87 replies to this topic

[[email protected]]

We had samples of these sets trial fitted (never stocked) to cars 6+ months ago. If you could get them fitted, they failed extremely quickly, and this was reported back to the manufacturer. It beggers belief that they are still on sale. It also highlights the fact of how wrong it is that these are being sold under the original genuine part numbers, impyling that you are getting a quality replacement part. Bitten my tongue for long enough on these wheel bearing threads, I am just plain frustrated keep seeing the same topic coming up again and again and again.
Unfortuantely I can only control the qulaity of what we stock, I cannot "police" the Mini trade as a whole

[1984mini25]

I've been back off down the garage as I said I would, I haven't done as much measuring/playing about as I'd hoped as I've got the start of a cold.

 

the numbers of the bearings are... FHBC KOR NP880810 and on the outer races... FHBC KOR NP419272

 

and from measuring the bearings and comparing to a worn Timkin set I get...

 

non-gen 20.09 to 20.10mm and 20.22 to 20.23mm on the timkin set. So using my largest figures from the 2 sets of bearings that makes the 2 non-gen bearings butted untogether (as they would be fitted inside the hub) 0.26mm smaller than the timkin set.

Edited by 1984mini25, 18 September 2013 - 12:59 PM.

[jaydee]

Well done on the comparison.

[jaydee]

Well done on the comparison.

0,26 mm, although can it be shimmed, is enough to cause a premature bearing failure, plus they will be so tight that overheating will occur (and the grease supplied is not high melting point either) and will be harder to spin (bhp at the wheels will drop, but thats not our problem at the moment)

[1984mini25]

That is of course if you could get the hub to rotate in the first place. As the only way I could see that being possible is leaving the hub nut 'hand tight' and relying solely on the split pin.

 

What I forgot to mentions was before I started playing and comparing the bearings, I did also try this hub with the Chinese bearings on the other mini in the garage witch I'd browed the hub/bearings from, so at last the daily could at least be driven again. Same result as before though, hub on, washer and hub nut and anything more than hand tight and the hub no longer rotates. Also as these Chinese bearings clearly aren't going to work I refitted the worn Timkin bearing set to the same hub and unsurprisingly the hub/bearing torqued up and rotates fine. I still need to change those particular bearings, but there can't be much wrong with 2 radius arms and this hub.

[Earwax]

to simon at minispares , well done:    trialing them, reporting findings that weren't complimentary, and then deciding not to stock  ,,  took 6 months.... this is the sort of due diligence that makes a difference.

 

Stockists can't get it right every single time , but on the important stuff it makes good sense.

 

Now if only we could attack the quaility of rubber products....

[1984mini25]

Now if only we could attack the quaility of rubber products....

 

Maybe if I'm feeling better later I'll dig out the knuckle joints I've just had to replace, as the rubber boots had pretty much disintegrated that were only a year old at most.

[[email protected]]

 

to simon at minispares , well done:    trialing them, reporting findings that weren't complimentary, and then deciding not to stock  ,,  took 6 months.... this is the sort of due diligence that makes a difference.
 
Stockists can't get it right every single time , but on the important stuff it makes good sense.
 
Now if only we could attack the quaility of rubber products....

Already am....

[Artstu]

 

 
Now if only we could attack the quaility of rubber products....

Already am....

 

 

I've had perishing rubber products from minispares as long ago as 7 years ago so it's about time.

[lrostoke]

interesting topic...I'd have to defend mini-mines reputation to some extent though, I only live 10 minutes away from there shop, they are a sound bunch of blokes, always helpful.

Think I've only had one dodgy part off them in about 5 or 6 yrs and that was a badly machined front drum, swapped with no problems.

rebuilt 5 minis to varying degrees with parts mostly obtained from them.

[minidino]

iam having to replace the same rear wheel bearing i changed 3 months ago fitted it all correctly and its been fine till now and its started grumbling iam guessing i now know why

[xrocketengineer]

I have just put together two sets of rear bearings with absolutely no problems. They were Timken, with the built in spacer, made in England that I got from Minispares. The split pin holes lined up almost perfectly at the specified torque and both hubs turn smoothly with the same amount of resistance. It is worth it to buy quality parts.

[1984mini25]

All well and good, but the point being if you buy something regardless of price that the item should be of a usable standard.

[jaydee]

You got the point.

This thread is also intended to help all the guys out there that are building on a budget, of course timken and sfk make the best bearings out there, but for some they're too pricey. So a budget bearings kit will be their first choice, but not if its a bearing that will fail in a few miles which is potentially dangerous and will cost actually more at the end of the day -buy cheap buy twice--

[The Principal]

I found these on a random search, interesting - http://www.swiftune....pacer-pair.aspx