Difference between Motorcraft and OEM brake pads?

$45 ?

LOL!!

I wish I could give you an answer other than "the parts man gets more money". About a year ago the parts man had to have parts in for an immediate fix. He could get Motorcraft ball joints in a couple hours, but the OEM would take a couple of days. He was pretty miffed that we had to use Motorcraft. Also on the ball joints, the Motorcraft had grease zerks, the OEM parts did not. They were obviously made at a different factory.

Friction material.... I have no idea what the difference is between OEM and MC..... Motorcraft pads are what is known as a "consumer" pad. We use them in the shop and have good results. I am sure that the "OEM" pads will be designed for quiet operation and "decent" wear.

Like furniture, food, medication, tools and God knows what else, there is an expectancy that end price will have some indication regarding quality (for astute shoppers, at least). You can pay a high price for cheap crap masquerading as "good" and receive an unpleasant surprise... or you can cheap out at the beginning and get exactly what you paid for.

I dunno, on our work vehicles, the shop manager swears by the OEM parts, and won't repair with anything else. when he gets aftermarkets, he sends them back and waits for oems... guess thats why i had to wait 4 months for front springs... hmmm

$45

Hey Mortimer it's me Charlie MaCarthy! How you been you old splinter. Boy Candance sure went to hell did she? I remember when she gave me wood.

OEM is that ford for owe them?

"sanpablo" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@news.verizon.net...

The OEM Parts would be latest version of the parts installed on the manufacturing line at the Ford assembly plant. The Motorcraft Parts are parts that were sourced by the Motorcraft division for sale to the aftermarket. The aftermarket is very price competitive, so Motorcraft must purchase the parts from the lowest cost supplier that can meets the specification that Motorcraft sets up. Are they the same as the original specification that the Ford vehicle engineering set for the OEM pads? Maybe, maybe not. Warranty costs are a big concern for vehicle engineering, so it is likely they are very careful about things like squealing and pulsing and not so concerned about long term life. The vehicle engineers also have to make sure that the OEM pads meet federal safety standards. The standards also apply to the aftermarket pads, but not in exactly the same way. The OEM and Motorcraft pads might be exactly the same in some cases and completely different in others. However, because of the way the parts are purchased and handled, even if they are the same part, they can have substantially different costs to a dealer. OEM parts are priced differently. I know my local Ford dealer actually owns part of a large wholesale parts operation that handles Motorcraft, Mopar, and AC-Delco aftermarket parts. A group of dealer set up the wholesale operation so that they could get the best price on Motorcraft, AC-Delco and Mopar aftermarket parts. Instead of ordering Motorcraft parts from Ford Parts and Service, they have them ordered by the wholesale operation and they get a lower price. Sort of like the way Wal*Mart can sell Motorcraft Oil Filters for a lower price than most shops or even dealers can buy them from Ford.

Personally, for the cost, I buy the OEM pads. They usually come with new clips, while the aftermarket (Motorcraft) pads often don't. $45 sounds like a lot, but over 50,000 miles it is less than a tenth of a cent per mile. Compared to $3 gas, it is a non-factor.

Ed

Personally I would go with top of the line replacement pads like the Raybestos ThermoQuiet or Wagner QuietStop pads. I've had excellent results with both lines on a variety of vehicles.

John