Aftermarket LBJ Success Stories?

Random question. Probably better for the lunch table thread but here we go.

We all know OEM is the ONLY way to go with LBJs. But has anyone had long-term success with aftermarkets?? This excludes the old MOOGs because in the past they made quality parts. Just general curiosity.

 

It's a fair question, but I guess I would have to ask 'why would you'?
Right now, it would cost me $218.70 for both sides OEM. With the cotter pin and castle nut. Total shipped. Are the aftermarket ones really that much cheaper?
Unless you are talking about ones that are functionally different, like the Total Chaos or whatever they are called?

 

No I’m with you, OEM is all I’d buy. Just curiosity. You see failure after failure all the time but surely someone has skirted by due to statistics. I just was curious if it was luck of the draw, did they have a meticulous PM/equipment check system on the aftermarket LBJ, etc

 

5 years and about 55K miles on some TRW LBJs. Replaced with OEM last year. After I pulled them off, passenger side definitely had play between the ball and cup. They were sealed joints like OEM too. I don't think they would've made it to 100K like I expect OEM will.

 

I ran some moog or Mevotech or some shit from Rockauto for many years. I thought my steering rack was going bad the way it dragged and hung. Front end was clunky sometimes too. When I pulled them and replaced with OEM it was night and day. Tight, smooth and I no longer leave a little tent in the leather when I drive. My 40k mile off brand LBJs were shot. Boots were disintegrating and the joints had major play in them. Absolutely luck of the draw I didn’t experience a total failure. OEM or die

 

I just removed my Moogs for the TC uniball conversion. They have zero play and weren’t doing anything funny on the truck, but decided to do the upgrade given how hard I beat the truck now that it’s caged. I’m going to cut these open when I get some time to see if there is any excess wear. .

 

How many miles on them?

 

About 12k, with 4k of that being hard desert miles.

 

Wow. It’s looking like 50k is roundabout what you can expect maximum from aftermarkets. And that seems more rare than not

 

I’d be curious to know how much you could get out of them but the safety risk isn’t worth it