I used to work for an aftermarket brake company. I can attest that customers primarily chose based on price. My company advertised highlighting our quality and mostly made in USA parts. Our business was starting to suffer from the lower priced offshore competition anyway.
Around 2005 they started throwing in the towel, shifted manufacturing out of the country, mostly Asia, and mothballed our plants here.
I don’t have a high opinion of any aftermarket brake parts now. I wish I’d stocked up on more parts when I worked there to have a good stash of NORS parts!
I went to a trailer store last week to buy tires. The guy there told me everything except Good Year is Chinese now.
I needed a mounted tire and wheel, so bought it there. Then installed it and took the wheel and old tire I removed to Discount tire and had a GoodYear tire installed.
It was about 30% more than the Chinese brands. I need to go out and install it, and then get another new tire. I guess I’ll get another GoodYear, but it’s hard justifying spending 40-50 bucks extra.
I’d like to think the GoodYear is higher quality, but the guy at the trailer place thought them all similar quality.