drop links - Bongo Shop MAZDA V equivalent

[ronhud]

Looks like I will have to replace the near front drop link again - I did this about 10 months ago using the equivalent product from a local factor. That cost about £11 against £22 from the Bongo shop for what I assume is the genuine Mazda part. Has anyone else found the equivalent not to last very long - I noticed when I replaced that it didn't seem as sturdy as the original I removed.
Ron

[trevd01]

Ron

Our drop links are still going strong after 3 years in our ownership. I assume they are Mazda ones.

Am I right that people fit Vectra ones?

A Bongo AFT has a GVW of 2350kg, a Vauxhall Vectra 2000-2100kg depending on model, so thats only 10-15% less. But then maybe genuine Vectra ones would last longer than pattern parts.

[ronhud]

Trevor - I bought Vectra which were said on the forum to be interchangeable with the Mazda and in terms of the physical size, attachments etc they were. What I am wondering is whether it is a simple case of the Vectra not being up to it or whether the failure is due to some other problem - bit like referred pain!

Ron

[ronhud]

I dont know whether what I got from the factor was a genuine Vectra part.
Ron

[missfixit70]

Quite a few of us bought off ebay & have had to replace after less than a year, I suspect they were probably the vectra ones, at least if the Mazda ones fail after such short use you have some comeback, although the ebay seller did replace those that have failed, but I suspect the replacements won't last much longer

[mikeonb4c]

I seem to remember checking out genuine Mazda ones yonks ago and they were very dear. Given how quick it is to replace them after the first outing, you'd think it shold be worth using alternatives.

I fitted Vectra fronts in early 2008 and they appear to be still fine. I guess mileage and road surface quality are major variables though from owner to owner (plus driver style - I hate rattling the old girl through road repairs etc. and try and adjust my line to avoid them if possible).

[Peg leg Pete]

Got ours from Ian, they seem to be doing fine

[Veg_Ian]

I'm with Mike on this one. Replacing droplinks is an easy task. You could get 5 pairs of pattern parts for the price of the Mazda ones. You would be VERY unlucky to be changing them every year.

[ronhud]

Veg_Ian - I can see the vectra item on ebay at £4.99 but postage is £5.99 then £1 postage for each extra item. I dont want to buy 5 pairs - 1 pair would be ok, that is £17.97 against £44 post paid from the Bongo shop. A considerable saving if the ebay item doesn't fail after less than a year's use.

[westonwarrior]

Its not cosmetic though is it.. if they fail the steering etc would be affected. and what about insurance for not using proper parts?

[Veg_Ian]

The point I was trying to make is that non OEM parts are often better value for money. I've had dealer droplinks in the past that have failed after three years. There's no guarantee on them. I'm not advocating the cheapo stuff on ebay either. I can get a pair from my local factors, of known decent manufacture for considerably less than a Mazda dealer. If you do your own repairs then it's going to work out cheaper in the long run to use pattern parts. Having a garage change them is a different matter.

[westonwarrior]

I agree they are cheaper no doubt about that.

But if they come off a different car and are not made for such a heavy car can they fail in such a way to be dangerous?

they is enough debate about tyres being underrated by a few points yet putting drop links designed for a car 2/3 the weight of a bongo?

I put the cheaper ones on and had to change them after a year because they were breaking up What if they snapped?

Would an insurance assessor look and say its your own fault as you modified it with below spec parts.

I'm looking for answers here for my own knowledge as I just don't know

[Veg_Ian]

Put the OEM ones against the pattern ones and they look identical apart from maybe a plastic cap over the balljoints as opposed to metal. Same thickness bar etc. I'm pretty sure they aren't made from monkey metal either.

I can't say as I've ever heard of a droplink snapping and you are under no obligation to use Mazda parts so forget the insurance assessment angle. Remember that very often the same manufacturer supplies the same parts to dealers and to pattern distributers.

[trevd01]

I think this is a bigger issue that just with droplinks.

I wouldn't have a problem using a pattern part - after all Mazda probably don't make the droplinks, do they? OEM parts put into cars come from third party suppliers, and if you buy one from, say a Mazda dealer, it is the same part in a Mazda box.

When I was into Landrovers, almost everything was non-Landrover sourced, but the local non-Franchise Landrover centre based its reputation on the quality of it's parts. Some of them were better designed , or superior material replacements for parts poorly designed in the 1950's

The problem comes with inferior copy parts - not made from the same quality materials, maybe the tolerances are greater. This surely is at its worse when using copy parts from a different vehicle, like Vecta droplinks?
There have been similar threads on glowplugs not lasting. It is the same issue.

• If you buy cheap glowplugs from ebay and they fail, the worst that could happen is your van won't start (although they could melt into the combustion chambers I suppose).
• If you buy cheap brake pads and they fail, the worst that could happen is your van won't stop...

The difference in life of some of the parts people are buying seems huge. In three years we haven't had to replace brake pads, exhaust, glow-plugs, drop links, a single light bulb, or indeed any non service item. Not all of these things were new when we got the van. Now I know our mileage is far less than many people's, but even so there has got to be a reason.

I think Ronhud's point about 'referred pain' is a good one - worn parts elsewhere in the suspension system might cause droplinks to wear prematurely. I also have a sneaking suspicion that vans with big wheels with low-profile tyres, might pass more jolts to suspension parts, just like they do to passengers. Mrs D's Audi with 40 profile tyres on 17 inch wheels used to suffer from tyre problems with the potholed road leading up our hill. We changed the wheels to 16 inch with 50 profile tyres and the ride and tyre life has improved.


I know it's not always possible to say 'you get what you pay for', these days. What I am paying for when I buy a part locally that costs a bit more than on e-Bay, is the ability to take it back easily if it goes wrong, and providing support so that my local supplier will be there when I need them next in a hurry.

I buy a lot of books, and I buy a lot from Amazon, but although they are cheaper, they are the same book you would buy from your local bookshop. But that doesen't stop me being upset because our local bookshop (where I buy maybe 10% of my books) is closing down.

So I think you actually do get what you pay for more often than you think.

(Apologies for the rant)

[Veg_Ian]

I think that sums up the issue nicely Trevor - bravo!