Wheel bearing Timken, SKF or NSK

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Ontario, Canada
Front wheel bearing is humming and it is separate from the hub.
Current mileage is 174000km, never changed before.

Honda Civic uses NSK as its OE for this model.
I will probably order from US and ship to Canada.
Here are the USD prices so far which includes shipping/import fees.

Timken $55
SKF $75
NSK $83

I heard some horror stories about Timken quality not where it used to be.
Would there be a huge difference between SKF and NSK?
Difference is only $8, and my thoughts is that NSK probably will have no issues with fitment?

Any comments or experience with these brands would be helpful.
 
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All three are large OEM suppliers. Timken is just as good as the others.

However, aftermarket NSK != OEM NSK. There's a reason Honda charges more for it, and it's not just to make a fat profit. They're made to a higher standard for Honda.
 
With all the issues I've encountered when dealing with aftermarket bearings (premature failures, even those so-called brand name ones), I now opt for dealership OE bearings that I can lay my trust upon.

I no longer have comebacks since then.

Q.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
All three are large OEM suppliers. Timken is just as good as the others.

However, aftermarket NSK != OEM NSK. There's a reason Honda charges more for it, and it's not just to make a fat profit. They're made to a higher standard for Honda.


Originally Posted By: Quest
With all the issues I've encountered when dealing with aftermarket bearings (premature failures, even those so-called brand name ones), I now opt for dealership OE bearings that I can lay my trust upon.

I no longer have comebacks since then.

Q.


If that's the case, maybe I should just go for SKF then.

OEM wheel bearing is $150 here in Canada. Is it worth it to pay 2X the price for it though?
I'll have to find some sites down south that sells the OEM bearing and ships to Canada.
 
With all these companies making bearing at plants in China now i wont buy one the internet anymore. I want to see the bearing and COO on the bearing itself before buying it.

Any one of the units mentioned are fine as long as they are first world manufacture.
Watch out for Timken, i see more and more of their bearings with no COO on the bearing itself especially for Japanese imports, they are probably Chinese but who really knows.

Another brand to consider is National, most i have seen are US made, they are now old under the MOOG brand name.
 
I'm still finding timkin bearings to be excellent quality.

It seems they do source some from china. But quite often, they are not Chinese. I'd purchase timkin without reservations.
 
The big companies have their bearings made in diff countries. I believe some NSK's are made in Japan, China and some even USA, so who knows what you're getting till you can see the bearing or the package. I went thru this last year looking for cheaper buys for my Can Am. Turned out the OEM's were only a few bucks more and made in USA and Canada. My memory is not 100% but I believe all three were NSK.
 
Who cares if it is made in China? Chinese made parts can be just as good as a Japanese, American, or German part. It's all about what level of quality they're willing to build it to.
 
I'm a fan of SKF but you shouldn't have a problem with any of your choices.

Just make sure it is torqued EXACTLY to spec.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
Who cares if it is made in China? Chinese made parts can be just as good as a Japanese, American, or German part. It's all about what level of quality they're willing to build it to.


Exactly. China can produce perfectly good stuff, they're just also good at producing low quality stuff really, really cheaply.
 
Just wanted to add my thoughts on this older post.. I own a Toyota FWD and replaced one of the front hub bearings with a Bower BCA from AAP. Yea, I questioned the quality because its not the most reputable brand on the market (paid around $66). This was several years ago and at least 100K miles of dependable service.

The other side is going out, it makes a noise on a hard turn like backing out of a parking space (sounds like a brake issue). AAP now has a National 510002 for $52, AutoZone has their brand for $22. This is a prime example of how the price affects quality.

Keep in mind that all name brand products will have similar prices, the Tawianeese bearings will be super cheap due to poor quality in the materials and manufacturing process. Also, watch out for counterfeit parts from Timken and AC Delco.

I ordered a kit with a new hub, seals and a Koyo or NSK bearing, it was an upgrade from the standard bearing. It cost me an extra $22 for a premium bearing made in Japan.
 
Trav-
Perhaps I'm mistaken, but it is my understanding that coo is only necessary if the part is foreign made. If it's made in USA, then coo label/stamp is not required.
 
You might be right, I don't know. When it says Made in China on the box and nothing on the bearing i seriously doubt its Made in the USA and assembled in China.

When there is nothing on the box or the bearing its a guessing game, knowing how these companies operate using good old names as a profit maximizer i have believe its made somewhere other than the USA.

49.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Trav

Another brand to consider is National, most i have seen are US made, they are now old under the MOOG brand name.


I realize I'm replying to an older post and I know manufacturing/outsourcing can change pretty fast, so....
The last National wheel bearings purchased by me were front wheel bearings for a Taurus and they were purchased locally. The first box I opened was American-made and the finish on the assembly was beautiful. The second box I opened was made in Korea and, compared to the first one, the finish was terrible. After I set them on the parts counter side-by-side, I could see that the Korean bearing was assembled wrong and was defective right out of the box. The parts man agreed with me and ordered me another one. Of course, it too was made in Korea but at least it was assembled properly. The Korean-made bearing lasted all of about 6 months. I exercised the warranty on it and got a replacement, but the owner traded the car a few months later, so I can't comment on how long the replacement bearing lasted.
 
Your right! National it seems is no longer making hubs in the USA, the Moog is mostly Chinese from what i have seen.

I guess they were reboxing NOS for awhile. Too bad they were a good company.
 
Originally Posted By: willbur
Trav-
Perhaps I'm mistaken, but it is my understanding that coo is only necessary if the part is foreign made. If it's made in USA, then coo label/stamp is not required.



This is mostly accurate. Only wholly imported items are required to have COO labeling.

But it's not quite as simple as saying "If it's made in USA, then coo label/stamp is not required." There are lots of classes of products that aren't fully imported, but don't meet the "made in the USA" labeling requirements.

Long story short, items that are assembled in the US, partially processed in the US, made in the USA, etc., are not required to have COO labeling. Companies often choose to include the labeling, but they don't have to.
 
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