I ordered 2 AC Delco rotors from Rock Auto about 1½ weeks ago, just showed up today. I wasn't really expecting made in USA but I sure the piss wasn't expecting made in China either.
China or Mexico, I think thats usually where the new stuff comes from. Not sure if its true AC Delco as its own manufacturer from wha I hear doesnt exist anymore. Its said to be lowest bidder parts in an AC Delco box.
"AC-Delco In 1974, in an effort to streamline its operations and marketing, General Motors merged the AC Spark Plug with United Delco, which for years had been selling to the same customers, to create the new AC-Delco.
ACDelco By the mid-1990s there were further changes to the division. In 1994, Delco-Remy, part of the division since 1916, was spun off to private investors and is now known as Remy International, Inc. Also in 1994, GM created Automotive Components Group to run Delco Electronics. ACG was later renamed Delphi and spun off from GM in 1999. GM retained the AC Delco name. 1995 saw a re-branding of AC-Delco. The hyphen was dropped and ACDelco received a new logo and marketing initiative."
Yes, I have bought AC Delco parts that are labeled "made in Mexico" too. I have bought Reatta ABS wheel sensors that were marked "Made in Japan". You know, a lot of parts mfgrs are doing this. Speaking of Rockauto, I bought a flywheel (Sachs brand) for only $30 bucks. Sachs is an original supplier for Porsche, Audi, BMW, etc. $30 bucks? Sweet! Well, until I received it in the mail and expected it to be stamped "Made in Germany" on the back. Nope! It was made in China.
All A/C Delco parts are now outsourced. The quality is no better than anything else made by cheap unskilled Chinese labor.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Powerlog manifold, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
I don't think you can get Made-in-USA rotors for any vehicle nowadays, regardless of brand name on the box, unless they've been sitting on the shelf for a long time. Its all China now.
I stopped buying anything ACDelco. It seems everything I buy from that brand fails shortly. I bought shocks and they started leaking, spark plugs caused stumbling problems, floor jack that stopped lifting after a few uses, etc.
I don't think you can get Made-in-USA rotors for any vehicle nowadays, regardless of brand name on the box, unless they've been sitting on the shelf for a long time. Its all China now.
Found this on another forum:
"My prepping buddy has been trying diligently to find a set of American made brake rotors. Guess what? They don't exist. Nope.
Brembo, Raybestos, SSBC, Baer, nobody casts rotors in the USA anymore. There are only two brake rotor foundries in the world. One in England (I think they make rotors for European rides) and the other is in China.
Every big name brake company as well as dealerships has readily admitted that all castings come from China. The only "American" component of this whole sham is that some of the rotors are "machined" in the US. Some are machined in China and others in Mexico.
Which China makes rotors, you will notice that they are lighter. However, the thickness of the rotors is the same as an OEM, however, the Chinese models make the air-cooling vanes wider and remove more surface material from each side which is what causes the warping and thus causes your brakes to shutter when applied."
"The United States foundry and metal castings industry is literally falling apart. Hundreds of foundries have gone out business in recent years due to unrelenting pressure from cheap imports, the departure of large manufacturers and skyrocketing costs of raw materials. "This industry is in deep trouble," says Charles Kurtti, president of the American Foundry Society.
Two of the nation's largest cast parts makers -- Citation Corp. with 17 foundries and 5,100 employees, and Intermec with 17 foundries and 6,000 employees -- have recently filed for bankruptcy protection.
Six of the top 10 foundries in the United State have filed for bankruptcy protection over the past three years, according to the American Foundry Society.
About 50 foundries are closing in the United States each year. Over the past 20 years more than 1,000 foundries have disappeared, a contraction of 30 percent to just 2,380 foundries. There are an estimated 12,000 foundries in China.
The foundries that are closed are never expected to be reopened and the accumulated loss of skills and knowledge will be difficult to regain. "When these jobs leave this country, we will never see them come back," says Kurtti.
"He went into a state-owned facility and looked around and saw all kinds of brand new equipment and said to the managers of the facility, 'Boy, this is really a very modern and very well-equipped facility.' The Chinese foundry manager said, 'Oh, yes. It's very easy. If we see new equipment we want we tell our government, they give us the money to buy it and we don't even have to pay it back."
