on the road, etc....

If possible, please post pics that may show differences to the OEM Toyota/Lexus part and list part numbers if known.
Feel free to add comments on longevity, fit and finish..good/bad experiences.

fastnoypi

Brake related:<br /><br />Napa premium rear rotors -- worked well but surface rust on hats develop note: non-zinc coated. clearcoat/paint recommended on the hats if you care about rust.<br />Centric premium rotors F/R ---excellent, OEM quality, zinc coated for rust prevention on hats<br />Centric premium brake shoes<br />Napa premium abs sensors F/R sets -- no issues<br />Prestone Dot3 brake fluid<br />Valvoline Dot3&amp;4 brake fluid<br /><br />Engine related:<br /><br />Felpro Valve cover gasket set- FPG VS50588R - excellent fit, comes with sparkplug seals<br />Napa pcv valve-- no issues..fits well<br />Denso 2349009 upstream o2 sensors<br />Zerex Asian formula Antifreeze -5 year/150,000 mile pre-mixed<br />Redline water wetter- would not use again..small brown floating material in the coolant shows up. Google: redline waterwetter brown scum<br />Purolator Oil Filter L10241<br /><br />Drivetrain related:<br /><br />Valvoline Maxlife Full Synthetic- 17.99./gallon at Walmart. Meets WS and Type IV Toyota specs. No issues, smooth shifting.<br /><br /><br />Suspension-<br /><br />Kyb gr2/Exel F/R struts and bellows--perfect fit<br />Napa rear sway bar link -perfect fit<br />Kyb rear strut mounts-SM5175- OEM fit, re-used OEM nuts, no noise 15k miles so far :EDIT--- Hit and Miss quality. Not worth getting stick with OEM<br /><br />Exterior-<br /><br />"Ebay" Eagle Eyes branded rear tail light- very close match to OEM in construction, OEM fit, cannot tell the difference externally from original.

JAB

KYB struts OK, but KYB mounts, front & rear - never again; horrible fit.

thaeleelyr

Sensen struts - front/back: fit perfectly, very stiff. Still working but it's a harder ride than I like.
Heavy duty hot water reinforced hose (black), from Lowe's for the spring coil insulator - works great, still in good shape after over a year.
Monroe Strut-Mate Strut Mount Bearing Part No 903906 - perfect fit, no issues.No shield.
Monroe Strut-Mate Strut Mount Bearing Part No 903904 - perfect fit, no issues. Integrated dirt shield.
Monroe Strut-Mate Strut Mount Bearing Part No 903903 - perfect fit, no issues. No shield.


Lower Control Arm/Steering
Moog K620051 Control Arm - perfect fit.
Moog K9499 Lower Ball Joint - fit perfectly, on all components. Came with all needed hardware and grease fitting. I'm not happy with the grease fitting, I think I'd rather have sealed.
Moog ES3306 Steering Center Link Tie Rod End - perfect fit.
Moog EV447 Steering Center Link Tie Rod End - perfect fit
Moog K620052 Control Arm - perfect fit
Driveworks Suspension Sway Bar Link Kit Part No DW-K90313 - perfect fit, still seems to be working OK, however, when installing and torquing to spec, the nut stripped pretty badly. So removal is going to require drilling out. Advanced Auto stated they will replace the "defective" part for free, but both sides did the same thing.

CV Axles
Advanced Auto CV Axle (front) - slipped out after install while driving. Won't buy again.
AutoZone CV Axle (front) - went in, stayed in. However, the design doesn't permit easy removal. I suspect it will be torn apart when it needs to come out. Still in after 6 months, no problems. Passenger side.
Empi axles - trash. Two passenger sides were broken on delivery, driver side last about 2 months before it failed. I won't buy again.
Napa CV Axle (front - driver) reman from Cardone: perfect install, still working after 6 months. Lifetime guarantee. Only a 2 year guarantee on the new axles - go figure.
Oil Seal (passenger) - National 223540 Oil Seal I THINK this is for the passenger side. I didn't have a problem finding a seal to fit this side.
Oil Seal (driver) - this was a pain. I ordered a National Oil seal and it was just a tinch too big to get in. It looked different from the one I pulled out. I then ordered a seal from Lexus dealer. It had the same exact problem and looked exactly like the National seal (not like the original). From what I can tell, Lexus changed the part number and the new seal design was supposed to fit, but it didn't. After trying Advanced Auto, Auto Zone, etc. I ended up getting a Napa seal, which was a perfect fit.

