Hi Everyone,

We have found an alternative source of G-Wagen CV kits from a US based company by the name of Interparts. We have two of the kits here and the quality seems to be satisfactory when compared side by side to the GKN product. We did test fittings with factory MB hubs and everything went together very well. That being said, does anyone have any experience with the Interparts products?

http://interparts.com/

This is a link to their online web store based in the UK:

http://www.partsinabox.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_12v_110Kw_08_84_08_89_Suv__4X4__4402.html

I'm looking for any and all feedback on this product, as we would like to know of any shortcomings before we add it to our inventory. FWIW, the kits are manufactured in China and that's the reason for my post concerning quality issues.

These kits would retail for around $80 per side with the boot, hardware and grease included.

Thanks,

-Sean Philyaw

Forgot to mention that these are for non-ABS G's.

-SP

EuroTruck Importers, LLC.

Hi Thomas,

The manufacturer's info is below. I fixed the links so that they are now clickable.

Thanks,

-Sean

I agree on the ISO certification. That does lend a certain amount of credibilty to the product.

A few photos for comparison sake. Interparts CV joint on the left and the GKN CV joint on the right.

Feedback is welcomed.

-Sean

(CV Photos 004 Small.jpg)

(CV Photos 005 Small.jpg)

(CV Photos 007 Small.jpg)

(CV Photos 010 Small.jpg)

CV Photos 004 Small.jpg (33KB - 7 downloads)

CV Photos 005 Small.jpg (34KB - 11 downloads)

CV Photos 007 Small.jpg (42KB - 7 downloads)

CV Photos 010 Small.jpg (45KB - 7 downloads)

There are lots of ISO certs, but if they're talking 9000, or 9001, all that means is that they have procedures for doing things.  The gist of it is, "They say what they'll do, and they do what they say".  There's nothing at all to stop them from using those procedures to turn out CV joints with glass-brittle cages, or butter-soft races.  The 9k cert just means that what you'll get will be consistently what the procedures are designed to produce, not that the parts are particularly spiffy or suited to the job.

It's not a relilable measure, but for whatever reason the induction hardening appears to be deeper on the GKN joint than on the Chinese one (blue ring is farther from the inner surface)  That could mean darned near anything as far as suitability for service goes, just an observation.

-Dave G.

Ben,

That is the type of information that I was hoping to see from someone with first hand knowledge of their product line.

I really appreciate it.

Thanks,

-Sean P.

This is an email that I received from the Interparts Quality Manager based in New York.

I'm also checking on pricing for W463 CV kits for use with ABS and pricing for the CV boots alone. I'll revert when I know more.

Thanks,

-Sean P.

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That sounds good Sean.  You should see if you can get a tour of their facilities some time.  It would be some neat operations to see.  Machining, polishing, induction hardening.  Good gear-head stuff. 

Thanks for taking the time to do this kind of work.  It would be plenty easy to "just" be a supplier of "gray boxes", but you're doing that really well AND going the extra mile developing alternative sources for stuff like CVs and drive shafts.  I can't tell you how much it pleases me that you're moving the G support in the USA farther in the last year than it was done in the previous 20.  At least with regard to parts availability at prices that can let someone other than rap stars own G-wagens for the long haul.

Thanks again,

-Dave G.