Chinese Antirock

[UKTJ]

You can talk about moral codes all you want but don't kid yourself. Americans are telling them what sells, what to build and Americans are buying the products. We tell them to change the label from Badlands to Smittybilt and they just smile and say okay, how many?Everybody seems to think it's some mastermind in China while some dude in New Jersey is laughing his ass off stocking his warehouse with this stuff.

You've convinced me, not the fault of the Chinese at all, rather that of greedy immoral Americans

 

[Gollywomper]

You've convinced me, not the fault of the Chinese at all, rather that of greedy immoral Americans

Yes partly. The biggest issue is the selling platforms that don’t do enough to stop it. They are only worried about collecting their commission.

Chinese manufacturing is sending counterfeit goods in packaging that looks like legit stuff now too.

 

[steelhd]

xx

 

[pagrey]

not the fault of the Chinese at all, rather that of greedy immoral Americans

I think of it more like a team effort, monkeys and a football, that kind of thing.

 

[Mrholland]

The people purchasing the products, the platforms that allow the products to be sold and the "Chinese" manufacturers are all guilty, and base their decisions off of the same thing......money.

Going back to an earlier comment, LED headlamps.

Let me speculate - Trucklite produces a great product, at premium. The product is popular. Other manufacturers take notice of the popularity, and produce a lesser copy of the OG product. Consumers are faced with a choice, many decide to keep that extra hard earned money in their pockets and purchase the cheaper version. Those happy with the product come here and post comparison threads sharing their positive experiences. Other members read the posts and decide the shortcomings of the cheaper product are worth the lesser price. Meanwhile, the price of the OG product may not be as cheap as it could be, or even have to increase due to the lower rate of sales, making it more difficult to sell a higher priced product to a consumer that places a greater deal of importance on savings rather than quality.

I'm not saying "Made in America" is better simply because it says Made in America. I'm not saying Chinese copies are bad because they are Chinese copies. However, I am saying purchasing Chinese copies does not benefit or keep Made in America businesses in business.

IMHO

 

[pagrey]

IMHO

TLDR
Some products are made in China by both vendors, is the antirock made in America? When companies say developed in America that normally means made in China.

 

[Zorba]

Yup. The disposable culture is terrible, and the thinking has become baseline. It's employed for far more than just consumerism now. But that's another topic entirely. I don't know how we get away from it. The consumer loves it (cheaper products, new products, dopamine hits each time), and the companies love it because they sell more product. They realized they make more money selling you a new lawnmower every few years than they do selling you a family heirloom that just won't die. This is painting with a broad brush, I understand. Many companies are simply drug there kicking and screaming by the competition. Either make it cheaper (and shittier) in China, or go out of business.

Perhaps the most ironic part of it all is the prices aren't necessarily so cheap anymore. Look at those knock-off swaybars. $400? $500? For what is likely garbage? When the real deal is ~$600? What a racket.

Yep. I'll spend good money for a product that lasts. I don't want to buy another one in a few years, I don't want to buy another one EVER. I think I've mentioned my sewing machine collection - some of them are about 100 years old, the newest one is 45. And those are pretty "new" for old sewing machines - and they'll still be going 100 years from now if someone sprays some oil in their general direction every year or two. The same cannot be said of a plastic wonder "Singer" or "White" that you buy today. Yet a sewing machine is a sewing machine is a sewing machine unless you buy one of the $2,500 super computerized ones - which those really are wonderful (if you need one), but they'll be obsolete in 5 years, broken in 10, and unrepairable in 15. Otherwise, there really isn't much if anything that a modern basic sewing machine does that can't be done on one of my antiques.

Which applies to damn near everything - appliances, automobiles, cameras, etc. It gets worse - FAR worse - when "technology" is applied to the product. Technology products themselves are - of course - the worst, with smartphones being the worst of all; but "technology applied" products that actually don't need technology to work but have it anyway aren't far behind. Computer controlled appliances that last 7-10 years instead of 20 to 25 are an excellent example. Cost more, last less. Don't get me started on computers in cars...

So *THIS* consumer dos NOT "love it". I'm starting to buy "the old stuff" and fixing it so I don't have to buy the new crap over and over and over and over and over and over... I needed a desk fan - bought a "classic" from the 1950s, re-did its bushings, gave it a nice paint job, and I shouldn't need to buy another one ever again.

 

[Zorba]

But it is neither a new thing, nor a specifically Chinese thing. I worked for Ford in the early '90', there was an entire department called 'tear down'. Whenever a new model or variant was released by a competitor or an existing model had something new added the team would go buy one of the cars. They would then strip the car down to the individual component level to determine if there was anything that could help the Ford engineers improve functionality or maintain functionality at a reduced cost.

Ah! That explains how GM's cheapening process trickled down to everyone else. GM seemed to be the first to cheapen something, then the rest of the industry would follow suit. I remember when passenger side keyholes suddenly disappeared from GM products - then everybody else was doing it too a year or two later.

 

[williambmac]

Ah! That explains how GM's cheapening process trickled down to everyone else. GM seemed to be the first to cheapen something, then the rest of the industry would follow suit. I remember when passenger side keyholes suddenly disappeared from GM products - then everybody else was doing it too a year or two later.

Removing the passenger side door lock cylinder was not cheapening the product. It was common sense. Vehicle manufacturers were incorporating power door lock systems into their vehicles. Why continue with the added expense of a passenger door lock cylinder if it is not needed. The only reason they keep the drivers door lock cylinder is so you can access the vehicle if there is a failure with the remote keyless entry system.

 

[mrblaine]

Removing the passenger side door lock cylinder was not cheapening the product. It was common sense. Vehicle manufacturers were incorporating power door lock systems into their vehicles. Why continue with the added expense of a passenger door lock cylinder if it is not needed. The only reason they keep the drivers door lock cylinder is so you can access the vehicle if there is a failure with the remote keyless entry system.