Rotors/Brakes
EBC brakes (UD325 Ultimax: rear / UD707 Ultimax: front) - love them. Been using them for years
Power Stop (JBR738XPR) Drilled and Slotted Rotor (Rear) - great quality, much better than the Centrics I had on there.
Power Stop (JBR737XPR) Drilled and Slotted Rotor (Front) - perfect fit, great quality. Very happy with these.
I had Centrics on this, I wasn't crazy about them, but I didn't hate them either.
Carquest Wearever Brake Rotor (Fron)t Part No YH145324
Note on Carquest Wearever rotors: When I first installed them, in a few hours I started to notice rust all over them. I wasn't happy about that, but was too cheap/lazy to take off. Rust was a constant issue all over the rotors. Fast forward to the replacement and BOTH front rotors split like clay when removing. I was using the bolt holes to break them free and I couldn't believe how quickly/easily they split. It looked like clay breaking apart. This was after cleaning/ rust remover applied and only using a hand tool. One was much worse than the other, but I'll never put a Carquest Wearever rotor on any other vehicle.
Wearever Unloaded Brake Caliper with Bracket Part No 19-B1974A - Perfectly fit. Seems to be working fine. Only one available in my area. I'm not happy about that. Rebuilt the other calipers until appropriate parts can be found out of area.

Perfect fit on the following:
Wagner H5091 Disc Brake Caliper Bolt, Front
Dorman D670006 Brake Caliper Repair Kit

"Steel Putty" useful for all sorts of repairs. FIxed my rear door hatch handle with it. Something like this: J-B Weld 8267-S SteelStik Steel Reinforced Epoxy Putty Stick


Exhaust
Walker 53421 Front Exhaust Pipe - perfect fit, seems to be a good quality.
Walker 35129 Exhaust Spring Bolt Kit - perfect fit, absolute crap. Immediately started to rust. Other bolts I replaced with stainless steel.
Walker gaskets - replaced all gaskets in system. All work fine.

Denso Fuel Pump Part No 951-0002 - perfect fit and has been working 2+ years.

K&N Oil Filter - Part No HP-1002 - Absolute crap.My oil never looked so dirty. I thought being able to use a regular socket would make change-out easier, but it was almost impossible. The socket just kept slipping off the end (the edges are a bit rounded from the paint) I recommend sticking with your standard shaped filter. I've been very happy with the Bosch.
Bosch 3330 Premium FILTECH Oil Filter - perfect fit, filters great.

Water Pump: Aisin TKT-024 Engine Timing Belt Kit with Water Pump
DO NOT GET THE GATES TIMING BELT! It doesn't fit correctly. Do yourself a favor, stick with the Aisin.
Bosch 97162 New Water Pump - perfect fit, no problems.

These all fit perfectly, seem to be an exact match to the OEM that I replaced. Still working fine.
Felpro Valve Cover Gasket Set Part No VS 50588 R
Fel-Pro MS95819 Manifold Gasket Set
Dorman 65394 Oil Drain Plug Gasket for Lexus/Scion/Toyota-2 Pack
Fel-Pro 61084 FelPro Gasket
Edelmann 8798 Power Steering Pump Seal Kit - I wasn't happy with the quality of the little clamp included in the kit. It was much thinner and cheaper than the OEM. Otherwise, it seemed to be pretty good. Everything fit perfectly.
Fel-Pro OS30681C Oil Pan Gasket Set

Permatex 82194 Ultra Grey Rigid High-Torque RTV Silicone Gasket Maker, 3.5 oz. - used this as a replacement to Toyota grey on the valve covers. Seems to be working fine.

Permatex 80697 Copper Spray-A-Gasket Hi-Temp Adhesive Sealant, 9 oz. net Aerosol Can - This was supposed to be the "best". I applied as instructed, seems to be working. Easier to apply than the tubes.

