The Mechanics' Take: Aftermarket Parts and Repairing High-Performance Vehicles

When it comes to repairing high-performance vehicles, one of the most debated topics among mechanics is the use of aftermarket parts. While some may argue that these parts are cheaper and equally effective, others claim that they're often made with lower-quality materials and can compromise the performance and reliability of a vehicle.

One such example is the Lexus ES's suspension system, which has been modified by many enthusiasts to improve its handling and ride quality. However, when it comes to aftermarket suspension parts, there are often conflicting opinions on their effectiveness. Some mechanics swear by these parts, claiming that they're well-made and can improve a vehicle's performance significantly.

On the other hand, others warn against using aftermarket parts, citing concerns over their quality and reliability. According to one mechanic, "there's nothing wrong with the suspension system of this Lexus ES. It's just expanding due to the change in tire size." He attributes the creeking noise to the struts, which may have been affected by the switch from a larger to a smaller tire.

In terms of quality, the mechanic argues that high-end aftermarket parts can be just as good as OEM components, but it ultimately depends on the manufacturer and materials used. "I've seen some really good aftermarket suspension parts, and I've also seen some absolute garbage," he notes. "It's all about finding a reputable brand that uses high-quality materials."

Another topic of discussion is the use of cheap aftermarket parts by mechanics who work on vehicles using these parts. According to the mechanic, if you're not tech-savvy, it can be difficult to spot when a mechanic is using lower-quality components. "Most people don't know much about cars," he explains, "so they just have to trust their mechanic and hope for the best."

However, this is often not the case, as some mechanics may choose to use cheap aftermarket parts simply because they're cheaper. "I've seen guys buy $20 worth of parts and then sell them to you for $120," our mechanic reveals. "It's a scam, plain and simple." He warns potential car owners to be aware of this practice and to ask questions when it comes to the parts being used on their vehicle.

Despite these concerns, there are some mechanics who swear by aftermarket parts and claim that they're effective in improving a vehicle's performance. According to one such mechanic, "I've worked with high-performance engines in vehicles like the Mustang Shelby GT500. These engines can tow like maniacs with the right modifications."

When it comes to modifying these engines, our mechanic notes that the key is finding a reputable brand and using high-quality components. "There's no substitute for quality," he emphasizes. "You get what you pay for." By choosing aftermarket parts from trusted manufacturers, car owners can ensure that their vehicles are running at optimal levels.

In terms of specific examples, one such part being discussed is the Lexus ES's brake rotor. According to our mechanic, "the brake rotors on this vehicle were replaced recently, and they're fine." However, when it comes to aftermarket parts, there may be concerns over their quality and reliability.

One topic that has come up in discussions about aftermarket parts is the debate over shops that continue to use cheap components despite advancements in technology. According to our mechanic, "if you bring your car into a shop still using cheap aftermarket parts, they might not know better." However, he notes that some mechanics are now more aware of these issues and will explain their reasoning to customers.

To avoid falling prey to dishonest mechanics who may try to sell you cheap aftermarket parts, it's essential to find a reputable mechanic who is knowledgeable about the vehicle and its components. "Honest mechanics will explain the benefits and drawbacks of using different types of parts," our mechanic advises. "They'll tell you what works and what doesn't." By doing your research and finding an honest mechanic, car owners can ensure that their vehicles are running at optimal levels without sacrificing quality or performance.

