so as i stated earlier, i have some major parts to fix just for the a/c and heat.

i have looked at Mopar, DodgeTruckParts.net, RockAuto for these parts.

so here is a list from the respective stores and i was wondering if yall could put some input in about the price and the quality of the product. also, which brands to steer clear of and which ones are good. for some of us, smart *** responses seem to be the theme today so other than that thanks in advance. This is for a 2001 Dodge Ram Ext. Cab 1500 5.9L 4x4


RockAuto
Compressor w/ clutch - Denso 272.79
Heat Core - Vista Pro 62.89
Evap Core - Spec Premium 78.79
Condenser - Spec Premium 170.79

Mopar (they didn't say the brands for these parts, not sure why)
Compressor - 385.16
Heat Core - 187.11
Evap Core - 170.10
Condenser - 184. 68

DodgeTruckParts.net (also no brands, somewhat similar prices tho)
Compressor - 402.59
Heat Core - 195.58
Evap Core - 177.80
Condenser - 193.04

So after looking these over, which ones would be the best quality but still a reasonable price. I want the part to be OEM and I believe Mopar is the best. However, there are no pictures on that damn website so not sure if some of the things have the needed insulation, etc. And wouldn't a new compressor come with a clutch? Also, for the future, what brands are worth it? Again, before I purchase these items would a compressor be leaking or do you think they meant condenser? Thanks

 

I would mopar everything due to you get what you pay for mentality and difficulty of replacing them if lesser parts would fail. but I would probably run the rock auto denso compressor cause I imagine it would be fine and easy to replace if not..

 

If the high priced heater cores are all copper, that is what you're paying for. Rockautos is most likely the aluminum version with the movable hoses. Inexpensive but 5X easier to install.
Are the compressors new or rebuilt? That's important because if they are all rebuilt, there are only a couple of companies that do that, so you may be paying more for the same part.
The best thing to do if you have an AC leak issue is to run a dye test. Its inexpensive and will save you a ton of money. Maybe it's only a 2.00 o-ring that's cracked.
It's been a couple years, but I believe sanyo compressors come with a clutch.

 

I don't know how you are when getting parts but 95% of the time, I get my parts from Mopar. I've had some bad experience with after market parts.

 

awesome yall thanks for the quick input. i always heard to do a heater core with the copper tubes. i'll have to check with Mopar to see if the heater core has the copper. so for future projects i'll use Mopar. let me understand this though. Mopar is OEM, but cheaper than the dealer?

i had the dye test ran last year but didn't get it checked until this spring. the guy was kinda shady and wanted $2000 to fix everything. i'm going to take it back to a local mechanic who i trust to do the test this week. probably tomorrow if it's not too expensive. thanks in advance.

 

Sadly, Mopar doesn't make most of thier parts. Things like oil filters, heater cores, basicly everything other than sheetmetal, engine/tranny and maybe wiring is usually outsourced. A fair amount is done overseas. The days of car makers truly making thier own parts are long gone. The best we can say is that new or rebuilt parts carrying the name are made to that brand's specs. Sometimes those specs are a bit tighter than what is sent out to parts stores.

 

that is sad. well i will continue with Mopar since it seems to be the only reliable source. prices are mid and thats all i've heard about since owning this dodge last year. either way i'm sure it is better tan auto zone or places like that. i have had issues with the zone with clutches and the like.

 

is it safe to assume that new compressors come with a clutch? wouldn't you be able to reuse the one you already had on the other compressor?

 

But the thing is that the parts that I have bought were made in the U.S.A.

My heater core was $180 from Mopar.BIZ. It was brass/copper and wrapped in foam just like the factory one.

OP, I would get these parts from RockAuto. Denso makes good stuff, and the Spectra Premium heater and evaporator core come wrapped in foam and insulated like the factory ones (What I've heard).

Brands? Mopar is the brand. I'd get everything here except for the compressor. A Denso would do you just fine, there is no need to spend an extra $100 on it. I think that these are some pretty good prices. What is the name of the dealer?

 

I've always had very good experiences with rockauto, good service and very good quality parts. You can always choose your quality of the parts, don't go too cheap as the price is equal to the quality of the part.