Originally posted by 2.5: Brembo, Raybestos, SSBC, Baer, nobody casts rotors in the USA anymore. There are only two brake rotor foundries in the world. One in England (I think they make rotors for European rides) and the other is in China.
EBC are made in the UK, and they make rotors and pads for pretty much everything.
from 1973 on when I worked at the GM factory we had a painter who had to be the most talented free hand painter I have ever met painted his work locker,
"The spirit of America has move to Mexico!"
Now I bet it reads,
"The spirit of America has moved to China!"
and they have no idea what American specs are and don't care to follow them, ask anyone who buys steel just how close to American specifications for it is. they are so bad I put a set on my Suburban and they warpepd within a year, turned them and they warped within 6 months.
How's that NAFTA feel now folks, me personally I like too be kissed when I get fkd up the ass, like our American manufacturers are doing now and have been doing for decades, more money for those at the top and no one below has even kept up with inflation.
But hey its the American way, everyone at the top has to make millions a year yet the rest of us get it right up the old poop shoot.
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
It is astronomically cheaper to cast parts in China/Taiwan. At my work we've found out that is cheaper to cast a part in Taiwan, have them machine it, and ship it all the way here than it is to have the same piece laser cut and bent locally.
The castings from Taiwan were actually quite nice.
I was watching a Shark tank episode a few months ago and an inventor was on from Tennessee who had a unique invention for a pickup truck bed. The Sharks were ready to bankroll him until he said he refused to have it made in China, he wanted to have it produced here to create jobs here.
I was watching a Shark tank episode a few months ago and an inventor was on from Tennessee who had a unique invention for a pickup truck bed. The Sharks were ready to bankroll him until he said he refused to have it made in China, he wanted to have it produced here to create jobs here.
And that is the reason why America is failing. We are coming down to the point where we have absolutely no gross national product. And the stuff we do have no one wants. For one I'm willing to bet that not a lot of you know that America does not make a TV anymore. the last 2 businesses that made TV's are Zenith and RCA which no longer make TV's if even still in business at all, No one wants our Vehicles, Why? Because where Ford GM and Mopar built an OK truck, Nissan And Toyota did it better.
just about the only thing in my eyes that America is still doing right is building semi's (peterbilt and kenworth) and there on there way out to
[This message has been edited by pontiackid86 (edited 05-14-2014).]
pontiackid86,Have you driven a Nissan or Toyota truck and any American made truck to compere the deference in quality, gas milage ,power,payload,and ride to justify that they are better? Our trucking Co. has had every make and model over 30 years in biz, and we still have the 15 year old chevy the 12 year old dodge and ford .The 02 Toyota gone, 2 Nissans gone due to pour gas mileage and reliability.
pontiackid86,Have you driven a Nissan or Toyota truck and any American made truck to compere the deference in quality, gas milage ,power,payload,and ride to justify that they are better? Our trucking Co. has had every make and model over 30 years in biz, and we still have the 15 year old chevy the 12 year old dodge and ford .The 02 Toyota gone, 2 Nissans gone due to pour gas mileage and reliability.
Yes I have, the Nissan is really nice but its more of a weekend warrior than it is a work truck. but, Having driven various years of the big 3's trucks I must say that the tundra beats them out by a mile. they can all pull just about the same, the tundra kills them all in fuel MPG. also you are comparing older American trucks to older Nissan and Toyota trucks. I'm taking about modern day where the US is more worried about there carbon foot print than getting the job done.
..like our American manufacturers are doing now and have been doing for decades, more money for those at the top and no one below has even kept up with inflation.
But hey its the American way, everyone at the top has to make millions a year yet the rest of us get it right up the old poop shoot.
Steve
But for those foundaries in my other post (2004 article) it didnt sound like there was alot of choice when they went under. Cheap imported products drove demand down for the American made. Like I was saying.. a global economy, a global marketplace. The competition is not set up to even compare. It seems China's government pays to move their machine forward, at the expense of freedom, working conditions, safety, etc.
I've always found it ironic that we have an embargo on Cuba while we give most favored nation trading status to communist China. Big corporations have sold out our economy, that's capitalism without patriotism folks. Push wages down so that consumers are forced to buy the cheap Chinese goods and move all production overseas for the cheap labor and higher profit margins.
