So I was swapping my rotors out this afternoon because my old ones are too thin to turn and are warped (no caliper sticking necessary) as I was doing this I decided to check the wheel bearing. So I spun the hub and noticed a little noise not much at all and there is no slack. Could this small consistent noise be indication of a failure. I recently replaced the other side bearing a few weeks back. It had a lot of play but this one is nice and tight just that slight noise worries me. Btw just because you have an SR5 with 17" wheels doesn't mean your getting the right rotors, PITA. :/
Wheel Bearing
- Thread starter jmm3807
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NJshadow93
New member
If you replaced one wheel bearing, you should do the other side at the same time anyway.
slowpoke99
New member
x2! when one side goes, the other usually isn't too far behind. it's also alot easier to track your maintenance/service records that way too. i like to know how many miles are on my bearings and other critical components(brakes, seals, etc) so that if i ever take it apart for something i can go ahead and address other parts while i'm in there.
Bumper2Bumper Auto
New member
The 4Runner is having the same issues with the front bearings that the Tacoma, and FJ Cruisers are having: No ready made assemblies that you can just bolt on. HOWEVER, stay tuned because they are on their way to Toyota-4Runner.org members this coming week! Keep your eyes open!
wyanrard
New member
Blue Pit Bearings | 2003-2012 Toyota 4Runner Complete Front Hub Wheel Bearing
Pretty good place, found them when I had mine done. I'm pretty positive quite a few people on here know of them.
Bumper2Bumper Auto
New member
I make the exact same assemblies Blue Pit does, but at a much lower price. Details will be available once I get my sponsorship organized here. Also Blue Pit does not offer the 2WD versions. I do.
Finally have my vendor page up! Click on the link in my signature or the link below for more information on my complete wheel bearing assemblies at the BEST prices anywhere!
Lowest prices on COMPLETE front wheel bearing assemblies!!!
Finally have my vendor page up! Click on the link in my signature or the link below for more information on my complete wheel bearing assemblies at the BEST prices anywhere!
Lowest prices on COMPLETE front wheel bearing assemblies!!!
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Atlanta_man
New member
Finally something for us wimpy 2WD folks. I'll be a customer.
I am not really sure why there would be a need for assemblies unless there is something wrong with your hub. Maybe I am cheap or maybe I am a tree hugger, but if your bearings are bad, just replace the bearings. The thing that scares me with the assemblies is that you don't know the parts. I feel more comfortable going to the part store and getting my made in japan SKF bearings and pressing them into my OE hub.
aha2988
New member
true but it's a pain in the ass to press out the hub flanges i wound up cutting the old bearings off with an angle grinder.
Bumper2Bumper Auto
New member
In reply to your first comment, more things go wrong with the hubs than people think. Now I am not saying that every hub is bad, BUT, when the bearing fails, it usually allows the hub to move beyond the normal position (this is what you feel when you wiggle the tire and feel the movement. It is the hub and inner race of the bearing moving together) When the hub is allowed to move off true, then it begins to apply unneeded pressure on the seal that it rides on. This can quickly wear the rubber off, and allow the sealing surface of the hub to rub against the metal of the seal. Once this happens the hub is damaged. You can still press out the old hub, replace the bearing and install a new seal, then get the hub pressed back in, but if the hub flange has been damaged, it usually does not take much more than a few thousand miles or even less before the seal fails and allows dirt and water to get into the bearing. I have seen it happen many, many times over the past several years of doing this.
To reply further, You know the exact parts, as I quote them in my list. I use factory Toyota o-rings, and mounting bolts on the 4WD and 2WD assemblies. As for the bearings, I purchase in bulk from Moog (Which make your SKF bearings) as well as direct from Koyo/Timken. I do not use the cheap e-bay bearings. I ONLY use bearings manufactured in Japan. The housings are assembled new, with the bearings already pressed inside, as pictured. The seal between the hub and bearing/hub unit is Timken, which again are made by their parent company, Koyo. When it comes to the hubs themselves, I use Dorman hubs for the 4X4 versions, just like everyone else, and for the 4X2 versions I use only Toyota 2wd hubs and backing nut.
Everything is high quality, and properly assembled. I have been doing this for 2 years now. So EVERY single part is brand new. Nothing is reused. The third point, as mentioned, is that you are paying for the convenience. As it sits now you have to go to the parts store, get the bearing and seal. Then you have to get a ride to take your assembly down to a shop to get the old assembly pressed apart, and the replacement part pressed in (Not everyone owns a press capable of doing this) After that, you then get a ride home and put the truck back together. My assemblies are ready to install. You simply unbolt yours, bolt mine in, and go! Usually less than 30 minutes per side and you are done! It is the convenience that you are paying for. You COULD drive all the way down to the grocery store to buy beer for a lower price. Instead most people go to the local corner store because it is convenient. They know that they pay more, but then again, they are paying for the convenience.
By the way, I challenge someone to find THIS quality of an assembly being sold for the prices I do.
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hearno
Senior Member
I dig it. Not that I'm hoping for a bearing failure but I had been doing research here on the off chance it happens and wasn't looking forward to the debacle it can become. This seems like a simple alternative and I'd rather pay for the convenience than deal with the hassle of finding a shop to press it etc and the associated downtime.
