I generally agree with this. To add a little clarity - simply because this is actually my day job - this is a matter of patent protection rather than copyright or trademark. Often the various terms are interchanged. In the instant case there is nothing novel about these upper control arms that I can see reasonably leading to a patent that is defensible. So IMO you can probably copy at will the tube type UCAs. You cannot claim they are another brand - then it's a trademark issue.
That said - I would be very leery of UCAs manufactured without any known quality control. They can tell you it's made of any material they want. Who is actually testing the material strength of the tube? Is there someone with a reputation and responsibility for ensuring that each one is made to a certain minimum standard? Based on my limited knowledge of chinese manufacturing it is common to get a fantastic first run of a produce and then place a larger order only to receive a substandard product. Unless you work with a very well established manufacturer or have on-site quality control, the product quality can drop dramatically and the USA seller may not have any idea that the next piece which looks just like the last is using a lower grade steel. Just my .02.
IMO, that is exactly what this is. The big companies like AP,TC, and Cam sell the real deal, manufactured properly, quality controlled product and this guy is selling the bulk order ones.
I have some experience in high end sports gear such as snowboards/skis and wakeboards/slalom skis. While these arent made in a sweatshop in China, there are a lot of reputable companies that out source the production to Asian countries. What you find in a real and reputable ski shop are what is called "A" quality. These are, in a sense, perfect. Perfect in specs, function, and looks and are properly inspected and marked as so. What you find in small discount stores and big box shops are sometimes "B" quality. These are inspected and marked as perfect in spec and function but there is some sort of blemish. Maybe the graphic is slightly crooked or miscolored or other small items. However the piece is deemed safe to use beyond the cosmetic blemish (think "scratch and dent" sections of online part shops). These "B" quality products are a little cheaper to the retailer and in turn they tend to sell them cheaper to the buyer. I always ordered "B" quality products for my personal use because they were cheaper and we could never find the blemish that deemed them "B" quality. To take it further, youd have small knockoff/child companies that would gain access to the molds and specs of the boards or skis the big guys made. These would typically be made in massive orders and sold to the WalMarts/Bass Pros/etc. While these had the same shapes as the top of the line guys, they usually lacked the extra flair such as a carbon core, steel fins, fine tune adjustments, fancy graphics, etc, the list goes on.
So to come to a final point, this guy has spec'd his UCAs exactly to the dimensions of the big companies but they lack the quality control and general flair in the fit and finish. In his case, the bushings may need to be replaced or adjusted sooner, they grease the uniball instead of dry lube, the zerks are low quality, and it doesnt come with a cool sticker on it.
I agree with Scott and others that these are definitely a lower quality. And while they measure the same geometry, dimensions, and guage, I would like to see proof that they are actually 4130. He's obviously cut his costs down by not including the flair I mentioned above. As long as the important factors match up with arm material/guage, welds, and uniball, the easy/cost effective items can be cured by the non lamen. By purchasing a handful of zerks, cleaning out the grease and replacing with dry lube, and maybe getting some new bushings JIC yours arrive like AJONESNV's did... you have an extremely solid arm for an extremely low cost. What I dont get and scares me about these is how a few parts (~$20-$50) and some quality measures can allow this guy to sell them for $250 a pair and make a profit while the big dogs are selling their "perfect" ones for over twice that price. On the other hand, skis/boards are a 100% markup from dealer cost (mainly because they are seasonal products and changed each year so retailers end up dumping them after the season). UCAs dont change every year so if this theory is correct, the big companies are continuously making huge margins on these products simply because we as the consumer think the more expensive it is, the better it is and why would we not spend the extra couple hundred bucks for the safety of ourselves and our 35k trucks. Its all business in the end and there are so many unknowns and now my head hurts...GREAT
If this guy and his product is legit, I commend him for offering it. If AjonesNV and the other guys running these and "fixing" these are finding no issues I commend them as well for trying something that isnt the norm.
If these end up actually being a POS and causes damage or injury due to failure... well then F that guy :flipoff::boxer: and we all move on. I wish I had the knowledge and cajones these guys do to purchase something like this and use them. :cheers:
Cheers
