Originally Posted By: AandPDan
SKF is an OEM supplier to many manufacturers. I've used them, no problems with the hubs on my Dakota.
The OE and aftermarket line-ups are usually quite different. Just because a company has been an OE supplier to an automaker does not guarantee that their aftermarket line-up is good.
See Kesta's post here:
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The Federal-Mogul unit is aftermarket. I suspect the same is true with National. I can't comment on the quality of each brand because I'm not familiar with them.
In general, aftermarket is always lower quality than OEM. Both with a price differential that can be as high as 4:1, it can be hard to justify buying OEM for an older car.
Our company makes both OEM and aftermarket automotive hub bearings. I qualify both. Our aftermarket business is booming.
http://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthre...rue#Post1564304
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1. They are wrong. They market OEM and aftermarket, each has different performance criteria. They may have dropped what they called "value grade", but they are still marketing aftermarket hub bearings, and are working with China to source parts and hopefully source complete bearings. Because OEM is squeezing us dry with cost, performance, and warranty, our aftermarket program is booming profit-wise.
2. True. As with any manufacturer, many of the components are outsourced. For example, we have one bearing machined and assembled in the US from Korean forgings made from Japanese steel. Finding the percent foreign content of such product would be a nightmare, if not impossible. All automotive product (SKF-produced and outsourced) is tested in the lab I work at.
3. Hubs manufactured by SKF have numbers stamped on the flange edge.
I'm not an expert on the business dealing within our company. My expertise is more on the technical attributes of our product.
http://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthre...rue#Post1596668
So, if you are planning to keep your car for as long as possible, I would search online for a GM parts wholesaler and purchase a new unit from a dealership.