Detroit Axle parts any good?

[Fordgrl48]

I have bought several parts for ford pickups and explorers from detroit axle and have never had an issue. We rebuilt the entire front end of an '03 f150, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, with Detroit axle parts. My husband drove it daily for over another 160,000 miles in 3 years on some other worst roads in Michigan. He would still be driving it if the secondary computer hadn't of taken a crap! So no you don't always get what you paid for!

 

[swshawaii]

@Fordgrl48

Any possibility you are employed by Detroit Axle? Port Huron to Detroit Axle in Ferndale = 56 miles.

 

[masospaghetti]

As others have said, Detroit Axle parts have all of the indications of being relabeled cheap off-branded parts. To me this is misleading at best, to sell wheel bearings and suspension parts made in China under the name of "Detroit Axle".

 

[CDW6212R]

Exactly, their name is to sell parts, quality is not part of that brand.

Now that said, if enough saps buy enough of their parts, and they make big profits, like the Jap cars of the 80's etc, did for Honda and Toyota etc, they could reinvest in quality, and result in good parts. But I won't be among those saps.

 

[masospaghetti]

I suspect their motive is not to "make money and then reinvest" -- after all, they started as a legitimate domestic manufacturer of axle components, and now are a reseller using a misleading name to sell low quality parts.

 

[koda2000]

Detroit Axle are probably the worst suspension parts on the market. Buy cheap. get cheap. If you want the parts you install to last I suggest Motorcraft, Moog or Mevotech.

 

[CJYoung]

I'm looking to replace the upper control arms and lower ball joints on my 97 Explorer. Took it into a shop for an alignment last week and they quoted me 870 bucks to do it.

I found a super cheap kit that includes sway bar links, tie rods, control arms, and ball joints on Ebay, and I just want some opinions before I pick one up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-Complete-12pc-Front-Suspension-Kit-Ford-Explorer-Ranger-/151759795258?fits=Year:1997|Model:Explorer&hash=item235596b43a:g:eigAAOSwMmBVtnjN&vxp=mtr

I get a feeling there's a reason this is 100 bucks when OEM or Moog parts cost around 300 just for the control arms and ball joints.

Detroit Axle parts are great!!!
Yes, they are made in China, but so are Moog. I replaced the front end on my 99 Ex. Works Great, 4th vehicle using Detroit Axle parts, Swear by them now. Be sure to get the Camber/Caster bolts as I needed to have it properly allingned.
Once all was done on Ex, Upper,Lower Control Arms, Hub assembly too, Eyeball aligned it did really well, but took to Very Goood Allignment Shop. $100 for alignment, $40 wheel balance.

 

[CDW6212R]

Detroit Axle parts are great!!!
Yes, they are made in China, but so are Moog. I replaced the front end on my 99 Ex. Works Great, 4th vehicle using Detroit Axle parts, Swear by them now. Be sure to get the Camber/Caster bolts as I needed to have it properly allingned.
Once all was done on Ex, Upper,Lower Control Arms, Hub assembly too, Eyeball aligned it did really well, but took to Very Goood Allignment Shop. $100 for alignment, $40 wheel balance.

Where do you pay $100 for an alignment, which is way too much, and $40 for balancing tires, that's cheap?

If I buy the Detroit CV joint kit for $50, is that savings of $40 smart, versus a kit from Dorman (also not a great brand), that's around $90? Both are made in China, but the Dorman kit came out years before the Detroit kit did, and has a decent reputation. The Detroit brand is very young and has a terrible reputation, why defend it or give them any money? Make them improve their parts, don't buy them.

 

[lunghd]

I can personally vouch for Detroit Axle parts. Brakes, rotors, bearing hubs - all on my 2006 Explorer. Lower cost than most competitors and for damn sure cheaper than local box auto stores. I'd have no problem buying from them again.

 

[lunghd]

Detroit Axle are probably the worst suspension parts on the market. Buy cheap. get cheap. If you want the parts you install to last I suggest Motorcraft, Moog or Mevotech.

"Probably" don't cut it. Might as well say: "I have an opinion..."

Detroit Axle parts are good. This from an old guy who happily spends his kid's inheritance on auto parts but hasn't had to spend it twice with D.A. parts. Don't get me wrong... for internal parts on my 4.0 like timing chain etc I'd go Motorcraft but for generic, everyone sells it but it's all made overseas parts... yeah, take the discount and move on.

