Pennock's Fiero Forum Technical Discussion & Questions - Archive
How many rear wheel bearing assemblies do I have to buy to get one that doesn't fail? (Page 2)
T H I S I S A N A R C H I V E D T O P I C
How many rear wheel bearing assemblies do I have to buy to get one that doesn't fail?
Well, based on the fact that with the tire off the ground, placing my hands at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock and checking for free play, there is some. My mechanic tells me if there is free play at all then the bearing is bad. He's a good guy too, not the type to scam people at all.
Just FYI, a bad ball joint can also cause play in the wheel when using that test. To be sure, you should look behind the wheel to see if the wheel is wobbling by itself, or the knuckle/hub assembly is wobbling along with it. If the knuckle/hub is wobbling in concert with the wheel, your lower ball joint is toast.
While at work today, I checked into this. I was incorrect about most of the BCA hubs. Most of them are made in Korea, not China as I mentioned earlier. Some of our store brand hubs are made in USA, but most were China. I think I ever saw some that were from Mexico. Anyway, the main point is that many name brands are having their parts made in another country a lot cheaper, but still charging roughly the same price.
css9450, you may be right about the Timken numbers. I've had to cross reference Timken part numbers before and it seems that they were the same a lot of the time.
the problem is not so much who made the bad part or even where it was made the problem is china made steel china does not have good quality controls in the steel making industrys start with poor quality steel and the part will fail
btw Indian [dot not feather] steel is also junk quality
------------------ Question wonder and be wierd are you kind?
IP: Logged
07:44 PM
fierogt28 Member
Posts: 2962 From: New-Brunswick, Canada. Registered: Feb 2005
I've been following this thread...but has anyone tried SKF??
BTW, if some have used bearing for the rear and had problems and some have not, maybe there's a chance that older stock (the good bearings) they got. The more recent made bearings (newer stock) are made in China. Possible??
Unless we know what exactly who make the GM bearings, hopefully these new GM cars aren't assembled with chinese junk from the factory. That would be one hell of an issue...
------------------ fierogt28
88 GT, loaded, 5-speed
IP: Logged
09:08 PM
fierogt28 Member
Posts: 2962 From: New-Brunswick, Canada. Registered: Feb 2005
the problem is not so much who made the bad part or even where it was made the problem is china made steel china does not have good quality controls in the steel making industrys start with poor quality steel and the part will fail
btw Indian [dot not feather] steel is also junk quality
This too is a possibility....but I can't confirm. IMO, Look at the cars from the 70s...here in Canada, those years the cars rusted like rust-buckets. The reason was because the steel was poor quality or how it was made. You see more cars from the 60s and 80s than the 70s combined. My father had an old Chrysler Cordoba bought new in 75' and was rusted to pots and junked in 84'. The interior and engine was still very good. The body was junk.
I just don't understand with parts made in china is how do they get certified if they fail rapidly?? And who certifies them?? China, or the USA?? If China does, that's probably the problem...isn't it??
------------------ fierogt28
88 GT, loaded, 5-speed
IP: Logged
09:19 PM
Nov 18th, 2009
ClayTonto Member
Posts: 524 From: White, GA, USA Registered: Dec 2008
Timkens FTW Advance Auto no longer carries any American made Bearings for Fieros (Nationals are now made in Korea) Autozone carries Timkens, which are American made and are great quality.
------------------ 87 GT Tilt Clip-Widebody-RamAir-Fastback-GlassHatch Powered by SBC 383 6-speed w/ NOS Build Thread Goals in Life: 1. Get Married..........Check! 2. Build Dream Car..........Check! 3. Get Wife to Come Back...
[This message has been edited by ClayTonto (edited 11-18-2009).]
IP: Logged
04:00 AM
May 24th, 2010
The Aura Member
Posts: 2290 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Registered: Nov 2001
I'll look tomorrow when I get to work if I remember,but new Ford's on the sticker say "at least 65% of this vehicle built in the USA" or something along that line. What's funny is right below it says that the engine,trans and drivetrain were made in mexico and elsewhere. If the power/drivetrain aren't at least %65 of the vehicle then that's alot of plastic.
Most every part we get from Ford for warranty or otherwise is made in mexico. Not sure why they're all coming over here,the jobs are down there in the auto business.
By the way,BorgWarner automotive is chinese owned now. There was a big deal in our newspaper when they bought X percent of borg warner,and recently they mentioned buying the rest. My buddy worked at the local plant for years,and a guy from work for like 20 years. Downsized and less quality control I hear,now SLW automotive I think. I'll ask my buddies more about it,I just know what I read in the paper. Might just be a subsidary that didn't do much,Borg Warner corporate has many of them.
