Rear Diff. Bearings- Where should I Order from?

1282 Views 14 Replies 6 Participants Last post by nthorn, Oct 5, 2017

MI_nissan_kid

Discussion Starter · Sep 25, 2017 (Edited)

Hey guys, I need to replace some bearings in the diff. on my 2004 Frontier 4x4.

Who is the best source to buy from? Rock Auto if they have them? My mechanic would like to buy direct from the local Nissan dealer, but I am guessing the cost will be more for bearings.

Do you guys have a good online part source?

Need help, and appreciate the response.

Thanks!

Is the John Lee Nissan parts online a credible source for parts?

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Junior9

· #5 · Sep 26, 2017 (Edited)

If you're looking for someone to vouch for Rockauto, I will. Are most of their parts from China? Yes. I've bought parts from them for Nissan, GM, and Ford for the past 2-3 years and haven't had any fail. Have I been uneasy about it? Yes. Most recently I bought a new tranny pan for a Ford 4r70w and felt somewhat guilty that it was made in China. But, big picture, who cares? It fits exactly and was cheaper. And let's face it, even though our trucks are made here their foreign owned with foreign parts so does it really matter? Unless you have a bunch of money and care about politics I wouldn't worry about it. Mechanics like to back their work with warranties which is a fancy way of saying, "use our parts so we can add a mark up."

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Junior9

· #7 · Sep 26, 2017 (Edited)

smj999smj said:
I have no problem using a lot of Rockauto's part; they are the same as you get from the local auto parts store, just better selection and cheaper prices. As far as the "made in China," that has more to do with the part manufacturers than it does with Rockauto. Nissan uses Timken and NOK bearings in most of their vehicles.

Agreed. They give you a good choice for an informed decision. However, I care about politics but my wallet doesn't. I'd rather not buy Chinese parts because of political reasons but I always end up doing it anyway. I beat myself up for it though. But, Rockauto is very up front about their purchasing. They buy closeouts, discontinued items, etc. If you have standards and your wallet allows it, I wouldn't buy from them. But I do and they're my goto source so I'll just STFU.

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Junior9

· #13 · Sep 28, 2017

smj999smj said:
I've bought literally hundreds of parts from Rockauto over the years...and I do have standards as to what parts I purchase. The only problem I've had with their parts is one time when I purchased a set of closeout struts for a Trans-AM and they were old and one was seized, however, they took them back and refunded my money without any question. Rockauto doesn't do anything different than any of the other major part stores. I once new a guy that worked with AC Delco. Did you ever wonder why an AC Delco part, like an alternator, sells for so much cheaper at a store like Advance Auto Parts than it does at a dealer? He told me that whenever the came across an alternator that failed testing on the line, they would pull a given number of alternators made before and after the failed part and sell those of to stores like Advance Auto and Autozone. There may or may not be anything wrong with those other alternators, but it does limit the chances of a defective part ending up in one of their preferred sellers, like GM dealerships. You get what you pay for...or, at least, hope to!
I prefer not to buy Chinese parts, too, but when even brands like Moog start selling parts under their name that were made in China, it can sometimes be a challenge to find parts that weren't made there...and even harder to find parts that were made in the USA. For example, just try to find a radiator (other than all-aluminum performance radiators) that isn't made in China. You might find one that is made in Vietnam, Indonesia or Korea...but will be hard-pressed to find one that is made in North America. Even most of Canada's Spectra Premium radiators are sourced from China. I'm not saying this is something I am happy about, but it is the current state of affairs.

Agreed. You're a good man, Charlie Brown.

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