axle bearing suggestions

[69gmcc10]

I am looking to replace the rear axle bearings and seals for my 03 Silverado 1500HD with a 14 bolt Semi Float rear. I was hoping you guys could guide in the direction of good bearings and seals. I see Yukon gear makes a seal and bearing kit, is it any good? I usually go for National. What about SKF, seem pricey, are they worth it?

Thanks

[truckdude239]

national , timkin bearings any good name brand bearing

[Captainfab]

I would stay with a domestic bearing and seal if at all possible. But be careful with some 'name brand' parts, Even some of those are now imported.

[Ironangel]

Cant go wrong with Timken...Ask for them by name at any parts store. If they dont carry Timken then you know to never return to that store. Get your part numbers and shop around for lowest prices and free delivery. You can use https://www.ringpinion.com/ to get part numbers and price comparisons...Amazon Prime and Ebay are your friends...

['63GENIII]

Still in the middle of going through my front Dana 44. I ordered wheel bearings from Oreillys who had Master Pro (china) and National, their "premium" bearing line. I ordered the Nationals. The bearings came in and wouldn't you know - "made in china" stamped right on them. I refused the order. The counter guy knows me pretty well and understood. They went back in stock.

When I pulled the hubs off of the 44 to inspect them, first off they looked fine with no obvious signs of wear. Secondly they were Koyos - made in Japan. I decided to repack them with some good synthetic EP grease and run them.

My go to bearing choice would have been Timken or SKF but I have had good experience with the Koyos and my small indy parts guy says they are as good as if not better than the USA Timkens. The Koyos that I used before were in the NV4500 which hasn't seen an easy day since I rebuilt it.

I just bought a carrier and pinion bearing kit for the same 44 from Yukon and in the package was..... Timken USA. I had heard this was the case several times before and although they don't advertise it, they repack a good quality bearing in their kits.

[B. W.]

Timken USA, if offshore KOYO Japan

[69gmcc10]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

I would stay with a domestic bearing and seal if at all possible. But be careful with some 'name brand' parts, Even some of those are now imported.

Yeah, I have learned to pay attention to this type of misleading labeling when buying AC Delco parts. Their "Professional" line is not the top of the line as it would seem to be based on the name.

Originally Posted by Ironangel

Cant go wrong with Timken...Ask for them by name at any parts store. If they dont carry Timken then you know to never return to that store. Get your part numbers and shop around for lowest prices and free delivery. You can use https://www.ringpinion.com/ to get part numbers and price comparisons...Amazon Prime and Ebay are your friends...

I asked my NAPA store for national and timken and they had neither. Kinda disappointed.

Originally Posted by '63GENIII

Still in the middle of going through my front Dana 44. I ordered wheel bearings from Oreillys who had Master Pro (china) and National, their "premium" bearing line. I ordered the Nationals. The bearings came in and wouldn't you know - "made in china" stamped right on them. I refused the order. The counter guy knows me pretty well and understood. They went back in stock.

When I pulled the hubs off of the 44 to inspect them, first off they looked fine with no obvious signs of wear. Secondly they were Koyos - made in Japan. I decided to repack them with some good synthetic EP grease and run them.

My go to bearing choice would have been Timken or SKF but I have had good experience with the Koyos and my small indy parts guy says they are as good as if not better than the USA Timkens. The Koyos that I used before were in the NV4500 which hasn't seen an easy day since I rebuilt it.

I just bought a carrier and pinion bearing kit for the same 44 from Yukon and in the package was..... Timken USA. I had heard this was the case several times before and although they don't advertise it, they repack a good quality bearing in their kits.

Thanks for the heads up, I will look at the bearings before I pay for them.

I think I am going to start searching for some timken bearings.

Thank you for all of the help! I feel like a traitor not going choosing National as my number one, but I am sure I can live will the guilt!

[morepower71]

Timken. My local Napa always seems to carry them.

[sprint_9]

Some Timken's are made over seas now as well.

Not all over seas stuff is bad, if the company in charge of the manufacturing has good quality control then you can get a good product, maybe not as good as US manufactured stuff but I think it comes close in some cases. Although if possible I like to buy and support US products.

Personally I use National or SKF

[clinebarger]

I wouldn't be so quick to jump on the Timken bandwagon for semi float wheel bearings.

Torrington is the gold standard for semi float/C-clip wheel bearings!

"The Torrington Company was established in 1898 in Torrington, Conn. It was an independent company until an acquisition by Ingersoll Rand Corp. in 1968. In 2003, Torrington Bearing was sold to the Timken Company, which produced Torrington brand bearings until 2009. In 2009, JTEKT Corporation of Japan acquired the Torrington bearing line – including the manufacturing plants and tech center along with 3,400 employees – from Timken. Torrington became part of the JTEKT’s Koyo Bearings.
Throughout these changes in ownership, the Torrington brand remained the unquestioned leader in needle roller bearings to the automotive and industrial markets.
As part of the Torrington sale by Timken to JTEKT, Koyo was permitted to use the Torrington brand name for three years. At the end of 2012, that three-year agreement expires and these products formerly known as Torrington bearings will be marketed solely under the Koyo brand name. Despite the Torrington brand name reverting to Timken, these Koyo bearings are the same OE Torrington products, produced by the same people, using the same processes, in the same U.S. factories."

Basically.....Koyo now produces the same bearings that was produced by Torrington.

[69gmcc10]

Originally Posted by clinebarger

Basically.....Koyo now produces the same bearings that was produced by Torrington.

Interesting and good information to know!

Again, thanks for all the help and suggestions!

I ended up with some National bearings for $33 each. In my search for some bearings I did find some interesting results. The SKF that NAPA sells for $73 was actually stamped on the part "Koyo made in the USA", The man at the counter also told me that NAPA was shifting away from Federal-Mogul for quality concerns, but I dont know how much I believe that yet. The Timken bearing at Autozone was stamped "China" when we took it out of the box and the National bearing in big letters said "USA... and the part number."

Go figure! But Cline's reply does answer my vexing findings about the "Koyo made in the USA" stamp. I ultimately went with the National because of my experience in the past and that it was still made in the USA for a similar price to the Timken "China" product and half the price of the Koyo/SFK. I would not have bought the National if it wasn't made in the states.