In conclusion, when it comes to aftermarket parts for high-performance vehicles like the Lexus ES, there is ongoing debate about their effectiveness and quality. While some mechanics swear by these parts, others warn against them due to concerns over reliability and performance. By doing your research, choosing reputable brands, and working with honest mechanics, car owners can ensure that their vehicles are running at optimal levels without sacrificing quality or performance.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enrev up your engines okay today we got an 034 Runner it's an interesting one it's got a V8 engine it's got 273,000 Mi the guy's owned it for 12 years he bought it used he loves it matter of fact he just want to bought a new one for his wife because he doesn't want the new fangled one so he got the last good model you can buy and he said you're going to keep that for 4 or 500,000 mil too it's got a couple noises he wants to know about which we'll figure out later but as we look on the hood you can see what makes it interesting that's the infamous Toyota 4.7 v8 that can run forever the only downside is of course it has a rubber timing belt so you're supposed to change that every 100,000 miles that's the only downside well it does have another downside the gas mileage isn't very good cuz it's a big V8 heavy vehicle that's not what you buy these for even the v6s are gas Hogs and the 4 Runners they're heavy Vehicles now this one isn't all that bad cuz it's just rear wheeel drive so sometimes on the highway you can get like 18 m a gallon and that's as good as you're going to get with a big old Vel like this but it runs you can pull all kinds of stuff with it and of course you can never buy another one of these cuz they haven't put V8 engines in these things for quite some time now as you can see this is a limited this is the fancy one and hey the seats are good got a little tape on this side you can put seat covers on if you wanted but you can see why people bought these things room everywhere and you want a carry stuff hey if that's not big enough drop these seats down too and you'll have all kinds of room it's basically like an inclosed pickup truck now as I said this baby was made in Japan so it's the best ones that they ever make the ones made in Japan with a V8 engine really other than the gas mileage it's got about anything anybody would want in a vehicle like this yeah it's not uh a Lexus or an ACA with a cushy ride the ride is decent but it's really a truck my oh my an actual frame and it's a frame made in Japan unlike the Tundras and Tacomas that were full frame made in the United States with American built frames that rotted away and people were Furious about it these FRS are made in Japan they never had problems with any of them it is a solid vehicle you could basically drive this vehicle forever fixing I had a guy in Houston that had one he got hit in the middle he got T-boned and instead of fixing it he took the insurance money and he drove it and I mean it was bent in about this far in the middle you couldn't climb in on a passenger side but he was still driving a thing down the road I mean these things are solid as long as that frame isn't broken you can just keep driving them and driving them and driving them now I's hearing a rattle in the front it came with 16s then the guy had up for him put 18s and now he's gone back to 17s and once they put the these 17s on he started hearing some rattling so let's Jack it up and look inside first thing we'll do is take it for a spin literally I can hear it as it turns around there it is as it spins click click well that was an easy one the rotor somewhat warped it's got a ridge on it when it gets to the ridge spots it makes the brake pads click and of course in the weight of the cars on it's going to accentuate the noise so I noticed he had a brake job done stuff but the rotors are olded do a mean anything you can see they're relatively flat but as I put my finger on the top it's all rusty as can be because they're old now I wouldn't waste my time for that little noise but if it drives them crazy bu new rotors now the other noise he has is a suspension noise you hit certain bumps and you hear it he went to a Toyota dealer they wanted 4,000 bucks to do a whole bunch of stuff so he said oh I'll do it myself so instead of 4 th000 he spent a couple hundred changed the control arm same exact noise then they said oh it's the sway bar and links and the bushings so he did that himself for 20 bucks the noise is still there then he took it back to him again and they said we want to make this right we're going to have the manager talk to you he calls up can I speak to the owner no he got the sales guy right and the owner never called back they said he called back then they said I want to make it right we'll get our best mechanic to ride with you well guess what the best mechanic did not ride with him he wasted three hours of his time and the noise is still there so unlike the Toyota dealer the best mechanic me is actually going to go for a ride we're going to listen to the noise first which they never did so first we have to find a bumpy road so we're going to head out to the country here we go in the country that's being turned into Suburbia we'll see