Testing, not a load figure in a listing
A stated load rating means nothing without the test behind it. We ask for the fatigue or load test report and check it names this part, and we say plainly when what exists is a number in a table.
What we can help you buy on 1688
Suspension and steering
Steering and suspension parts carry the vehicle and steer it. A failure here is not an inconvenience, and this is the category where we are most willing to tell you a supplier is not good enough.
The useful questions are about testing and materials, and they are answerable before you pay.
Request a quote for suspension and steering
What we check before you pay
Ball joint boot material
The boot is what keeps grease in and water out, and it is the cheapest thing to downgrade. Material and whether the joint is greasable are both worth specifying.
Forged or cast, and which alloy
Control arms come both ways at very different prices and strengths. We get the process and the alloy named rather than inferred from the photograph.
Damper valving and oil versus gas
Two shock absorbers that look identical can be valved completely differently. Where ride quality matters, a sample is the only way to know.
Thread, taper and mounting geometry
These parts fit by taper angle and stud thread, not by vehicle name. We confirm them against your reference part.
We will decline a supplier here
If a seller cannot produce material or test documentation for a steering part, we tell you and recommend against it rather than passing the risk on with a caveat.
How an order runs
- Send the reference part An OEM number or a photograph with the markings and the mounting points visible.
- Documentation first Material and test reports are requested before pricing. What exists, and what does not, is reported to you plainly.
- Geometry confirmed Taper, thread, length and mounting centres checked against your reference.
- Sample for a first order For a new supplier in this category we recommend a sample. It is the cheapest test available.
- Quote and approval Itemised, with our assessment of the supplier included rather than left out.
- Inspection and shipping Sampled parts measured, boots and welds examined, photographed, then consolidated and shipped.