Realistically, how many times in the lifespan of the vehicle would the passenger door lock ever have a key used in it? Even without electric door locks, driver unlocks that door, hops in, leans across, pops the lock on the passenger door, lets them in and then they unlock any others if needed.

I've never stuck the key in my tow rig passenger door, I don't even know if it works.

 

[mrblaine]

Yep. I'll spend good money for a product that lasts. I don't want to buy another one in a few years, I don't want to buy another one EVER. I think I've mentioned my sewing machine collection - some of them are about 100 years old, the newest one is 45. And those are pretty "new" for old sewing machines - and they'll still be going 100 years from now if someone sprays some oil in their general direction every year or two. The same cannot be said of a plastic wonder "Singer" or "White" that you buy today. Yet a sewing machine is a sewing machine is a sewing machine unless you buy one of the $2,500 super computerized ones - which those really are wonderful (if you need one), but they'll be obsolete in 5 years, broken in 10, and unrepairable in 15. Otherwise, there really isn't much if anything that a modern basic sewing machine does that can't be done on one of my antiques.

Which applies to damn near everything - appliances, automobiles, cameras, etc. It gets worse - FAR worse - when "technology" is applied to the product. Technology products themselves are - of course - the worst, with smartphones being the worst of all; but "technology applied" products that actually don't need technology to work but have it anyway aren't far behind. Computer controlled appliances that last 7-10 years instead of 20 to 25 are an excellent example. Cost more, last less. Don't get me started on computers in cars...

So *THIS* consumer dos NOT "love it". I'm starting to buy "the old stuff" and fixing it so I don't have to buy the new crap over and over and over and over and over and over... I needed a desk fan - bought a "classic" from the 1950s, re-did its bushings, gave it a nice paint job, and I shouldn't need to buy another one ever again.

I'm a tweener. The machines I used were the very solid Consew, Juki, and commercial Singer when I had the tarp business. All walking foot. All my upholstery buddies preferred the commercial Consew. I would like to have a good sewing machine around. I can't justify an entry level commercial, won't buy one that has a zillion miles on it because I don't have the patience for learning how to rebuild one, and no home owner specials are worth owning for what I would use it for.

 

[williambmac]

Realistically, how many times in the lifespan of the vehicle would the passenger door lock ever have a key used in it? Even without electric door locks, driver unlocks that door, hops in, leans across, pops the lock on the passenger door, lets them in and then they unlock any others if needed.

I've never stuck the key in my tow rig passenger door, I don't even know if it works.

It is amazing how many customers complain about their vehicle not having a passenger door lock cylinder. Especially the 55 and older crowd, and all the Karens out there.

 

[Zorba]

Realistically, how many times in the lifespan of the vehicle would the passenger door lock ever have a key used in it? Even without electric door locks, driver unlocks that door, hops in, leans across, pops the lock on the passenger door, lets them in and then they unlock any others if needed.

I've never stuck the key in my tow rig passenger door, I don't even know if it works.

I use it ALL the time! Both the Jeep and the Mercedes have them. Mercedes has pneumatic "central locks", the Jeep has nothing. Either way I find a passenger side key hole highly useful.

 

[Moon Eyes]

I have used the passenger side key or fob to always open the door for my gal. My dad always did and how I was brought up .

 

[Zorba]

It is amazing how many customers complain about their vehicle not having a passenger door lock cylinder. Especially the 55 and older crowd, and all the Karens out there.

That's because we grew up with them, and see it as yet another cheapening of the product and removal of a feature that is actually useful - to be replaced with bullshit instead.

 

[Zorba]

Removing the passenger side door lock cylinder was not cheapening the product. It was common sense. Vehicle manufacturers were incorporating power door lock systems into their vehicles. Why continue with the added expense of a passenger door lock cylinder if it is not needed. The only reason they keep the drivers door lock cylinder is so you can access the vehicle if there is a failure with the remote keyless entry system.

No, its removing a useful feature and replacing it with a bullshit feature instead. Its quite simple. I very often need to unlock and access the passenger side door. Your way has me walking around to the driver's side, unlocking that, opening the door, hitting the unlock switch, closing the door, then walking back to the passenger side to open that.

Of course, that was "solved" with the application of more stupid "technology" and now everyone has a GINORMOUS key fob that uses batteries that die, wears out, gets fucked up, etc, etc, etc. Never mind that is expensive to replace. Wife's car has one - it works but at what cost?

 

[mrblaine]

I use it ALL the time! Both the Jeep and the Mercedes have them. Mercedes has pneumatic "central locks", the Jeep has nothing. Either way I find a passenger side key hole highly useful.

Trust me, if it were useful for other than a scant few, it would still be there. It isn't.

 

[Zorba]

Trust me, if it were useful for other than a scant few, it would still be there. It isn't.

Well, I *have* been told on multiple occasions by multiple people that I'm "an outlier".

I use it mostly to load/unload crap in the passenger seat, although sometimes I let the wife in with it as well.

 

[mrblaine]

Well, I *have* been told on multiple occasions by multiple people that I'm "an outlier".

Then perhaps you can get out of your own skin for a second or two and stop bitching quite so much about how the auto industry is abusing you. What I said is how the vast majority of folks use keys and vehicles, you and a few other exceptions does not change that nor does it lend any credence whatsoever to your griping.

 

[TheBoogieman]

It is amazing how many customers complain about their vehicle not having a passenger door lock cylinder. Especially the 55 and older crowd, and all the Karens out there.

I've never locked any TJ doors. I like my soft top windows too much. Seems like thieves are too stupid to unzip them.