Front Wheel Bearings

[Andrew D]

When replacing the front wheel bearings, I have a choice of Timken, OEM or cheaper bearing sets.

My gut instinct is to opt for the Timken bearings but these are £110 a side versus £30 a side for the OEM and £15 for the cheapest option. 

Any thoughts or experience?

[John L]

Hi Andrew and welcome to the Forum,  It may be helpful to us to add you location to your account then others can make better recommendations based on you location.

Timken are meant to be the best, but NTN I don't think are that bad, as made in Japan, but perhaps some of the other cheaper ones may be suspect.

Where are you getting those prices from, it may be better to go to a bearing supplier, but you would need the bearing numbers which I don't have to hand, but maybe someone else may come along soon and add them.

John

[Andrew D]

John,

I have just updated my Forum profile - Leicestershire. Prices are approximate in my original posting and come from the Rimmers' website, - my usual 'go to' source for spares for all my cars.

My TR6 has 95000 miles and the bearings are probably original. I do not really want  to do them more than once, so I need some quality bearings.

Andrew 

[PodOne]

Hi Andrew

Think I paid around £90 for Timken, both sides a few years ago but I can't remember form where one thing for sure is that it won't have being from Rimmers!

Andy  

[trchris]

Hi Andrew 

if you do a search this has been discussed before can’t remember part numbers but l used ABC bearings in Boston they do mail order and top quality bearings as well 

Chris

[John L]

I did a google search its easier that the Forum one, and found I asked the same question some years ago, how time flies and I'd  forgotten, but should help with some numbers?

 

[Andrew D]

John, Thanks for the Google tip. 

The Timken part Nos. are  03062/03162 and 07100SA/07210X so I will track these down at a local bearing stockist. Falling that, ABC in Boston or Bramers in Slough as per the 2009 Post. I also have an offer of help from Openroad in Newark. I think I have enough to go on for now and will report back with progress and results in due course.

Many thanks.

[Mike C]

3 hours ago, Andrew D said:

John, Thanks for the Google tip. 

The Timken part Nos. are  03062/03162 and 07100SA/07210X so I will track these down at a local bearing stockist. Falling that, ABC in Boston or Bramers in Slough as per the 2009 Post. I also have an offer of help from Openroad in Newark. I think I have enough to go on for now and will report back with progress and results in due course.

Many thanks.

I always buy bearings from local industrial bearing suppliers. Given the damage a premature  industrial bearing failure can do, these suppliers  cannot afford to sell junk.

[Schnippel]

Hello,
Next to the bearings, the stub axle pin should be inspected very carefully. The bearing seats should be measured carefully. It makes no sense to put very good bearings on a worn stub axle pin. An exact setting is not possible.

Best regards
Ralph

[iain]

Also make sure the felt seal is of the correct thickness….many are too thick.
As regards suppliers, Rimmers…..each to their own. 

[Mike C]

If you haven't done it before, I found removing the CP bearing caps without damaging them  a bit of an art.

[Andy Moltu]

Much is said of the overly thick felt seals, however the do compress quite readily. They seem to be thicker but less dense.

The trick I have used is to slightly overtighten the bearings on installation, don't drive yet, leave for overnight and readjust. 

After a hundred miles or so, readjust and by then they will compressed.

There are a number of postings on the different bearing makes. There is a degree of reassurance in fitting a bearing from a quality supplier. However I suspect many failures are likely to be due to overtightening. In much the same way that people assume the main reason for pad knock off is flexing of the stub axles, when the problem is too slack adjustment of the bearings.

[stuart]

4 hours ago, Mike C said:

If you haven't done it before, I found removing the CP bearing caps without damaging them  a bit of an art.

Do what I do and drill a hole trough the middle and weld a 1/4"UNF nut on the outside of them then its easy to just wind a long bolt through till it touches the stub and pushes the cap off. just fit a little plastic blank plug in after if your worried about any dirt ingress.

Stuart.

[stuart]

1 hour ago, Andy Moltu said:

Much is said of the overly thick felt seals, however the do compress quite readily. They seem to be thicker but less dense.