 

[EB4X]

" but it's all made overseas parts... yeah, take the discount and move on."
YEAH, SAD BUT TRUE... so much for buying American when American manufacturers have it made in their Chinese factories...or worse...just rebadge a mediocre Chinese part with their "American" branding on it.
There's still some American parts, and certain headache repairs where you don't "want to do the job twice"...just two years later from cheap part...so there is where to spend the extra money for quality, and supporting what little is left of the American manufacturing base.
And if you have the time / luxury for shipping wait, just get it from Ebay for rock bottom prices, why go to brick and mortar when all the options there are now Chinese.....and at 40% more then Ebay sellers for identical part...
All that said, when I was really broke broke, I got a pair of "Detroit" Axle rotors for my Grand Cherokee for dirt cheap/ Ebay....they've been on it about 3 years and no issues thus far, kind of hard to mess up a rotor though.

 

[EB4X]

/\ LOL.... the Chinese made and still make total junk....the ONLY exceptions pretty much are the parts that American companies made and designed / spec'd etc and are NOW manufactured there instead of here....or were stolen from U.S. companies and copied. And the Japanese did the SAME THING, stole all our tech, electronics ...on and on....they just tend to have higher percentage of reliable engines / transmissions over time but that's never a given...all manufacturers make some duds.......but there are MANY GREAT American products STILL that match and exceed Japanese in the automotive sector..... take the Ford 5.0 ...the G.M. 5.3 / 6.2 engines....just to name a FEW......

 

[EB4X]

Here's some of your Japanese quality ....the newest generation Tacoma, besides whining rear differentials and transmissions that shift all over the place, even after software upgrade....there's their TIMEBOMB engine.... see video's :

View at 43 second marK:


View this one at 2 min 5 second mark: >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSmLH0svmJQ&feature=youtu.be


And view this one at 17 min 28 second mark:

The new Ranger smokes the Tacoma, not to mention the Colorado's are pretty sweet too, and the bugs have been worked out of the 3.6 engines.

 

[410Fortune]

Detroit axle parts are garbage
After installing several sets of their front wheel bearings for family and customers I then had to go back and replace them all months later
Watching the forums over the last few years you can see many threads taking about Detroit axle
Even people who are like “great for the $$$, still working great for me” will come back soon and report the parts failed
Leaving a very bad taste
I would run away from Detroit axle parts not worth the labor to install

 

[donalds]

This is what buying cheap parts gets you lol

 

[sehaare]

Detroit axle parts are garbage
After installing several sets of their front wheel bearings for family and customers I then had to go back and replace them all months later
Watching the forums over the last few years you can see many threads taking about Detroit axle
Even people who are like “great for the $$$, still working great for me” will come back soon and report the parts failed
Leaving a very bad taste
I would run away from Detroit axle parts not worth the labor to install

A while back I was about to begin doing some major suspension and brake work on the 98 to fix everything that I had been putting off. Detroit Axle had some complete kits on Amazon to basically overhaul what I needed to do. I had put them in my shopping cart but before I pushed the "buy" button I started checking more reviews on line for their parts. From what I saw, I made the decision to delete all the Detroit Axle stuff from my cart and get the parts elsewhere for more money. After reading this thread today I'm even more glad that I did.

 

[410Fortune]

Yes! Let us learn the hard way so you do not have to!!
Forums and reviews are the best thing ever

 

[ExplorerRider]

Detroit Axle are probably the worst suspension parts on the market. Buy cheap. get cheap. If you want the parts you install to last I suggest Motorcraft, Moog or Mevotech.

Recently ordered a set of rear toe compensator links off of Rock Auto for my 2005 Explorer w/16t inch wheels, they are Mevotech, & one came w/a terribly bent end. The end that goes toward the rear differential. Not impressed by them or Rock Auto, either one.

 

[Fordgrl48]

Yeah, I kinda figured there was a reason these were so cheap.

Good news is I just checked, and it seems to have new(er) tie rods and sway bar end links. I'm just going to get the Moog stuff and save myself from having issues down the road.

We've used Detroit axle for a lot of front end parts on various Ford's, explorer f-150's, and have had no issue. Have a 99 on the road we redid front end, tie rods, control arms and ball joints about 100,000 miles ago!

 

[Fordgrl48]

@Fordgrl48

Any possibility you are employed by Detroit Axle? Port Huron to Detroit Axle in Ferndale = 56 miles.

Nope, work in home improvement. Just because I like the parts and live fairly close doesn't mean I work for them.