Big corporations have sold out our economy, that's capitalism without patriotism folks. Push wages down so that consumers are forced to buy the cheap Chinese goods and move all production overseas for the cheap labor and higher profit margins.
Our wages arent low. Our system would work, and did until we went global with countries that operate completely differently. I dont understand what tariffs are for if they are used backwards like they are with us and China.
"What is the purpose of tariffs? Answer:To protect domestic business. The idea is that by taxing imports, and thus raising the price, consumers will buy domestic products as they are free of this tax and therefore cheaper."
[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 05-15-2014).]
Originally posted by 2.5: Our wages arent low. Our system would work, and did until we went global with countries that operate completely differently. I dont understand what tariffs are for if they are used backwards like they are with us and China.
"What is the purpose of tariffs? Answer:To protect domestic business. The idea is that by taxing imports, and thus raising the price, consumers will buy domestic products as they are free of this tax and therefore cheaper."
That only works when the imported good has a retail value approximately equal to that of the domestic product. When an individual good is significantly cheaper, the import tax does nothing for that goal of "protecting" the local business. And thus here we are.
When I test drove a new Hyundai Accent last year I was impressed by how fragile and delicate it felt compared to my 07 Mustang.
Oh really? And how does a Ford Fiesta feel compared to your 07 Mustang? How about maybe comparing the Hyundai Genesis to a Fiesta...
I've owned a 2003 Grand Am GT sedan from 39000 to 120000 miles, and I am always impressed with it's dash vinyl curling up, ignition switch/BCM problems and wind noise.
Originally posted by 2.5: Our wages aren't low. Our system would work, and did until we went global with countries that operate completely differently. I don't understand what tariffs are for if they are used backwards like they are with us and China.
"What is the purpose of tariffs? Answer:To protect domestic business. The idea is that by taxing imports, and thus raising the price, consumers will buy domestic products as they are free of this tax and therefore cheaper."
quote
Originally posted by dobey: That only works when the imported good has a retail value approximately equal to that of the domestic product. When an individual good is significantly cheaper, the import tax does nothing for that goal of "protecting" the local business. And thus here we are.
"The automobile industry in China is still heavily protected behind a “tariff wall” even though this wall has come down significantly since China’s entry into the WTO. Cars imported to China face a tariff duty of at least 25 percent. In comparison, American duties on cars imported into the US are only 5 percent. Taking into account the 17 percent of VAT and other levies, imported cars and foreign-brand cars produced in China are substantially more expensive than the same type of cars in the United States. A new Cadillac SLS made in China will set a Chinese household back between $71,000 and $110,000, without the anti-dumping duty. A better performing Cadillac STS, on the other hand, costs an American household between $47,000 and $56,000.
Chinese households are not wealthier than American households. It makes absolutely no sense to me that a less wealthy Chinese consumer should pay more than a much wealthier American consumer for the same American-made products. Repealing the Chinese anti-dumping duties is a first step.
Removing the Chinese tariff wall will carry even bigger benefit. It will benefit thousands of American workers making cars in Michigan and Ohio, as Chinese consumers buy more cars from American car manufacturers. It will benefit thousands of Chinese auto parts companies, employing millions of Chinese workers that supply Detroit and Toledo auto plants. Equally important, it will benefit millions of aspiring Chinese consumers.
So, who are the main beneficiaries of the high Chinese tariff wall? Mostly, the foreign auto companies and their partnering Chinese State Owned Enterprises (SOEs). " http://www.forbes.com/sites...chinese-tariff-wall/
"The latest statistics released on March 18 by the BEA show that for every $1 that the United States bought from China in 2009, the Chinese government only let its people buy 28¢ of American products. Although the Chinese economy was growing by 8.7%, the Chinese government managed to shrink Chinese imports of American goods and services.
Although the report ignored China's currency manipulations, which raise the cost of all American goods and services in China by somewhere between 25-40%, it still found plenty to talk about. Currency exchange rate manipulation is only one of the many ways that the Chinese government keeps out American products. The report focused upon the Chinese government's expert use of tariff and non-tariff barriers.
