I replaced the rear wheel bearings with cheap off brand bearings a year ago well aware that they would last about a year. I'm getting ready to buy quality units this time and from what I've learned over the years Timken and SKF are both top quality bearings. Does this still ring true? Is there a manufacturer I'm forgetting that should be considered instead? Of the two, are they equivalent or is one clearly better quality these days?
I get the feeling they all come from the same plant. Maybe there's one that makes quality bearings and another that does cheaper ones.
When I put together my differential I bought bearings that had SKF on the box but KOYO JAPAN or KOYO INDIA stamped on them. I also have a tapered wheel bearings in a Federal Mogul box with SKF stamped on them.
In various applications have used both with fine results. I personally consider both to be "quality" brands.
Gen2 Prius have weak front wheel bearings. I leaned to Timkin in the past but then realized the SKF's are $90 vs $100 on RockAuto but the SKFs have a 5yr/60k warranty and Timkin has 1 yr.
Of Course...
I think I've used both with good results. I wouldn't hesitate to buy either
FAG is also good quality. Any of the above should be good to go.
wvumtnbkr said:FAG is also good quality. Any of the above should be good to go.
I had forgotten about FAG. Thanks.
After checking out FAG in addition to Timken and SKF I deduced that Timken was roughly half the price of SKF and FAG except on rockauto. Also there were 213 Timken results on ebay vs 6 for FAG and 13 for SKF. This made me think getting real Timken bearings might be more of a gamble than SKF or FAG (at least from ebay) and rockauto had SKF and FAG bearings cheaper than anywhere else (not by a ton but enough to offset shipping) also that FAG bearing were the most expensive of the three anywhere they were sold (but not by much on rockauto where they were 94 for Timken, 95 for SKF and 110 for FAG each respectively) Using the old adage you get what you pay for I bought the FAG bearings. Not at all because my 12 year old brain got to type out that acronym multiple times to make this post.
Tons of fake Timmy-Kins out there these days. Ordered a set up for my van (2 separate sellers, river store), one was a real nice USA made with name brand bearings, one looked striking similar but had no markings on any of the bearings, less machining on the hub, and generally a cruddier appearance. Presume the crappier looking one is not legit.
Sent them both back after doing a deep dive an ordered OEM Ford. Roughly the same price, but I know they are decent.
In reply to 93gsxturbo :
Good to know about Timken. Not to mention the river store. I've completely quit buying mechanical parts from them due to rampant counterfeiting there.
I wanted to post a follow up since I had to do the same hubs a year ago and that was a rust and 4 letter word filled 18 hour slog that I was determined to not repeat because as everyone said, buy the cheap bearings and you'll be doing the job again next year.
So, in preparation every mating surface where the hub touched a curve and it slid through to mount I put Mobil 1 synthetic grease in a thin coat onto. This year I took my time and everything slid apart like it was made to do so. Total job was done in 3 hours including getting the quick jack down and putting it away again. So easy. One tip I learned that I did not do last time was to tighten the axle nut to the hub before putting the wheel back on. I used the parking brake to do so. I didn't know that you can cause premature wear if you put the wheel on first and lower the car so there's sideways pressure on the bearing before you torque it down. Edit: I also learned that I don't have to take the parking brakes apart to get the hub in and out so that saved me another hour not putting those back together.
If I don't get lifetime wear out of this set of hubs at least I won't be fighting rusted together hubs like the first time.
93gsxturbo said:Sent them both back after doing a deep dive an ordered OEM Ford. Roughly the same price, but I know they are decent.
Except that boxed oem parts, are supplied by whoever is cheapeast, so no, not really.
I've always had luck with timken. Drove by their factory a while back and they had a sign that they were hiring machinists, so I guess they're actually made here insted of "assembled in the US with global parts"
93gsxturbo said:
Sent them both back after doing a deep dive an ordered OEM Ford. Roughly the same price, but I know they are decent.
That reminds me. From what I'm seeing in quality, full cost Subaru branded bearings are lasting less than 6 months in some cases, bought from the dealer. Granted that could be one disgruntled jackwagon but priced much higher than these top quality brands, I just stayed away.
In reply to gunner (Forum Supporter) :
I've come across this in reference to rear wheel bearings on Crosstreks. Internet folk seem to blow through them. Mine are original at 85k. Dunno. When/if they go I'll grab one these brands on RA if available.
I'll also continue to slow down over speed bumps. I suspect user error.
03Panther said:93gsxturbo said:Sent them both back after doing a deep dive an ordered OEM Ford. Roughly the same price, but I know they are decent.
Except that boxed oem parts, are supplied by whoever is cheapeast, so no, not really.
Jesus take the wheel, but at least these were USA made per the box with name brand bearings. In a sea of crap, sometimes its about finding the turd with the least amount of corn.
OE parts from a dealer will 99.9999999% of the time never need modification to fit the application.
Wheel bearings will always last longer if you idiots, about 89% of "mechanics/technicians" out there, would quit impacting the retention nut on. You are brinelling the bearing and race surfaces with your 3k ft/lb impact. When I quit doing the impact it on approach, bearings easily tripled in mileage and life expectancy. I use the tire and wheel as my friction to hold everything in place and torque it on the ground. It's worked for all the ones I've had to replace on gmt800's that eat front wheel bearings like pez. I'm currently on the set I put on the Avalanche in a hotel parking lot in NM 3 yrs ago(?) and almost 100k miles.
All I can say is I would save paper route money in 1982 to but SKF bearing in my kryptonic skateboard wheels, top notch.
In reply to GTwannaB :
You're like a young Horacio Pagani.
For years the Timken factory was in the Canton Ohio area. At the time, they were quality. We used their earing and races exclusively for maintaining a fleet of off Road Oil & Gas service vehicles. Brand loyality would have me installing them on our trailer in the fall. YRMC
One of my grandfathers retired from Timken, he worked in Canton, so I tend to buy those when I can.
In reply to gixxeropa :
Depends. They still make some in Keene NH and in several plants in CT as well but like all MFG they have plants over seas in cheaper places.
Military uses both, and both have factories outside of the US (Mexico, overseas, etc)
I also know that they both had super long lead times for what we needed, but I think SKF was a shorter lead time than timken
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