32 replies to this topic

[59 Speed]

By the looks other ones I received from Mini Spares they look far better quality then the £12.50 ones from eBay, the areas were the roller bearings go look more substantial etc...

Even though the packaging doesn't have Timken or genuine Rover on it I'm sure that they are Genuine Timken as they came from a reputable supplier.

Ian

[Vipernoir]

The bearings that come from Spares in the black boxes are genuine Timken.

[jaydee]

 

Question is in the title really.

 

Both my front bearings have gone so wondering if the extra £30 each for timken bearings is really worth it?

 

Car runs negative camber so obviously strains the bearings more, but the price difference seems a bit steep.

 

Not an everyday car, and used mainly for competition.

 

discuss......

 

 

 

The problem with most timkens, as some already said above, is the diffusion counterfeit parts. Same applies to SFK.

I've had good results with powertune bearings, there cheaper, i've tried a set and now are on 2k miles and still counting, faulty bearings wont last 1k miles.

 

Avoid these like a plauge..

 

http://www.theminifo...rings-to-avoid/

[petey81]

I bought some. Rear non gen ones from mini spares fitted today but once torqued up hub wont move!
Put old ones in for now.

[jaydee]

Sounds like the spacer is machined too thin, contact the supplier

[Yams]

I have used minispares own brand bearings, fitted correctly with castrol high melting point bearing grease. When fitted I used the correct large washer first to pre-load them, then fitted new conical washers and hub nuts, re-torqued and not had a problem so far and done a few thousand miles. I had fitted a cheap bearing prior to this and it failed within 200miles and was droning its brains out. When removed it was evident the bearing was at fault. Didn't look too healthy!

 

+1 to this. I went from Timken bearings to minispares own and i couldn't tell the difference. Mine have lasted well over 1000 miles too.

[59 Speed]

The bearings that come from Spares in the black boxes are genuine Timken.

+1

Just checked mine.

I presume Automated Bearings Ltd package the Timken bearings with the seals etc... and sell them on as a kit as the bearings and races were in a separate bag to the seals.

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Edited by Smackfiend, 19 January 2014 - 04:04 PM.

[rally1380]

Yeh by the looks of it those bearings are laser etched with Timken......not fake-able?

 

I will wait to see what mine look like when they arrive and post a photo on here.

 

Would be interested to get a Unipart one to compare, seeing as they are Timken too apparently.

 

Didn't realise there would be such interest about this subject in all honesty.  But wheel bearings are a crutial part of the hub and drivetrain and if they fail it could have a serious outcome.  had a rear fail on my old trusty Ford Orion (don't hate me for owning an Orion people!) at 'about' 70, and was the strangest feeling...almost like rear wheel steering, but not in a good way.     

[petey81]

Sounds like the spacer is machined too thin, contact the supplier

Cannot be bothered to mess about posting back so will just by some timken ones.

[Carlos W]

Do people clean the sticky oil stuff off before fitting?

[petey81]

Hubs all cleaned and outer races all the way in. Never had issues before. seen on the forum that there have been bad batches with the inner spacers and tolerances.

[tiger99]

From what several people have said, it now seems that some suppliers may be packing sets of Timken bearings and associated parts to make up a complete bearing kit. That is very bad, as although the bearings will be of the finest quality, the pair of bearings, and spacer if used, are very likely to be mismatched and give the wrong running clearance, which is very dangerous. Bearing sets should only be matched and packed by someone with the same level of competence and quality control as the manufacturer. I think that some of the previous problems seen here on the forum can now be explained. An ill-conceived supply chain is resulting in dangerously mismatched bearing sets being supplied, even if the bearings themselves are of the finest quality. I had not realised that until now. This remains a supply chain problem, and needs to be fixed urgently.

 

Vipernoir, I am in the same industry as you, and we regularly see the same problems. Actually, considering your location, I think I may be involved in your forthcoming next door neighbour, keeping the French in order. (They play by different rules to the UK, and my job is partly to help them to conform to the tighter rules we use in the UK.) You will know that the Chinese have invested in the project, however for security reasons no Chinese national will ever be allowed to set foot in our premises, so they will not get anywhere near anything technical.

 

We try hard to ensure that absolutely nothing we procure comes from China, as almost all of it is bogus. However we have also had bogus electronic components made in the US on an allegedly proper military qualified production line, a serious criminal offence...

[Da11yn]

I have used the minispares cheap ones in the front of mine and they seem to hold up fine even with 13 x 7s, competition and commuting abuse (around 15 events, 15k miles and lost count of the number of pot holes!). 

No doubt that genuine would last longer and probably be better in the long run for economy, but the bank balance prefers the minispares ones.

[tiger99]

I used to get upwards of 100k miles from standard Rover/Unipart bearings, which in those days were either Timken or SKF, paired correctly. I did not need to change very many, in fact one of the Minis, a 1972 (approx) 998, reached 180k miles on its original bearings! I think we should still be able to get that, provided we don't mess about with wheel offset or spacers. The higher speed of a 1275 may reduce bearing life slightly, but the cornering and impact loads should be much the same (I made up for the lack of power by fast cornering, after all, Minis invite that!).

Edited by tiger99, 19 January 2014 - 11:05 PM.

[rally1380]

Minispares order arrived today....and mine are as pictured on a previous comment. Timken clearly laser etched in.

 

Hubs off and cleaned, tomorrow evening for the fitting as too hungry!!!!.

 

And as a note....the ones I have taken off the car are NOT timken and probably fitted when the disc conversion was fitted.....the discs have outlasted the bearings!!!  Cheap Chinese repro rubbish.

 

Glad I bought the timken ones now.