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Front wheel bearing gone after 12mnths

Posted: 18 Apr 2010, 09:34
by sharonjpp
l fitted new wheel bearings 12 mnths ago and the offside has gone already,l did lower and stiffen the suspension at the same time and the caster/camber is slightly out, is this the problem or was it just a dodgy bearing as the other side is fine + anyone bought the justkampers front bearing kit is it any good and is the £20 kit for both side's,cheers.

Re: Front wheel bearing gone after 12mnths

Posted: 18 Apr 2010, 11:11
by kit
I used to change the fronts every year with GSF bearings, they are rubbish, get some from Brikwerks they will last and are not that much more.

http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php?o ... 0&Itemid=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Front wheel bearing gone after 12mnths

Posted: 18 Apr 2010, 11:40
by Mushr00m
"l did lower and stiffen the suspension at the same time and the caster/camber is slightly out, is this the problem."
In a word YES.

Bearings are what allows machinery to move freely & are made to tolerances that
are roughly 0.002"(2 thousandths of an inch) per inch diameter.

That is for an inch shaft that a bearing fits onto, that bearing will have 0.002"
tolerance(gap) between the bearing surface & the journal it moves on. Wear on
bearings is caused by that gap becoming bigger(slacker)/smaller(tighter).

Adjusting the parameters of a bearings intended conditions will cause this gap
to increase. Lack of oil will heat it's surfaces causing expansion & so will an
increased gap between surfaces.

I'd doubt VERY much that the bearing was a cheap one(is there such a thing?) as
it's the machining of the bearing during manufacture that costs the money not
so much the quality of the material so why would they use cheap materials(not
worth it for a company in the long run).

The code on the bearing itself will tell you all you need to know to buy a definite
top quality replacement. I found a quick reference to look up a bearing for it's
size rather than one to fit a particular car part, as buying for a particular
purpose means you've just been charged for someone selling you the CORRECT
one(according to them of course!) for your car. Meaning that £3 bearing has
cost you £8.50 because they knew the size(from the bearing code) & you didn't.

So here's how to source your own bearings correctly from the code & not just the
car parts shelf.

http://www.bearing-king.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd reccommend SKF(SKEFCO) or NSK bearings & to get your tracking correctly adjusted.

Hope this helps.

Re: Front wheel bearing gone after 12mnths

Posted: 18 Apr 2010, 12:27
by R0B
just get your new ones from brickwerks.that way you know you will be buying the best available...

Re: Front wheel bearing gone after 12mnths

Posted: 18 Apr 2010, 15:14
by little.legs
:( My nearside one lasted less than 12mths and managed to seize itself to the hub. Right pig to get off - that was a JK one as well. Strangely the offside is fine :? Wherever you get them, get the good ones. :ok