Rocker Arms: What separates $7 from $25 from $55?

thesameguy · **Joined:** Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:24 pm **Posts:** 652

Official MOPAR rocker arms seem to be discounted from $80 or $90 to $55 routinely

ID Parts sells them individually for $35ea

… or as a set for $400 ($25ea)

Or you can go on ebay and buy them for as low as $7ea

I do note there are versions (new tapered #5066780AB and old untampered #5066780AA) but it's tough to guess what price gives what part... but even still, that's a huge price variance.

One think I note is that a lot of the low-ish price ones ($7-$15 range) are out of the UK.

Can anyone comment on exactly what's going on here? I'd hate to spend even $25ea when $7ea gets the job done, but that seems.... too easy. And I *don't* want to take apart broken stuff. My current ones look *great*.

Mountainman · **Posted:** Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:56 am

thesameguy wrote:

Official MOPAR rocker arms seem to be discounted from $80 or $90 to $55 routinely

ID Parts sells them individually for $35ea

… or as a set for $400 ($25ea)

Or you can go on ebay and buy them for as low as $7ea

I do note there are versions (new tapered #5066780AB and old untampered #5066780AA) but it's tough to guess what price gives what part... but even still, that's a huge price variance.

One think I note is that a lot of the low-ish price ones ($7-$15 range) are out of the UK.

Can anyone comment on exactly what's going on here? I'd hate to spend even $25ea when $7ea gets the job done, but that seems.... too easy. And I *don't* want to take apart broken stuff. My current ones look *great*.

The used ones are a big gamble, and may arrive already worn out. I dont know of anyone that has used the off brand cheap ones that you can find online that come out of Europe, but they are probably garbage, and I've not been willing to take the risk on the jeeps I sell. Maybe our friends in Europe can find the answer on online forums in Italy or the other countries where there are hundreds of thousands of these engines around. I bet there's some info out there.

thesameguy · **Joined:** Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:24 pm **Posts:** 652

These are all new parts... which just makes it harder to really understand what the differences might be!

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Fri Dec 20, 2019 1:55 pm

thesameguy wrote:

These are all new parts... which just makes it harder to really understand what the differences might be!

Maybe a call to IDParts and ask for an explanation or cost breakdown would be enlightening?

thesameguy · **Joined:** Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:24 pm **Posts:** 652

I'm considering it, but I'm uncertain what I'd do with whatever information came back. What I'm looking for is that guy who's been working on nothing but these motors for 20 years and has seen everything. I think Mountainmain is onto something... that guy probably exists in Europe, and I need to find him.

Like:

http://www.vmdieselspecialist.com/

Mountainman · **Posted:** Fri Dec 20, 2019 3:05 pm

Yeah, if you can get George's (I think that's his name) at VM specilaists opinion it might be helpful, but, he sells used and new OEM rockers, so I doubt he'll be willing to shoot himself in the foot.

More importantly, myself and others have seen dropped valves caused directly by failed rockers (if they get wedged just right they can cause the keepers to release, or shear through their slot, not sure which). And, I've seen small pieces of the broken rocker clips wind up in the rear main bearing (not sure how it got there), and it wiped it out and it started knocking.
So, no $230 savings is worth the risk at the end of the day...

thesameguy · **Joined:** Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:24 pm **Posts:** 652

Yeah, I think you're right. And even though it's beyond unlikely I will have this jeep in another 10,000 miles, I don't wanna be that ( * ) that sells a ticking time bomb onto someone. That's not cool. And, at this point, what's another paycheck ground up and turned into Jeep parts?

Mountainman · **Posted:** Fri Dec 20, 2019 3:22 pm

thesameguy wrote:

Yeah, I think you're right. And even though it's beyond unlikely I will have this jeep in another 10,000 miles, I don't wanna be that ( * ) that sells a ticking time bomb onto someone. That's not cool. And, at this point, what's another paycheck ground up and turned into Jeep parts?

Lol, that's funny! I'm with you on not selling time bombs, wish we had more of that these days...
You might as well enjoy it for 200k if you do new valves and run the right oil. Maybe even spend the extra 25% and run the European oil Liqui Moly.

layback40 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 20, 2019 5:00 pm

I hope our friend the traveling CRD tech, you know who I mean, tunes in. Maybe he has had to fix one that has had bad rockers. I suspect the cheap ones have fence wire for the needle rollers in the cam rollers. Probably made in Usa China. There is a parts guy in Lithuania (IIRC his name is Edd) that sells all sorts of engine stuff that may know. I havent contacted him for years.

thesameguy · **Joined:** Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:24 pm **Posts:** 652

Mountainman wrote:

Lol, that's funny! I'm with you on not selling time bombs, wish we had more of that these days...
You might as well enjoy it for 200k if you do new valves and run the right oil. Maybe even spend the extra 25% and run the European oil Liqui Moly.

I always keep Liquimoly around because it's a great oil for older gas-turbo cars, and works in a pinch for newer ones as well. That or Motul, I suppose.

I will really need to see how the CRD does towing - right now I rely on a '99 Suburban for towing the race car, which is <2500lbs on a <2000lb flatbed. I'm less concerned with the Jeep's ability to pull the weight, and more concerned with the short wheelbase. The Suburban is very stable even under heavy braking, even though it's only a 1/2 ton chassis. I'm not confident the Liberty will drive as nice.

But, if it does, I'd be happy to have a smaller 4x4 most of the time... trips to Tahoe or Reno with a bit more power (at higher altitude) and a bit better fuel economy would be nice … and I'll just wait for 6.0l GMT800 Suburbans to depreciate a bit more.

IDK, we'll see!

Mountainman · **Posted:** Fri Dec 20, 2019 9:31 pm

I'd do the GM fan mod if I was going to do Donner Pass with 5,000 lbs, and really good trailer brakes. I did that run with around 6,000 and my electric fan didn't move enough air. Stock gear ratio would also be mandatory, most likely. If your trailer is double axle and the tongue weight isnt excessive, plus a stabilizer hitch, you might be happy with it when there's no snow or ice. :2cents:

My66dodge · **Posted:** Sun Dec 22, 2019 9:54 am

I purchased one set of rockers last year from a European supplier and it was a different design for sure, no problems but I won’t be getting them again, when looking at them they were missing the oil squirter holes at the top that add extra oil to the cams. They were from the UK, so they weren’t Chineseum but I have purchased many sets from ID and Sasquatch, so I was just exploring my options.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

thesameguy · **Joined:** Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:24 pm **Posts:** 652

Thanks for that feedback! I placed a small order with ID Parts so that I could get the rear bearing carrier installed while I considered options, but I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna go with whatever ID sticks and call it good. I hate wasting money only slightly less than I hate doing things twice.

I considered ordering a cheap set from the UK just to compare... but the chances of me ever being this deep into a CRD again is *low*.

Diesel Dan · **Posted:** Mon Dec 23, 2019 3:45 pm

Don't think I'd be willing to gamble on a set of $7 arms.
These aren't high enough volume engines for the aftermarket to produce at 70%+ discount compared to the OEM. For that kind of discount I expect corners cut some where. While visually they may look the same you can't see the difference between quality alloy metal or lower grade.

JMO.

TKB4 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 01, 2020 8:33 pm

The ones I have bought from both ID parts and VM specialists were new parts and the new style ones and they were made in poland I believe.

Rocker Arms: What separates $7 from $25 from $55?

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