My bearing failure story
This weekend I had a bearing failure on my trailer. I had no idea until somebody flagged me down with frantic hand gestures. I knew something was wrong but didn't know what. I looked in my mirrors but...
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CHINA BEARNGS? Are you nuts?
When I checked hundreds of China bearings - A6000XX to 193650 50DN bearings, including 6203, 6303, 6305, + 2RS, they failed utterly to meet dimensional tolerances. .0002" may sound like a joke, but when something gets destroyed worth 500-times the cost of the bearing, suddenly the laughter fails.
Same with 2RS bearings of the 90's with USSR stamped into the seal. Dimensional tolerance and lube were beyond nightmare quality.
Timken and SKF make great wheel bearings. For smaller sealed ball bearings, NTN, LUA grade are my one and only choice.
After destroying a three thousand dollar DANA 70 axle with so-called miracle AMZOIL grease, thirty five years ago, that learned me. All grease is not the same and 99% of what I run across now is utter sludge. Try CHEVRON RED GREASE or LUBRICATION ENGINEERS ALMAGARD 3752 on spotless bearings, correctly pre-loaded and learn premature bearing failures are overwhelmingly a result of using CRISCO grade lubricants. On Dana axles it is vital to insure lube level in the differential is adequate to slip down axle tubes and full bearing hub cavities. A leaking rear wheel "drive" bearing can lead to catastrophe. For oil lubed bearings, Lubrication Engineers, Amasol 607 is unbeatable. It actually stops or greatly reduces gear oil leakage and seepage.
I'll let other folks fight wheel bearings. I've got better things to do :)
When I checked hundreds of China bearings - A6000XX to 193650 50DN bearings, including 6203, 6303, 6305, + 2RS, they failed utterly to meet dimensional tolerances. .0002" may sound like a joke, but when something gets destroyed worth 500-times the cost of the bearing, suddenly the laughter fails.
Same with 2RS bearings of the 90's with USSR stamped into the seal. Dimensional tolerance and lube were beyond nightmare quality.
Timken and SKF make great wheel bearings. For smaller sealed ball bearings, NTN, LUA grade are my one and only choice.
After destroying a three thousand dollar DANA 70 axle with so-called miracle AMZOIL grease, thirty five years ago, that learned me. All grease is not the same and 99% of what I run across now is utter sludge. Try CHEVRON RED GREASE or LUBRICATION ENGINEERS ALMAGARD 3752 on spotless bearings, correctly pre-loaded and learn premature bearing failures are overwhelmingly a result of using CRISCO grade lubricants. On Dana axles it is vital to insure lube level in the differential is adequate to slip down axle tubes and full bearing hub cavities. A leaking rear wheel "drive" bearing can lead to catastrophe. For oil lubed bearings, Lubrication Engineers, Amasol 607 is unbeatable. It actually stops or greatly reduces gear oil leakage and seepage.
I'll let other folks fight wheel bearings. I've got better things to do :)
