Febi vs Empi king pin kits

[wayne1230cars]

I recently ordered a king pin kit from Rock Auto. The photo of the part clearly showed it as “Febi.” What I received was an “Empi - made in China” part. I was less than thrilled and just not comfortable using this part for such a critical suspension part. Anyone used the Empi king pin kits? Would you use them or should I just send them back and use a better quality kit?

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1960 beetle
1970 beetle convertible

[[email protected]]

Measure them, and compare them to your reamer. The shop I used to work at had a dealer VW ream. It was adjusted to ream the bushing the correct size for a correct size pin, and worked perfectly for a long time with all manufacturers pins. All of a sudden the Brazilian/German pin kits, that were supposed to be the higher quality kits, started coming with pins that weren’t properly ground. The Empi kits had the only pins that fit properly to the proper reamed size bushing. As far as the materials of the pin/bushings, you won’t have a problem.

[Busstom]

I had a similar experience with those crooked bastards doing business as PartsGeek. The pics in my gallery tell the story, albeit for link pins. And the Chinese link pins wouldn't fit the Febi bushings already in my spindles (I had misplaced the Febi pins and needed to make the car a roller at the time...I wouldn't normally mix/match parts).

[Pruneman99]

It really bugs the crap out of me when they post a picture of the part, then send you something else. I went through this when trying to get a set of Mahle cam bearings. The picture showed Mahle, Silverline kept showing up in then mail... Multiple times. Each vendor gave me the same excuse: "We gave you a free upgrade". A free downgrade more like it.

IDK the quality of the EMPI link pin kit but I would complain to the seller.

[heimlich]

Rock Auto does that. I bought a bunch of parts shown as Febi since it looked like a good deal. I received EMPI. You can email them about it. They won't budge. They will just say it is for reference purposes. Typical bait and switch.

I learned my lesson and I went to order from them again. This time I asked them to verify the manufacturer of the part. They refused to do so.

Please send me a PM if this has happened to you.
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[scottyrocks]

So much for rockauto.
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch'

[glutamodo]

I'm surprised no one has called them CrockAuto…

I'm rather annoyed to learn of this sort of substitution, as I've dealt with them before, and always got exactly what was described.
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Andy T.


IMAGE NOTE: It has been noted that Chrome based browsers may have issues in displaying my vast image library, which use non-secure links and are on an FTP server. Images should still be viewable if the link is clicked though.
I do not know how to fix this. All I can say is it all works fine for me with what I use, Firefox.

[Pruneman99]

[Q-Dog]

I haven't used them for VW parts ... rather use one of our regular VW vendors. But I did use them once for some parts for my RV. There were several choices for the washer pump and filters I ordered, and I got exactly the parts I selected.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[Ovally]

Pruneman99 wrote :
""Not only does the picture show Febi, it says Febi in text. EMPI is not Febi, so the order wasn't fulfilled.""

I agree.They must deliver Febi!
But also remember : Febi Bilstein makes decent parts. Lots of Febi stuff is made in China these days, it isn't unusual.
As long as the end control / final inspection is OK, it's no problem.

Regards.
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VW Bug Oval 1953
VW Bug 1200 D motor
Porsche 911S MFI 1970
Mazda 929 Hardtop 1977
Mercedes SLC 180 Roadster 2018

[heimlich]

[wayne1230cars]

[splitjunkie]

With all of the good VW suppliers out there, I don't understand why anyone rolls the dice with these guys.
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Chris

You know, a lot of these scratches will buff right out... Jerry Seinfeld

[andk5591]

[splitjunkie]

[GBUCKLEY]

I now - this is an old thread. But, I just had the same experience before I ordered from RockAuto. Their Febi Bilstein ball joints (according to photo) were too cheap to believe, so I double checked.

Two responses

1. ===All of the information we have on the products we sell is listed on our website. Please see our Help page: Choosing a Part.

If you're not seeing the details you are looking for, we do not have them. That also means they are not important for fitment. The manufacturer always lists the details that will be important to determine if the part will fit your vehicle.===

2. ===We're sorry for any confusion. You will ALWAYS receive parts sourced directly from the manufacturer from which you order them.

Please do be aware: sometimes manufacturers buy parts from other manufacturers and re-sell them as their own. In doing so, they declare the quality of the part worthy of their name and stand behind the product with their warranty. We understand that it can be frustrating to find a different part inside the manufacturer's box, but please understand that we do not have control over manufacturer supply chains.
If you disagree with the manufacturer's purchasing decision, you may return the part for a refund of the part cost using our Order Status & Returns page.

For further information, please see our Help pages or click the link(s) below:

...the part I received looks like it was made by a different brand or company!
How do I view my return instructions?
How much does return shipping cost?
What is your return policy?====


I don't like it. Give me what I asked for, not what you think will fit. And who wants to deal with returns? However, if you buy with Paypal, they will reimburse for returns. Nice benefit!