Britpart VCU

I'm about to change my vcu, before something goes wrong.

I have a good price for a Britpart one (new).

What is your experience with them?

I was wondering if a reconditioned one would do the job like a new one?

Please give me your sincere opinion.

Thanks

Oooh britpart

If it's a GKN one you'll be good. Try island 4x4, got a new one with bearings for a good price earlier this year

Britpart making/supplying vcu's. This is gonna be a good fred. op2:

wots wrong with Bells?

I'd go for Bell instead of Britpart every time.

Agreed, I've had my Bells VCU on for a year - couldn't be happier with it.

pardec said:

If it's a GKN one you'll be good. Try island 4x4, got a new one with bearings for a good price earlier this year

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The dumper is marked whith gkn, but the vcu has no brand.

Yakko said:

Agreed, I've had my Bells VCU on for a year - couldn't be happier with it.

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Me too

Only one place to get a vcu in my opinion and that is BELL, speak to ken.

Nitrous said:

The dumper is marked whith gkn, but the vcu has no brand.

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Bom dia Nitrous :welcome2:

As you have probably deduced by now, Britpart does not have much of a reputation around here.

Here's the link for Bell Engineering Products - Bell Engineering

A quick search on the forum might tell you more about reconditioned VCU's

Nitrous said:

The dumper is marked whith gkn, but the vcu has no brand.

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Hi. I just got one from island4x4, it's the same - the damper is marked with GKN, but no marking on the VCU itself. Is it save to assume that it's a GKN then? It came in a Britpart box... Bearings came in GKN boxes, so guess they are ok then.

ThomasDK said:

Hi. I just got one from island4x4, it's the same - the damper is marked with GKN, but no marking on the VCU itself. Is it save to assume that it's a GKN then? It came in a Britpart box... Bearings came in GKN boxes, so guess they are ok then.

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im not aware of anyone making pattern vcu and britpart do sell genuine as well as pattern and branded parts ,quite likely most genuine stuff is bought through them

jamesmartin said:

im not aware of anyone making pattern vcu and britpart do sell genuine as well as pattern and branded parts ,quite likely most genuine stuff is bought through them

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Exactly.
They may be branded Britpart but will be manufactured by GKN.

I bought a GKN VCU last year and it was faulty, turned out there was a faulty batch and GKN just issued blanket refunds as there were so may returns.
Picked up a recon one from Bell on Friday.

Ah, ok - thanks jamesmartin and Litch. Did you drive with the faulty GKN VCU? Hope they swopped all from the faulty batch at Britpart (if they did get the faulty ones as well)!

I bought one of the faulty batch over a year ago so I should imagine they have all been accounted for now.
I could tell as soon as I drove on it that there was something wrong. The original VCU had started to feel stiff but with the new one fitted the rear wheels were skipping at every corner, in the end I only drove on it for a few miles before I refitted the original one again.
Of course I had fitted new (GKN) bearings so had to have the cost of them refunded as well.

If you take the time to look further into Britpart's range of parts, you will find that they supply many items for which there is an option to purchase either genuine OEM (Original equipment fitted by Landrover at build)..e.g. GKN, SKF, Timken, Bosch etc. at a lower price than Main dealers charge-they will however be in a Britpart box. They will also offer "Aftermarket" parts at a lower price. Irregardless of the part supplied they now give a 12 month warranty on the majority of non consumable parts excluding Brake Pads/Shoes etc.
Can't understand the paranoia over Britpart and Island 4 X 4 who are Britpart stockists. Over on the Range Rover section Island 4 X 4 have been rated and recomended as a good supplier of parts. Perhaps the Freelander parts aftermarket is of not such high quality as other models in the Land Rover range.
I have specified particular brands from Island and have received Ferodo or Mintex brake pads in a Britpart box at a competitive price.
By the way...GKN do not make the bearings for the VCU, they buy them in from outside !!
Just remember that 90% of the Freelander is not made by Land Rover...they only assemble them !!!!

Hippo said:

Britpart making/supplying vcu's. This is gonna be a good fred. op2:

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and a long one

there probably from Alibaba.com

Fitted the new VCU from Island 4x4 (the one that came in a Britpart labeled box) and the GKN bearings (bearings them selfs are marked Frag), no problems. Big difference on full lock with the new VCU, compared to the old one, so 15 years / 70.000 miles was apparently more or less the lifespan for the old one.