Best Rear Wheel Hub Assembly?

[RHanselman]

AutoZone Duralast - $77
Timken = $110
GM Dealer = $425

Any recomondations?

I have a low speed noise and vibration on number #140. I'm going to check her out today...

Cheers,
RH

[XfireZ51]

Ron,

Doing the same thing to #458. Bought a Timken. At one point you could find private labeled NDH bearings at AZ but I don't think so any longer.
Besides, how many miles will u be putting on the car yearly?

[RHanselman]

Besides, how many miles will u be putting on the car yearly?

This one is my daily driver until I get my Chevy Cruise back from my son... I drive around 17,712 miles to work and back for the year. 82 miles round trip...

[Pete]

See what kind of Warranty they give you with Timken.

If Lifetime i would go with Timken and you'll never have to buy another bearing.

Pete

[RHanselman]

See what kind of Warranty they give you with Timken.

If Lifetime i would go with Timken and you'll never have to buy another bearing.

Pete

3 year...

[Coupe89]

I had the same problem turned out to be bad u-joints.

[RHanselman]

I had the same problem turned out to be bad u-joints.

I don't seem to have any play in the Hub however I do have a little lash in the right side U-Joint... Also, the tires are as hard as rocks... I'll switch some rubber around and see what happens...

[gbrtng]

I don't seem to have any play in the Hub however I do have a little lash in the right side U-Joint... Also, the tires are as hard as rocks... I'll switch some rubber around and see what happens...
If there is no play in the hub - top to bottom or front to rear - then the bearing is not the problem. Sounds like a tire with some cupping ...

[rhipsher]

Ron if you do find you need wheel hub assembly check these guys out. I bought my rear ones from them. Nos OEM. http://www.corvetterecycling.com/category_s/432.htm

[secondchance]

Ron if you do find you need wheel hub assembly check these guys out. I bought my rear ones from them. Nos OEM. http://www.corvetterecycling.com/category_s/432.htm

I thought of the same since I bought a set of NOS hubs for something like $120 each in 2010.
No such luck anymore - all sold out! Looks like they only have front hubs now.

[rhipsher]

I thought of the same since I bought a set of NOS hubs for something like $120 each in 2010.
No such luck anymore - all sold out! Looks like they only have front hubs now. Yes your right. They sold the rears for $199 a piece and the front's for $120 a piece.
I tell you what Ron! I have a set of rear OEM wheel hub assemblies that are used but in very good shape that I'll give to you free. But they are for a 90 Z. I don't know what year yours is. Or if they are interchangeable.

[GOLDCYLON]

AutoZone Duralast - $77
Timken = $110
GM Dealer = $425

Any recomondations?

I have a low speed noise and vibration on number #140. I'm going to check her out today...

Cheers,
RH

Timken. Make fine other bearings as well.

[rhipsher]

Ron I'd check your suspension bushings. Rubber bushings have only so many good years in them before they get hard and dry rot. Old hard tires will cause balance problems and vibration also. So will worn out inner/outer tie rods/steering rack/ upper/lower ball joints. Look how bad mine was.
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn63/keeno1970/firstdayofschool028.jpg
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn63/keeno1970/firstdayofschool027.jpg

And the rear tires were wearing unevenly. It was horrible all the way around and just getting worse. So I over hauled the entire suspension. It drives like a stiff dream now. Every vibration I ever had was gone. I hope yours is just old tires. Good luck.

[RHanselman]

Wow, I didn't even think to ask Doug or Colton...

I usually go to Corvette Recycling for all my stuff but it's been so long, I dropped them out of my crosscheck.

I do have some rubber that needs replacing. Mainly on the rear springs, all the rest looks in pretty good shape. The dog bones are hard to tell unless you get on it a few times and then inspect them. You can see the rub marks on the rubber from their movement in the bracket. I had a big problem with my '91 and she only had a few thousand miles on her at the time. Of course, it's the age that counts...

Glen, I'll put the tires from the 368 car on this weekend and see if there's a big difference. I bet you are right. The tires are like rocks and there is some uneven wearing going on.

I have some Timken's on the way just in case...

Cheers,
RH

[XfireZ51]

Ron

Have u jacked rear end up and tried rocking wheel holding top and bottom?

[RHanselman]

Ron

Have u jacked rear end up and tried rocking wheel holding top and bottom?

Yes and she's solid as a rock.

When I test the U-Joints I get a little lash on the right rear but not much... she probably needs a new joint or two...

