We are always telling you that Safety is our #1 priority! Here is just one of the ways we advocate for our customers and refuse to cut corners that compromise your safety…
Have you ever wondered how aftermarket sheet metal parts are manufactured? One way is, when an original equipment manufacturer, like Ford, Chevy, Honda, etc. makes their replacement parts, they create a die, which is used to stamp out the metal. It’s used at the factory until it is deemed no longer within specifications. They then sell the die to the aftermarket parts manufacturer, to then stamp out more, even though they will be slightly off.
Yes there might be a FEW in the beginning of aftermarket production that will still be pretty true to originals, but the die has already been used to capacity when it is sold to the aftermarket parts manufacturer. After a while, everything is just off… the holes, the curves, the lines. These are important not only for safety but also for the overall look of your vehicle.
We have two aftermarket part vendors that will no longer sell parts to us due to our high rate of returns. You see, on the rare occasion we order an aftermarket replacement part, we don’t just bolt it on and keep moving. We weigh it, if it doesn’t weigh the same as the original part, we return it!
Why?, you might ask, well when your car was built it was very carefully engineered to be in perfect balance. A replacement part of different weight would throw that balance off. Or what about aftermarket parts where the holes just don’t quite line up, we return it! Because of insurance company relations and the fact that they are measured by how many aftermarket parts are used, some shops will just slot new holes to make it fit. We return it! How about a fender that lines up perfectly at the hood but by the time you get to the bumper, the gap is 3 times wider? Nope, we return it!
Just some of the things we do to put aftermarket parts to the test BEFORE putting them on a vehicle include weighing the part, visual inspection which includes verifying the stamp marks, fit & finish, and that body lines & waves line up.
Sometimes it is even necessary to bolt on the part to complete the visual inspection.
When we say Safety is our #1 priority, we REALLY mean it!
