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Spare parts for cars and trucks are bound to be needed throughout a vehicle’s lifetime; their components can break down over time due to wear and tear. Choosing replacement parts can be difficult, but people are often faced with the options of using OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts or Aftermarket parts. But what is the difference between the two? 

All parts will show levels of wear but in terms of quality and robustness, which is equivalent to a brand new part. Our team at Graphfor Ltd have put together a guide that will help individuals and businesses choose the right replacement parts for their vehicles. 

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Parts

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Parts are made by the original manufacturing company for the specific vehicle; they are sold by the original manufacturer instead of being branded by the car companies to then be resold. Vehicle manufacturers very often don’t make many of the parts they use to assemble their vehicles, as they will buy the vehicle parts from a large network of manufacturers who make vehicle parts based on the specifications of major companies. 

A lot of people assume that OEM parts are more expensive than aftermarket because they are considered to be of better quality. Although sometimes, there is a negligible difference between the parts. Using these parts means you may be able to worry less about voiding any warranty on your vehicle. 

Aftermarket Parts

The confusion surrounding aftermarket parts is due to the variety in quality and price. In a lot of cases, they may outperform OEM parts due to the manufacturing companies analysing parts and identifying faults; they will then improve the design with higher quality materials and revised designs. 

Since there are thousands of aftermarket suppliers, there will be different variations of the same part, more aftermarket sellers means there is a better variety of prices and models.

Checks are done to ensure the aftermarket parts have a standardisation stamp; this will guarantee the standard of quality that is needed from the particular parts. 

Advice from Graphfor Ltd

At Graphfor Ltd, we source gaskets from our sister company Catalytic Support Systems, which are the OEM for leading truck brands. This means that although some of our gaskets are aftermarket, we are aware of the quality and high standards that OEM parts must meet. Our engineering team are able to reverse engineer gaskets to meet the exact specifications of the original. Our customers can rest assured that they are getting OEM quality gaskets at aftermarket prices.

If you would like more information about OEM and Aftermarket Vehicle parts, please contact Graphfor Ltd.