[rhipsher]

I jacked mine up also and grabbed the top and bottom of the tires and wiggled them also and they felt tight. But underneath they were toast. My rears felt tight also but look at my dog bones when I removed them.
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn63/keeno1970/rearsuspen001-1.jpg

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid301.photobucket.com/albums/nn63/keeno1970/yyy.mp4

Of course I have 100 pics of the entire suspension poly rebuild but I wont bore anybody with all that. Just figured Id throw out a few suggestions.:blahblah:

[Corbusa]

show some picture Bra :)

[rhipsher]

show some picture Bra :) Well I can give you an idea in a few pictures of whats involved. And I'm positive that once you see them you'll be inspired to dive right in.:mrgreen:

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn63/keeno1970/image9-1.jpg


http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn63/keeno1970/finalbushing011.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn63/keeno1970/image10-1.jpg

But I think Dynomite has the rest of it in the how to section.

[sdycke]

An 'electonic ear' can be extremely helpful diagnosing bearing (and many other) noises. Especially easy now that they are wireless. Not expensive considering the time/frustration they save. And you suddenly become an A-list friend to your gear head buddies! Always go with a name brand bearing manufacturer such as Timken. Bower etc........ The white box, private label, etc whatever you call them are actually intended for vehicles to be used as car bombs. Really! Little known fact. Youre welcome. Cheers!

[FU]

Timken. Make fine other bearings as well.


TIMKEN..the best !

[batchman]

Any recomondations?

I've come to the conclusion that they are all now made in the same factory in China. Having gone through 1-2 sets of hubs a year for the last few years I have seen random logos mixed up and they all seem to have very similar design. For me they all fail the same way - seal gets overheated, lube leaves, hub becomes junk. Front or rear, and in either front style (we run both ABS styles).

At least I got through a couple sets on Autozone's 1 year guarantee. Now I'm preparing to back date my front hubs so at least I can toss the cheap ones (sensor separate).

If there is play in all directions (ie shake wheel l/r & t/b) it's a hub - if it's tight in any of those directions it's something else.

315 and 335 slicks are addictive, but they extract their price beyond just paying Hoosier... LOL!

Best,
- Jeff

[sdycke]

The 'one factory in china' analogy isnt too far from the truth in that they do produce different quality parts for differnet customers under the same roof. I know this for a fact. What muddys the waters further is that the SAME bearing can be sold by both a better name brand retailer (eg NAPA) vs a discount retailer with a MUCH lower price (with a MUCH shorter warranty. ie you pay for the warranty). All I can say is from my experience as a journeyman mechanic here, NTN-BOWER seems to work well. Timken is probably the best known and maybe works as well but how many times have i looked at a new Timken bearing and found 'made in Romania' or wherever on it and wondered hmmmmm.....like the set of Dunlops I bought that were made in Poland; with further investigation I found they were made at the Buna rubber plant the Nazis built at Auschwitz/Birkenau. But they ran fine and lasted...I guess thats the price for globalization. Maybe those Romanian Timken bearings were the best out there? Untill I get burned I will continue to use NTN-Bower, because they have held up for me (although I dont race) and definitely have seen many people get burned using white box/private label (autozone, partsource, whathaveyou...) bearings. Thats my experience anyway. PS I'm sure youre aware a bearing that can has no play by feel can definitely growl....buy/borrow an 'electronic ear' set up....its invaluable for times like these (eg customer says LF is noisy but you can tell him, sorry sir BOTH front bearings are noisy, LF more so....or no its just your tires or torqrue converter etc) cheers! Uh oh. last call.....In short, go with what you know or trusted people advise but know that globalization can change it all in a heartbeat, as when my beloved NTN bearings are sourced from North Korea or Cuba when the opportunity presents....

[RHanselman]

Put the Timken’s on and no real change so tonight I swapped the tires around between the turbo car and #140. Yep it worked, no more noise...

I guess I have two good use bearings in storage now...

Cheers,

[4DSZR1]

Put the Timken’s on and no real change so tonight I swapped the tires around between the turbo car and #140. Yep it worked, no more noise...

I guess I have two good use bearings in storage now...

Cheers,

Hi Ron, Where did you buy your Timkens?

Thanks

Rick

[RHanselman]

Hi Ron, Where did you buy your Timkens?

Thanks

Rick

Rick,

Got them via the AutoZone website. They offered a $20 gift card for every $100 so I got two for the purchase...

Cheers,
Ron

[4DSZR1]

Rick,

Got them via the AutoZone website. They offered a $20 gift card for every $100 so I got two for the purchase...

Cheers,
Ron


Cool :-)

Thanks

Rick

[phrogs]

I have two complete sets of rear end parts if anyone is interested.