Either you are confusing the Toyota hub/bearing assembly with other manufacturers or you are talking about extreme failure. I have replaced many bearings and never seen the degree of failure your are talking about. Obviously you are in business to sell parts so I can understand the worse case scenario. I agree that if the hub is damaged it should be replaced, but replacing it just because is foolish and a waste of money. I could understand in situations where if you were in the middle of the woods and a press wasn't available. For any DYI unless you just want to spend the extra money because you are too lazy to drive to your nearest shop and either use their press or pay the them $5-10 to press them there is no reason to replace your hub.
As for your parts, I would hope you are on the up and up, but you don't guarantee a brand. That scares me. If I order something from you, you will ship to me whatever you get that is the cheapest. Again, you are in business to sell parts and I understand the dollars and cents. Moog is a great brand and makes great suspension products. For a ball joint on a dodge or a chevy, I would use Moog without question. For Japanese vehicles particularly wheel bearings, I wouldn't. There is a reason SKF bearings are more expensive.
Of course this is all my personal preference based on 25 years of experience which is slightly more than your two years of pressing hubs. I am sure your products are great and there is a market for it. I am just pointing out that for less money you can get better products for less money, but obviously requires a little more effort.
You did make a statement that I find odd that Moog makes the SKF bearings. I would love to see your source for that information because that does not sound correct. Moog is a brand under Federal Mogul which happens to compete against SKF in several product lines.
Bumper2Bumper Auto
New member
Before I start, I will say that I mistakenly was thinking NSK, and got it mixed with SKF brand. My error there.
I assure you that I am not confusing these Toyota bearing failures with anything else. I have been in this industry for over 20 years, and have seen all manner of failures. On the other Toyota forum that I am on it is discussed widely the failures that have been seen on the 4WD and 2WD Toyota front bearing assemblies.
Also not every one of these assemblies are being sold to replace failures. I have several customers who buy them to have as a spare or spares. Nothing sucks worse than being on a long road trip, or wheeling and have a failure come up. Sure, it is not an every day thing, but several customers like to have that peace of mind.
I would like to know where you get the idea that I am not guaranteeing a brand? I specifically state it in my post that I DO guarantee a brand. Your choice of the two I offer. You claim that I would install the cheapest bearing available, and you are incorrect. EVERY assembly that I make comes with either a Koyo/Timken bearing or a Moog/NSK bearing. They both cost me the same, and both are of high quality, made in Japan.
Speaking of brands, I am confused as to how you think that Moog bearings are made somewhere other than Japan. Open up a Moog bearing box for the 4Runner, Tacoma, etc and they are stamped plain as day, Made in Japan with the NSK stamp right on them. Open up a Timken box, and inside you will see "Made in Japan" and Koyo stamped on them. I have been doing this for YEARS. I know who makes what. What I do find interesting is that the SKF bearing company, if you look it up, has manufacturing locations all over the world, but not a single plant or office listed in Japan. (Looked on Napaonline.com and they show to sell NSK bearings on their site)
Your comment on experience is also way off. You state you have 25 years to my 2, but I simply said that I had been making THESE assemblies for 2 years. I have been in the automotive industry for over 20 years, and have been not only an ASE certified master tech for 20 years of that, but I was also an instructor for General Motors. I do have the experience. I seem to find sad that I am a paid sponsor on here for less than 48 hours and already am having my reputation attacked.
If you don't want to buy my product, then feel free not to. There are plenty of people who gladly purchase these.
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I may have misunderstood your ad. I didn't realize that you were giving a choice and may have confused your ad with the other. In any case, your ad says National. National is not Moog. Both brands are owned by Federal Mogul, but they are not the same. Personally I think the quality of Moog has dropped since being bought by FM, but that is a whole other topic. I would never buy a moog/national bearing.
When did Timken start making bearings in Japan? When I sourced my last set I specifically looked at both Timken and SKF. The Timken clearly was stamped "Made in China". Now I realize that parts are made all over the world and it isn't uncommon to find parts made in different places. Last I heard with Timken was that they closed all the US manufacturing and moved everything to China.
When did Timken start making bearings in Japan? When I sourced my last set I specifically looked at both Timken and SKF. The Timken clearly was stamped "Made in China". Now I realize that parts are made all over the world and it isn't uncommon to find parts made in different places. Last I heard with Timken was that they closed all the US manufacturing and moved everything to China.
Bumper2Bumper Auto
New member
National bearings have been pretty much absorbed into Federal Mogul, under Moog. While the name is still there, the National brand automotive bearings are being phased out. Moog has even absorbed the part number 515040 from National bearing. Interestingly enough, open a Moog box with the National bearing part number of 515040 and you will find an NSK bearing, made in Japan.
I would fathom a guess that the Timken bearing may have been boxed wrong? Timken used to be made solely in the USA years back. Then they were bought by Jtekt which owns Koyo and is based in Japan. Today if you open up a Timken bearing box for our Toyota bearings you will find a Koyo bearing on the inside.
