Beefy Parts: The Benefits of Buying Chunkier Aftermarket Components
Why Do Beefy Parts Exist?
OE manufacturers are cutting weight to reduce costs and improve on fuel economy to comply with CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) restrictions. Watch the on-demand webinar to see how light-weighting vehicles has led to a compromise in the durability and service life of suspension components, and what Mevotech has done to address this issue.
How Does Mevotech Beef Up Parts?
We analyze the parts for any potential weaknesses in the design, and then we engineer robust parts with thicker, tougher materials to perform stronger and stay on the road longer.
Chunkier Control Arms
A good example of a beefy part is our Ram 1500 (2009-2016) control arm, below, with a solid forged design versus the OE design with hollowed out stamped steel.
Another good example is our beefy control arm for Ford F-150 (2004-2016) applications, which weighs around 9lbs, while the OE control arm design started out at 7.5lbs in 2004 and now weighs around 5lbs. Plus, our control arm has upgraded bushings, sintered metal bearings (not plastic) and an 18-25% thicker structure to increase stiffness and add strength.
Bigger Ball Pin Spheres
Mevotech ball pins have a greater diameter to increase durability. The bigger sphere also reduces contact pressure between the bearing and the pin by spreading the load over a larger area. The result is a part that will have a longer service life.
Larger Ball Joint Flanges
Mevotech ball joints are built with larger flanges to provide additional strength and stiffness, reduce the likelihood of housing deformation during installation and facilitate the use of a wider range of ball joint installation tools.
Thicker Stabilizer Link Forging
While a typical OE stabilizer link will have a 9mm connecting rod, TTX™ stabilizer links have a 15mm rod with hex forging to make sure the part is as solid as possible.
Why Do We Do What We Do?
Aftermarket vehicles have a different geometry than when they first rolled off the lot, and they require replacement parts capable of withstanding greater forces. Strong, beefy components are more durable and last longer on aging vehicles. While weight and cost are continuously being cut from new vehicle suspension systems, Mevotech aftermarket parts are engineered with X-Factor upgrades for stiffness, durability and longevity. Watch the on-demand webinar to find out more.