For example, the tariff on large motorcycles is 30 percent. Likewise, most video, digital video, and audio recorders and players still face duties of approximately 30 percent. Raisins face duties of 35 percent.
China makes selective use of its Value-Added Tax to keep out American phosphate fertilizer China makes use of procurement directives to keep out American telecommunication equipment: Chinese government uses Quarantine Inspection Permits (QIPs) to keep out American agricultural products Keeping out Genuine Materials while they are Pirated Demanding American R&D and Patents
In short, the United States government is letting the Chinese government practice mercantilism, the strategy of maximizing exports and minimizing imports. We freely receive Chinese imports without requiring reciprocity.
It's time to impose a tariff on Chinese goods proportional to our trade deficit with China. Such a tariff, permitted by a special WTO rule for trade-deficit countries, would finally force the Chinese government be take down its many, many barriers to American goods and services."
Have you been living under a rock for the last few years?
No rocks, just the Fiero, or so it seems at times.
Seriously, I have not bought one AC Delco part that was made in China. Mexico, Taiwan, yes, China, no. All of these have been electrical/electronic though, so maybe that's the deciding factor. I tend to stay away from the China parts as much as I can, which is becoming a task in itself.
How bout going to the grocery store and buying salmon? It is caught in the United states and processed in China then shipped back here. Do you have any idea what the labor rate is in China? A dollar an hour is good pay to them. Some people work for 40 cents an hour.
You will find that most of AC Delco parts are NOT made in the U.S. anymore . I should know . i use to work for a ac delco distributor . Their brake component and electrical components are made overseas . Some of their parts are even re boxed . For example their electronic Throttle pedals is a repackage of Standard Motor Products . AC delco and Genuine GM Parts are not what they use to be . I mean C,mon ... What isn't made in China, Mexico , or anywhere overseas now a days .
I wanted to state that the AC/Delco ICM that I bought a year ago was made in that strange new country...>>>>>Usa<<<<<Where the heck is this U-sa country located?
Anyway, I try to buy USA made, then Canada or Mexico (Please understand- if they have jobs down there they will then STAY down there!)....Then if I have to a European country or Japan or Taiwan- China tends to be very lax at enforcing laws and quality. (I have a new dog, both her and my previous dog would get the itchies every time they played with chinese sourced toys- I have blue racquetballs (USA or Thailand) and a Aerobie Dogobie (USA) that they love- The Dogobie is flexible and basically indestructible- you can throw it at a window and won't break the window! And no holes threw her tongue.....
I wanted to state that the AC/Delco ICM that I bought a year ago was made in that strange new country...>>>>>Usa<<<<<Where the heck is this U-sa country located?
Japan.
The following article might be of interest to you.
"My prepping buddy has been trying diligently to find a set of American made brake rotors. Guess what? They don't exist. Nope.
Brembo, Raybestos, SSBC, Baer, nobody casts rotors in the USA anymore. There are only two brake rotor foundries in the world. One in England (I think they make rotors for European rides) and the other is in China.
Every big name brake company as well as dealerships has readily admitted that all castings come from China. The only "American" component of this whole sham is that some of the rotors are "machined" in the US. Some are machined in China and others in Mexico.
Which China makes rotors, you will notice that they are lighter. However, the thickness of the rotors is the same as an OEM, however, the Chinese models make the air-cooling vanes wider and remove more surface material from each side which is what causes the warping and thus causes your brakes to shutter when applied."
I have been using Bosch fuel pumps with success. They are made in Brazil but in their own factory. The AC Delco ignition modules are are made in Mexico and are decent. Most other ACDelco parts are just a box with just about any Chinese part inside made from any vendor who will give the cheapest price I believe that Wagner and Raybestos parts are made in the USA. Canadian made is also quality stuff but I seldom find auto parts made there. As for other Chinese parts I've found that Centric brake parts and Champion radiators can be good...sometimes!
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
The reality is most parts like these replacement parts are made overseas.
China, Mexico and India are major players in replament psrts.
Brake rotors and most cast parts are made in China. We just no longer have efficient foundry’s to do the work fast and cheap.
Now you may see some things like intake manifolds stating made in USA but that is only part true. The castings are made in China and then they finish machine it here.
Another thing is many parts are made by one mfg but are packaged under different names.
