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Front wheel bearing issues - Replace whole hub or just the bearing itself?
Hey guys
ive had a front wheel bearing issue for a few months now and its about time I dealt with it.
from my understanding KOYO is the OEM supplier of the wheels bearings and hub assemblies
The hub+ bearing assemblies are not cheap considering I get nailed on the money conversion rate as well as shipping + duties + taxes , but at the same time I don't want to waste my time with a cheap aftermarket unit.
I recently found a supplier of just the actual wheel bearing, but my mechanic has said hes not sure it will swap in , and he recommended I spend the extra money and get the entire wheel hub assembly.
does anyone have any insight into this issue?
Is it possible to have the wheel bearings swapped out and re-use the same hub? Or do I need a new hub assembly?
My advice to you to is to purchase both of them and swap both of them. The first time I did mine we reused the hub and 2 years later I had to do it again. Since swapping both I have not had any issues. These bearings and hubs are press fit and require a decent amount of pressure to press in. That alone is concerning.
Autohouse AZ was the cheapest around for the Koyo Hub at around $225. Not sure what it would cost to you in Canada. To try and swap the bearing into the hub may require extra money for labor and not sure if the job will be correct. I'd go for the Koyo Hub and bite the bullet. It's the cost of LS430 ownership. Otherwise you might be sorry even if you save a few dollars. Just had mine done last week with a cost of around $425 total. Lexus wanted over $860!
I have plenty of insight into this. I took apart my wheel bearing to investigate going to ceramic bearings. The issue here, is the hub itself forms part of the race. So while the bearings may not be worn out, the hub itself could be worn. So you'd put in new bearings without actually fixing the issue. This is not a typical sealed bearing/race set-up.
FWIW, I put in a "cheapo" ($55) complete front wheel bearing/hub/sensor from Detroit Axle, as that's what I was going to use as my donor for my hybrid bearing test. Several thousand KMs later, it's still fine. Not sure how long it will last...but so far so good. https://www.amazon.com/Brand-Bearing...+wheel+bearing
I have plenty of insight into this. I took apart my wheel bearing to investigate going to ceramic bearings. The issue here, is the hub itself forms part of the race. So while the bearings may not be worn out, the hub itself could be worn. So you'd put in new bearings without actually fixing the issue. This is not a typical sealed bearing/race set-up.
FWIW, I put in a "cheapo" ($55) complete front wheel bearing/hub/sensor from Detroit Axle, as that's what I was going to use as my donor for my hybrid bearing test. Several thousand KMs later, it's still fine. Not sure how long it will last...but so far so good. https://www.amazon.com/Brand-Bearing...+wheel+bearing
Although this might be helpful, several thousand KMs is really not a fair indicator of this being the right way to go. Some owners have the original hub bearings after well over 200,000+ miles.
Although this might be helpful, several thousand KMs is really not a fair indicator of this being the right way to go. Some owners have the original hub bearings after well over 200,000+ miles.
Which is precisely why I said "I'm not sure how long this will last".
Before I say anything let ne see if the hub bearing I get Friday is as advertised. Autohaus is not the cheapest by far if my order fits. My last LS i did one at 150 k sold it at 200k the other one was fine. These where 17's current is 18's.
Dont think yur looking too hard, lol. Stands out like a pepe in a brothel on e bay type in the part number Koyo e bay motors 143 bucks let ya know if it is real by the end of the week,
I e mailed the fella with the Koyo for now 167 and I think if ya told him you saw it 2 days agao for 143.82 he might honor that price. He did when I asked if I could get the old price he agreed said pay the 167 call him in a week and he would refund me the difference. All the e mails are tracked by e bay so I am almost positive he would do as he says. Not knowing anything about hubs bearings let us know how the cheap one lasts. I would think with the weight and roll of the front end arund corners there is alot of strain on the hub, good luck to all. With my 17s and 18s on 2 different LS's and my drive style they went out at about the same time. Cheers
I just know I would be wary buying car parts off of Ebay as there are a lot of counterfeit ones floating around. Especially from a seller with very little feedback.
I'm sure most of the time everything is legit, but I just know I had a specific incident where I'm pretty sure I was swapped with counterfeit parts.
Its a growing industry.
Just a sample picture
The margins are so low from places like RockAuto and Amazon that for me its worth going to legit sources to get new parts.
About the only time an Ebay seller can undercut the big online stores is if he is able to somehow find a place that is shutting down and they are liquidating inventory and he's able to get Old Stock parts for pennies on the dollar.
you raised a few good points, ,mainly that perhaps my hub is damaged as well, so might as well do both
RRocket, good link, ive found a few cheapies for as low as $40 each, and the koyos for about $225-$250 ish
Ill see what I can finds and report back
You can check Rockauto for various manufacturers and pricing info. They have quite a nice selection. You can look at Timkin as a good brand as well as well. If you are in Canada they will quote in Canadian dollars and include all shipping and brokerage charges up front. I am in Quebec and most prices are about half of what they are here shipped to my door.
07-04-16, 06:23 PM
Front wheel bearing issues - Replace whole hub or just the bearing itself?
