MOOG Parts FAQ: K90389 Stabilizer Bar Links, 513280 Wheel Hub Assemblies, and the Parts I Don't Sell

MOOG Parts FAQ: K90389 Stabilizer Bar Links, 513280 Wheel Hub Assemblies, and the Parts I Don't Sell

I'm a parts expediter at an automotive parts distribution company. I've handled more than 300 rush orders in nine years, including a 4:15 PM call for a MOOG K90389 that had to be on a shop bench before 8 PM. Here are the questions I get, plus the ones I wish more people asked first.

• Is MOOG K90389 the right stabilizer bar link kit?
• Does MOOG 513280 come complete with the ABS sensor?
• Does MOOG make water pump repair parts?
• What is a compensation differential?
• How much does it cost to replace a head gasket?
• Is MOOG worth the premium over budget parts?
• How do I confirm a bad stabilizer link or wheel bearing before ordering?

1. Is MOOG K90389 the right stabilizer bar link kit for my truck?

If you hear a clunk over speed bumps and the old rubber boots are split or missing grease, a stabilizer bar link is a likely culprit. K90389 is a front stabilizer bar link kit for a common truck/SUV platform. It includes the studs, washers, and nylon lock nuts—basically everything you need to replace both front links.

Before you order, measure the old link center-to-center. I've seen the same platform use two different link lengths depending on ride height and 4WD version. The part number in the catalog is only right if the vehicle height matches. Not ideal, but workable.

In March 2024, a rental fleet called needing a K90389 for a 6 AM vehicle pickup. We verified the length, paid $35 in after-hours courier fees, and got it there by 9 PM. The alternative was a missed rental reservation. So glad we measured first.

2. Does the MOOG 513280 wheel bearing and hub assembly come complete?

Yes. The 513280 is a complete wheel bearing and hub assembly for a widely used Chevy/GMC truck/SUV family. It includes the hub flange, sealed bearing, wheel studs, and the ABS sensor mounted in the assembly. You don't press a bearing out of a knuckle. You unbolt the old unit, clean the mounting face, and bolt the new one on.

One thing: complete doesn't mean foolproof. The ABS wire clips rust and break if you twist them. I've seen three bad sensors that were actually cut wires from careless removal. Disconnect the connector before rotating the assembly. Takes ten seconds.

Real talk: if your only symptom is a growl that changes while turning, confirm the bearing is the source before ordering. So glad I made a customer pull the old hub first once—it turned out a warped rotor was creating the noise. We returned the unused 513280 and billed for a rotor instead. Dodged a bullet there.

3. Does MOOG make water pump repair parts?

No. Here's the thing: MOOG is a steering and suspension brand—stabilizer links, ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel hubs. A water pump is a cooling system part. The material choices, seal design, and flow requirements are a completely different engineering world.

If someone asks for MOOG water pump repair parts, I have to say no. What I mean is: don't force a chassis brand to do engine cooling work. The right water pump repair kit usually includes the pump, a new gasket or O-ring, and often a thermostat housing seal. Buy from a brand that specializes in cooling systems.

Skip that and you risk doing the same job twice in six months. Better than nothing isn't good enough when the pump is buried behind a timing cover.

4. What is a compensation differential? Can I order one from MOOG?

I have mixed feelings about this search term. Part of me wants to laugh it off; another part says it's a real question from a tired buyer.

Compensation differential is not an MOOG part. The phrase is common in labor economics—it's the extra pay a worker gets for doing a difficult or unpleasant job. In car parts, the closest thing might be a differential shim kit or a limited-slip friction kit, but those aren't steering or suspension parts. If an e-commerce page is pushing you toward a compensation differential in a MOOG-style catalog, that's a red flag. Cancel the search and look up the factory diagram for your actual differential.

Put another way: there are enough real part numbers to buy without inventing one. Ask for the OE name, not a phrase that just sounds technical.

5. How much does it cost to replace a head gasket?

Looking at the last 14 head gasket invoices our shop sublet to machine shops, the customer-paid total landed between $1,150 on a simple four-cylinder and $2,750 on a V6/V8 truck. And that's if the heads are flat and no broken bolts appear. If the machine shop has to surface the heads, add $150 to $400.

The gasket itself is usually the cheap part. The labor is the bill: engine teardown, cleaning the deck, torquing head bolts in sequence, and refilling coolant and oil. In our area, eight to twelve hours of labor is pretty normal for a transverse V6. People think parts make head gasket jobs expensive. Actually, the labor and the risk of follow-up failures are what make the price surprising.

Should you buy MOOG parts for a head gasket job? No—this is outside our lane. Get the factory engine gasket set and a quality water pump while it's accessible.

6. Is MOOG worth the premium over budget chassis parts?

Look, I'm not saying budget parts are always bad. But based on our internal return rate data from 200+ chassis part orders last year, MOOG returns were about 2% while the no-name import line we used was closer to 8%. I'd rather sell the part once and not hear about it again.

That doesn't mean buy premium everything. On a sway bar end link, the labor is 20 minutes and the part is cheap. I'm fine with a mid-range link for a beater truck. On a wheel bearing and hub assembly, the labor alone is two hours and an alignment can be involved. I pay the premium there.

The causation is backwards in most arguments. People think MOOG is expensive, so shops assume it's high quality. The reality is the other way: shops kept buying it because the failure rate stayed lower, and the brand price reflects that trust. Not every decision will be a home run, but this one gets closer when the part keeps the wheel on the truck.

7. How do I confirm a bad stabilizer link or wheel bearing before ordering MOOG?

Stabilizer link: park on level ground, turn the wheel full lock, and squeeze the rubber boot. If grease is leaking or the boot is torn, replace it. If the link moves by hand with a knock, that's your clunk.

Wheel bearing: drive in a low-speed loop. A loose bearing usually makes a drone or growl, and the noise often changes as weight shifts left or right. With the vehicle safely on a lift, grip the tire at 12 and 6 and wiggle. Movement could be bearing or ball joint. If you're not sure, pull the brake caliper and turn the hub. A rough grinding feel means the bearing is done.

Ordering both parts just in case is a trap. I've seen a shop order both a K90389 and a 513280 for a noise that turned out to be a loose spare tire tool under the truck. A lesson learned the hard way. Exactly why the diagnostic step matters.