Crankshaft Seal - OES Genuine Crankshaft Seal for select Lexus/Toyota models W0133-1630093-OES Perfect fit, seems to be working fine.

PCV push-in Valve - I've tried every brand available and the only one other than Lexus that fits is made by Intermotor (also with the grommet). I get mine on Amazon, listed as Standard Motor Products V313 PCV Valve. The following DO NOT FIT: Beck Arnley 045-0306 PCV Valve , Fram FV380 Positive Crankcase Ventilation PCV Valve, Beck Arnley 039-6428 PCV Valve Grommet.

Beck Arnley 044-0316 Automatic Transmission Filter Kit - used this when I was desperate. It fit perfectly, but is a crappy filter.
Purolator P1293 Transmission Filter - fit perfectly. Filters better than Beck Arnley
Mobil 1 55221 3309 Automatic Transmission Fluid - use this all the time
Mobil 1 94001 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil

Spark Plugs, etc.
Perfect fit, no problems after 2-3+ years.
Denso 234-9009 Oxygen Sensor
Denso (3297) SK20R11 Iridium Spark Plug, Pack of 1
Denso 673-1301 Ignition Coil

hsmac

is there a list that shows all OE parts? i've had a hard time discerning which parts/manufacturers are OEM and which aren't. plus with all the deceptive marketing and confusion between terms, it's hard to know which parts are the same as the ones that came with the vehicle.

fastnoypi

No, you will have to go to an online dealers site to look at their catalog.

Note the difference between OEM and OEM supplier parts. OEM supplier parts are from companies that supply to the auto manufacturers but not necessarily used in production for your particular make. Notable OEM suppliers include Denso, Aisin, Mitsuboshi.

Feel free to make a separate thread. This thread is for aftermarket compatibile parts.

JAB

Poster above reported rotors that 'split like clay' upon removal. Same thing happened to me; unfortunately I don't know where I got them or who made them. But I was disgusted.

fastnoypi

Definitely scary.

@thaeleelyr and JAB... did you have your rotors mic'd before you attempted to remove them? If so, were they to the point at or below minimum thickness?

Lots of these store branded rotors are made from recycled chinese scrap metal with questionable foundry processes when casting. They may work in a pinch but longevity and wear characteristics are usually inconsistent.

I'm curious had i kept my Napa rotors to that exacting minimum thickness point, would i have had the same split like clay experience.

thaeleelyr

What do you mean by "mic'd"? I'm pretty sure once you explain it, I'll have an "Ohh, duh!" moment, but right now I can't think of what you mean.

Prior to removal, I sprayed some rust remover or something to help release. I didn't heat them up. Where they split was at the bolt holes used for removal. I don't think it was an issue of rotor thickness as it was in the center. It was just an issue of some truly crappy metal.

I absolutely agree with you that the recycled Chinese scrap metal rotors are only short term. I didn't expect them to last long and they were switched out sooner than needed, which makes the splitting extra troublesome..

fastnoypi

On the rotor there is usually an area that is stamped with the minimum thickness recommended before absolute disaster may happen when braking.
Techs use a micrometer caliper tool to measure the thickness aka "Mic"

If a micrometer is unavailable, some techs use vernier calipers if the rotor edges do not have an exaggerated lip.

thaeleelyr

That's a new term for me! No, I didn't measure them, but I do still have them. I'll dig them out and measure them with my micrometer. Do you know what the minimal measurement is for the rotors?

hsmac

so how do we know if it's oem or aftermarket then? looks like some posters have included the exact oe parts that came with vehicle. sorry if i'm not making sense, i don't fully understand all the terms and they've supposedly become somewhat interchangeable over the years.

JAB

I removed them because I suspected they were warped.

fastnoypi

Im not sure if there is an easier way other than to remove your stock parts and look for any branding stamps or part numbers for reference. You can always guarantee OEM parts from your toyota/lexus parts counter and note their part numbers from their catalogs.
Pm me if you have other questions or start a new thread. Let's keep this thread on topic.

salimshah

Fastnoypi:

There are few big names in after market products, but they get their products from all over. Some even are refurbished using the core from OEM. If you agree with em then any observation based on one purchase can not be applied universally.

Salim