if we can get to make the noise yeah that's the rotor over there that clacking that we here we already know that we really don't care but he's talking about a clunk there is now this is why you'd like one of these with the V8 engine in it yes it gets up and goes that's V8 power now his wife's new one is the last of the v6s which is still good but boy this thing picks him up and puts him down now he put these one piece shock draw assembly on it but it came from 1A Auto and I'm always suspicious of those things let's see what happens when we drop it I can hear it yeah I hear cren and see now that it's expanded the whole way the noise is gone this is one reason I'm always leery about whole replacement suspension parts like struts spring assemblies the original Toyota ones are really well made and they're also very expensive and they don't sell whole units you buy by piece by piece he replaced the whole thing he doesn't have the box anymore so I'm guessing it was made in China and that's what that noise is and you could see it makes it going up going down down once it's fully up it stops because the rubber stretched the whole way now when you hit the bump and it comes back down then it makes the creek again and that's what's doing it there's actually nothing wrong with it it's not plain just like the brake rotor he hits the brakes at 60 they don't shake they don't pull they're fine they're just a little bit worn so they make that little noise but the creeking he's hitting is these struts now it may have been affected by changing the tire size cuz he did go from a bigger to a smaller Tire now realize one thing tires actually do more shock absorbing than your shock absorbing system the rubber takes a lot of the shocks he went from a bigger to a smaller Tire guess what a bigger tire absorb shocks better so going to a smaller Tire it makes sense made there's absolutely nothing wrong with it though I mean I wouldn't bother changing it out and buying new ones cuz the new ones are probably Creek it's they're made in China they'll all do the same but there's nothing wrong with it it's just expands you can hear the rubber Creek know when it goes back down compresses you hear the rubber Creek ah no biggie though if you are a noise fanatic stay away from these aftermarket units because they often make noise I tried one a customer bought one for their Lexus I put it all together and guess what the car did instead of sitting like this it was not sitting too high because the stupid spring was made wrong and it was too high and it rode rougher and then I thought why is it riding rougher well it turns out that the Lexus Springs You' think they're cheaper cuz they were thinner the Springs were much thinner steel and the cheap Chinese one was actually a lot thicker steel well guess what thick steel doesn't absorb the bounces as good as thin steel did a better job and the thick steel made it sit too high so be very leery about those aftermarket things as for the flrunner man with this V8 engine in it hey I wouldn't mind getting my hands in one of these hey it gets up and goes you could tow like a maniac with this thing well that engine and it's only a baby with 273,000 Mi so hey it'll probably go another 273,000 Mi with that solid frame even if it gets in a wreck you can either fix it or just drive it wrecked as long as the frame isn't bent that's how well made these things are from Japan and here's some bonus questions and answers shadow man say Scotty should I worry about shops I bring my cars still using cheap aftermarket parts yeah if you you know you got to talk to the guys working your car and explain I don't want cheap Chinese parts I'll pay more or if that's what you deal with tell me what part I need and I'll buy the part and you can put it on that'll change their tune you know they always Mark the stuff up uh you don't want cheap aftermarket parts you got to find honest mechanics there's a lot of crooks out there I admit it you know I've seen so many crooked mechanics out there they'll buy some cheap Chinese part for $20 and then tell you it's an oem and charge 120 for the part that they paid that tiny amount for kind of disgusting but you got to find find a mechanic you can trust cuz any mechanic can pull a wool over your eyes if they really want to uh most people don't know that much about cars so you got to find a guy like me an honest guy is going to explain it all and say Hey you know some aftermarket parts are good some are absolute garbage and if they're going to use garbage Chinese Parts they'll come back and then the dishonest ones will say oh yeah well now you got another problem but you don't you got the same problem because the part they put on didn't work and then they'll charge your money to replace the thing that they already replaced and then tell you they did something else you have to find it on mechanic there's no way about it honest mechanics will explain I explain to people look good parts cost good money now if you want cheap Chinese Parts I just say go ahead buy it yourself I'll put it on I guarantee I put it on right but if it breaks don't come screaming at me cuz I told you a lot of that stuff's junk so if you never want to miss another one of my new car repair videos remember to ring that Bell nah\n"