The trick I have used is to slightly overtighten the bearings on installation, don't drive yet, leave for overnight and readjust. 

After a hundred miles or so, readjust and by then they will compressed.

There are a number of postings on the different bearing makes. There is a degree of reassurance in fitting a bearing from a quality supplier. However I suspect many failures are likely to be due to overtightening. In much the same way that people assume the main reason for pad knock off is flexing of the stub axles, when the problem is too slack adjustment of the bearings.

I have some original NOS felt seals here and they are thick as well. Like you say soak them in oil before fitting then wind them up tight, leave overnight and then readjust the next day.

Stuart.

[stuart]

Oh and FWIW you can guarantee a youngster MOT testing the car will go "Im going to fail it on slack front wheel bearings" They dont understand that there is supposed to be some play as all moderns have roller bearing hubs with no play unless knackered, Im lucky my local test station understands them along with steering boxes and flyoff handbrakes.

Stuart.

[astontr6]

22 hours ago, Andrew D said:

When replacing the front wheel bearings, I have a choice of Timken, OEM or cheaper bearing sets.

My gut instinct is to opt for the Timken bearings but these are £110 a side versus £30 a side for the OEM and £15 for the cheapest option. 

Any thoughts or experience?

SKF are as good as Timken. Do not buy  any bearings that are unmarked as they will be made in China and will be junk.

Bruce.

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

Bearing numbers on the Bonanza.  
See entry 1st April 2023

 

The FAG and SKF are common numbers with Timken.

 

[Mike C]

1 hour ago, stuart said:

Do what I do and drill a hole trough the middle and weld a 1/4"UNF nut on the outside of them then its easy to just wind a long bolt through till it touches the stub and pushes the cap off. just fit a little plastic blank plug in after if your worried about any dirt ingress.

Stuart.

Good idea. I welded heavy washers on  my caps and  grip them multi grips for removal - it works but looks pretty rough.

[Hamish]

6 hours ago, stuart said:

Im lucky my local test station understands them along with steering boxes and flyoff handbrakes.

Stuart.

Me too - Votex in congleton is great. My 3a passed today. I made a special mention of all my suspension mods so he could double check my work. 
 

Won’t win any medals for mileage. But what I have done is probably 80% flat out 

[Nigel A]

My car failed its MOT on faulty lights recently, young east European tester was trying to dip the headlights using the overdrive switch!!!

Nigel

[jamesStag]

Hi Nigel,. I presume that was only a 'technical fail' , until you enlightened the chap of the whereabouts of the foot dip-switch!!  

Cheers J.

 

[Nigel A]

Unfortunately it was logged into the computer and a fail certificate issued!!

Before the test I even asked him if he knew where all the controls where.

The garage has an excellent reputation and specialises in luxury high performance cars.

the owner is a Classic car owner and they have done all our MOTs for many years. He was shocked when I spoke to him. He immediately organised a retest with a different tester and I haven’t seen the incompetent idiot since. The old tester has unfortunately retired and he worked on TRs regularly in his younger days.

Nigel

[glasgow4a]

I used BRT bearings for fronts available nationwide part no BRT 298 NTN BEARINGS. cheers Ian.

[astontr6]

31 minutes ago, glasgow4a said:

I used BRT bearings for fronts available nationwide part no BRT 298 NTN BEARINGS. cheers Ian.

+1 They do proper kits  for all cars and the felt oil seals are the correct thickness unlike those from  Moss!

Bruce,

[Mick Forey]

When fitting new good quality bearings 12/18 months back, I also fitted one of these kits: https://www.trgb.co.uk/products/brake-pad-anti-knock-off-kit-tr2-6?_pos=1&_sid=fef9b096a&_ss=r. Very pleased with the result. Took a few dry builds to get the right shims but then, after greasing and fitting the seal, the castellated nut is torqued up and locked. 8,000 miles later and still zero play, wheel freely rotates with no pad knock-back. Result.

Mick