Club 80-90 Forums

I hope I haven't fitted another set of those Chocolate wheel bearings like GSF sell.

I previously did purchase and fit a set of GSF rear wheel bearings to my T3.
As the original ones had a little bit of play.
The GSF ones lasted a year till they collapsed on the French motorway.
Destroying a tyre.
I took them back to GSF and they wouldn't except there was a problem as they sold loads.
I ask them to send them back to head office to be looked at.
Never got a response.
Even though these wheel bearings could kill someone.

I replaced the wheel bearings with ones from Just Kampers.
Which are advertised as Febi Bilstein made in Germany.
I have had these on a year and there is play in both sides.

Are these wheel bearings S*t* or is there some other problem.
I didn't use any bearing tight when I fitted them as they were a tight fit.
Big nut was as as tight as I could get it with big bar.
Have tried the Nut again still tight.
Any Ideas.

When i brought my T25 over from Germany and had it inspected to get it registered [like a MOT i guess] the only thing that they found were the rear bearings. When i checked them -okay they had a little bit of play ,but no noise or roughness. I replaced them with dealer bought, Febi brand. I carefully replaced them, but even then ,there still was some play. Passed the inspection [only because i could prove that i replaced them] ,even with the [now smaller] play at them. I guess the moral is that with safety items -buy the best quality only.

This got picked up when in for the test 2 year ago, this year it wasn't picked up.
The reason - the tester was familiar (and sympathetic) with older vehicles and knows that some play is almost standard.

With a modern test station and with testers who deal with new cars you will often get this problem.

The answer I fear is NOT always bearings...

There's nearly always some in-out play anyway... but if the housing themselves are not dead true and round inside, then despite the bearings appearing to be a tight fit when pressed or driven in, then one (inner ball-race or outer plain roller) will maybe rock in the housing - often seems to be a mystery as there are few signs of housing ovalling. Rock may be just one way, lateral or vertical sometimes too, which points away from the bearings themselves being the culprit. Haven't seen signs of the (hardened?) spacer sleeve fretting or crushing either, but have two vehicles with the same problem, which unless severe, shouldn't fail its MOT IMHO. They would have to be quite bad before the MOT will fail them, if the 'man' knows his VWs...

Loctite bearing fit may help, failing that a new bearing carrier housing.

As harryman says there can be some play in the bearings to allow for expansion, the colder it is the more play will be evident, have you checked them when they are hot?

I had 3 sets of GSF front bearings they last about 500 miles, got a set off Baxters and they have been on 2 years now

GSF were selling 2 qualities at that time i think..
the issue here is not bearing quality I am sure, as he didn't use GSF ones

Febi ones should be decent quality.
Febi are not a manufacturer, simply a re-boxer.
The outer bearings are made by Torrington (Timken) only, so you will find almost all kits come with a timken outer, all except the GSF ones, which have some cheap, chocolate Chinese sourced "VeTech" items, which are utter dogshite.
Most problems I find are that the inner bearing can spin in the housing when the housing gets worn, problem seems mush worse on syncro models which almost all syncro housings I pull apart are mullered.
2WD housings are much better.
I always fit the inner bearing with bearing fit compound to try to ease matters.
I have been through loads of different brands on bearing, even the FAG and SKF ones don't totally eliminate the play.
There will always be a certain amount of movement in these bearings.

Surly forums like this one are here for folks to gather advice and read up on' Whats hot' and 'Whats Not' as far as sourced parts are concerned, in fact I will go as far as to say T25 bearings from GSF have been known to me to be dodgy for at least 18 months or more......

With the above in mind a more reliable sources of bearings would be my first port of call If the need arose, eg http://www.brgandeng.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Personally the likes of GSF are for me the last resort for parts as your local motor factor will be able to supply better quality parts cheaper, shop around you will be amazed....


Regards

Fritz,,,,,,