NAPA ball joints, did I get screwed?

So I went to replace my 200K miles OEM lower ball joints on my 2001 4x4, trying to trouble shoot some really bad clunking and harshness when on rough roads. I saw a lot of reviews that Moog has fallen in quality and so I paid up and got NAPAs higher line of ball joints. Upon opening the first box, I was very impressed, a Japanese made OEM looking part-- sweet. Then the second box (smaller box BTW), looks like a Moog part. Did NAPA maybe start switching over, or worse did I get some ass-hats swap where they bought a $30 Moog and the $130'ish NAPA, did a switch and returned it?
Pics

 

.. what did the store manager say? I assume you called and asked if you got the wrong product in box #2, since the don't match and should be identical.

 

Maybe some enterprising young man bought a Moog and a Napa, used the more expensive item and put the cheap Moog ball joint in the Napa box and returned it for a payday.

 

Was far away from a NAPA and didn't have the time, was basically in a corner to just get it done.

Thats what I'm thinking, its a big jump from the quality of the one side vs the other, and just inline with my luck.

 

I'd call sooner than later, lest the shadow of doubt be cast on you instead of someone else.

Not many people are going to wait a week (for sake of my point) and then call and say they were sold the wrong part in the right box. Naw mean?

Napa down this way is pretty good to deal with, so hopefully you don't have any issues. I'd assume time is of the essence, though, and you'd likely have best kept your receipt.

 

Let us know if you get dicked around though, lot of competition in the parts houses my way at least, and if Napa gives you any shenanigans in this situation it'd be nice to hear of it so I can avoid them.

 

Already installed haha- already had the suspension off and know its a part they do not stock (wouldn't be a quick trip to NAPA and a swap), the OEM joints a little questionable and decided to eat the difference vs. put it all back together, bicker with NAPA etc- the joys of not being a starving student anymore, I can shrug this stuff off better than in the past.

 

Bummer! On the positive side, you'll get to see which BJ fails first. Maybe you'll be surprised!

 

Yeah, that would be my contribution here, its a good eval of what looks to be OEM or near OEM vs. Chinese Moog.

Right off the bat, the OEM 555 part had easy movement, the Moog very very stiff, the 555's rubber boot flexible and simply looks like it could take repeated flexing and the Moog's (assuming its a Moog "problem solver" from other pics) boot very stiff, just didn't look like it will cycle much before failing. The initial fit and finish is already a huge difference. I had a long trip and some off roading on some desert fire roads the next day, hence wanting to just get the swap done knowing NAPA doesn't carry these ball joints in stock, have to order it and wait a day or two. Will see how either side fairs over time. Overall the truck felt a bit better but still some knocking/harshness issues-- I took a pry bar to the LCAs to flex the bushings and IMO there was way too much easy movement, so my next mod is swap out those bushings. By the time I'm done I should have just gotten an LT kit.

 

This may help along with post #42 in the same thread.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/check-your-ball-joints.374853/page-2#post-10284167

 

So I'm usually an OEM buying guy, but when I found a lot of 'noise' on various Toyota parts websites for part numbers- meaning they had multiple part numbers that fit my application, I tapped out and wen the NAPA route-- hindsight I should have forged through and found the applicable joint part numbers and ordered OEM.

 

I just replaced my 200k oem ball joints for moogs. Can u show us some pics of the old oem ball joints ?

 

I kept them as they didn't seem that worn out (good backups), so can do- but in the mean time they pretty much look like the balljoint to the right in the picture I posted, and like the 555 balljoints in the thread Dirty Pool linked.

Its a shame, from the research I did it sounds like at one time Moog was really good and as close to OEM as you could get shy of just going OEM, but it sounds like they got bought out by a larger Chinese company and the parts went to sh*t right after that.

 

When I was searching online for ball joints I saw that AC-DELCO,if I m not mistaking, sells moog.

$57 ACDelco Professional 45D2267 Front Driver Side Lower Suspension Ball Joint Assembly

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...s+ac+delco&dpPl=1&dpID=41Fd2Vk7pVL&ref=plSrch

 

That one linked looks like a higher quality one with the 555, it looks like the 'good' NAPA one I got-- I really really overpaid with NAPA, Amazon for now on...

 

Did you ever get this figured out? Ordered the left right ACDelco set from Amazon and they look just like yours.

 

I went to the Amazon link and put in my truck info and it says these will not fit. But the google web & even eBay says they are the correct part numbers. My truck is a 98 ex cab 4 cyl 4wd. Can anyone confirm either way if these are the right part numbers listed on Amazon?

Driver-

$57 45D2267 Front Driver Side Lower Suspension Ball Joint Assembly

45D2267
Pass-

$71 45D2266 Front Passenger Side Lower Suspension Ball Joint Assembly

45D2266
Ball Joints- 45D0116

 

I confirmed the lower ball joint numbers on AC Delco's site as well as Rock Auto.

 

Awesome, Thank you!

 

Reviving old thread , recently been looking for some lower ball joints for my 2004 tacoma and moogs are shown to be made in Japan now ?