Spicer vs moog parts?

[C&C Chevy]

Going to starting gathering parts for a front end rebuild this fall (lower temps!). Going to buy my stuff through RockAuto.com. I was dead set on all moog parts (except for control arm bushings), but they also have Spicer parts available too. I have heard good things about them and even a few that said they were better than the moog parts. Are the problem solver parts really better or what?

[ocbaud]

i'll be buying moog for any parts i cant get from energy suspension. havent heard of spicer before. i plan on doing this same thing before the end of the year. maybe when its my turn you can come over and help me out

[C&C Chevy]

I may wait till the new year then, so you can help me!

Just doing some price checking and the difference isn't really that great. The moog parts look exactly like the spicer parts. Really want to know what the "problem solver" tag is supposed to be...

[ocbaud]

Originally Posted by C&C Chevy

I may wait till the new year then, so you can help me!

Just doing some price checking and the difference isn't really that great. The moog parts look exactly like the spicer parts. Really want to know what the "problem solver" tag is supposed to be...

i'll only help you if you decide on an altitude adjustment at the same time

would look real good with the new wheels

[454HO]

This says absolutely nothing about the parts in question... just some additional information to chew on.

Moog is a brand name of Federal-Mogul. Spicer is a brand name for Dana. Both companies are operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

http://www.fmoclaims.com/

http://www.dana.com/reorganization/



Okay, now to your question. I've always used Moog front end parts because that is what my local O'Reilly store stocks. I have ordered Moog front end parts from RockAuto before too, but you never know exactly what you will get. It seems the same Moog part number can come from different factories or at least from different casting molds.

An example is the lower ball joints on my truck. I ordered them from RockAuto. When I got them, the boxes looked a little different, but they had the same part number. I open them up, and one ball joint is knurled where it goes thru the control arm, the other is smooth. I call RockAuto to ask why they sent 2 different parts, and they said something to the affect that design changes or revisions to the parts is why sometimes they are different. They probably sent an old stock part with a new stock part. I could have sent the parts back, but decided to save the hastle and just used them. They both fit fine.

Now had I bought these ball joints locally at O'Reilly, I would have looked at the part right then and there and made sure I got two that looked the same. And if they didn't have two identical parts in the store, they can get them from the local wharehouse in a day - no charge.

As for 'Problem Solver', that basically means the part should exceed OEM design specs. Things like larger bearing surfaces, thicker castings, stonger materials, higher durameter rubber, etc.

[C&C Chevy]

Originally Posted by ocbaud

i'll only help you if you decide on an altitude adjustment at the same time

Oh, ya, I have 2.5" drop spindles and 4" drop leafs sitting in the garage as I type...

454, thanks for the info. I'll stop by the local orielly's and see what they got.

[gchemist]

My truck destroyed two sets of u-joints before I installed a Spicer. The spicer is bigger. I have no beef about putting my foot in it.

[quickpm]

I didn't think Spicer made suspension parts. I thought they were only in the driveline (ujoints, etc..) biz. I'm a Moog guy for ball joints and tie rods unless I'm desperate. Spicer definitely for ujoints.

[canadianc-10]

i have all spicer parts in my front end. they also make the cheapo autostore brand types, i forget the name mine were.

[Slonaker]

Originally Posted by C&C Chevy

Oh, ya, I have 2.5" drop spindles and 4" drop leafs sitting in the garage as I type

If you want to see what it will look like, see my pics. That's the setup I have.

IMHO, it needs to go another inch lower in the front. It sits dead level, but the difference in fenderwell heights front to back makes it look like the front sits higher than the back.

Slonaker

[C&C Chevy]

Originally Posted by Slonaker

If you want to see what it will look like, see my pics. That's the setup I have.

IMHO, it needs to go another inch lower in the front. It sits dead level, but the difference in fenderwell heights front to back makes it look like the front sits higher than the back.

Slonaker

Ya, I want it to sit level, but your right about the fender openings being different heights. I have a brand new set of front springs to put on to at the same time. Probably cut a coil out to make it sit right?

I just looked at your pic page. So the bottom pic is 2.5"/4" drop, right? If so, I'll defenitely want to look into getting the front another 1" or so.

[jermasaurus]

Originally Posted by canadianc-10

i have all spicer parts in my front end. they also make the cheapo autostore brand types, i forget the name mine were.

Spicer, in my opinion, is top of the line. I believe their cheap brand is called "silver brand"
-Jeremy

[jsbgump]

They are both very good products. I have sold both in the past. Spicer/dana make some called perfect circle I believe that I have had under my 68 for 8 years now with no probs. Moog is also very good. It just comes down to personal preferance. Moog will also cost more than the spicer

[78chev]

Don't know if it's relevant but I bought Moog ball joints for my 99 Cougar, installed and torqued them to spec. set out on my way from Minneapolis to Indianapolis to see a Formula 1 race. got to Menomine Wisconsin when the steering wheel got really loose, so I pulled over and discovered that all 3 nuts had fallen off and I was hanging on by a thread (not good on I-94 doing about 95mph) so I found a shop to weld the nuts on and made it to the race.
The ball joints were good quality but the whole situation left a bad taste in my mouth for Moog.
I know a little common sense would've told me to locktite them but I had planned on (and eventually did) making tube control arms so I wanted to be able to break down the whole setup easily and the Moog instructions specifically said that I didn't need any kind of thread locker.

[Slonaker]

Originally Posted by C&C Chevy

Ya, I want it to sit level, but your right about the fender openings being different heights. I have a brand new set of front springs to put on to at the same time. Probably cut a coil out to make it sit right?

I just looked at your pic page. So the bottom pic is 2.5"/4" drop, right? If so, I'll defenitely want to look into getting the front another 1" or so.

The top pic is 2.5/0, the bottom is 2.5/4. It has brand new stock springs up front. If it had old springs, it would probably sit about right. People around here say cutting 1 coil is about a 2" drop.

Slonaker