Spent the past couple of days working on a tender for a customer , and was rather concerned at the lead times being quoted for what would normally be regarded as standard products for industrial/automotive use.I will not bore you with the finer points of trying to get prices/deliveries from some well known companies , suffice it to say that I was definitely underwhelmed by the response from one "market leader", who took 2 days to respond to URGENT enquiries , only to say that they were unable to read some of the items on my original enquiry,and would be unable to meet the deadline of our quote.
Some "standard" bearings and related products are becoming very scarce globally ( and not just due to problems in Japan).In fact , some products have a lead-time of over 18 months.This will cause a knock on effect to both new cars , and aftermarket components. Bad enough , but this is compounded by the fact that counterfeit products, poorly made, and sometimes potentially dangerous , are finding their way to the market place. Sourcing of quality product is therefore essential to ensure safety and reliability . There are well documented cases of bearings being "remanufactured", or "branded" , and I have also heard of brake pads/linings being made from poor quality products, passed off as being O.E.M. brands. When buying components which may affect the safety of your car , please ensure you are getting genuine product. If you are offered something that seems too cheap, you may be buying a dangerous counterfeit.Stay safe.
Some "standard" bearings and related products are becoming very scarce globally ( and not just due to problems in Japan).In fact , some products have a lead-time of over 18 months.This will cause a knock on effect to both new cars , and aftermarket components. Bad enough , but this is compounded by the fact that counterfeit products, poorly made, and sometimes potentially dangerous , are finding their way to the market place. Sourcing of quality product is therefore essential to ensure safety and reliability . There are well documented cases of bearings being "remanufactured", or "branded" , and I have also heard of brake pads/linings being made from poor quality products, passed off as being O.E.M. brands. When buying components which may affect the safety of your car , please ensure you are getting genuine product. If you are offered something that seems too cheap, you may be buying a dangerous counterfeit.Stay safe.