87 replies to this topic

[tiger99]

Counterfeit parts are going to kill someone sooner or later. I strongly recommend that everyone who has been sold such things should report it to Ebay (if that is where it came from) and Trading Standards. Also, NEVER buy anything unless it is in genuine packaging. That is often a major clue to the bogus nature of the parts.

This must be stopped, and Trading Standards have the power to bring criminal prosecutions against the perpetrators, which is the only way that we will ever see the supply chain restored to how it should be.

[richmondclassicsnorthwales]

You are just best off fitting TImken.

 

I don't stock them as they are pricey, but at the end of the day, I have never gone wrong with them.

I don't even stock cheap ones.

[tiger99]

Agreed, Timken are best, along with a couple of other major bearing manufacturers, but please read the warning on Timken's own web site about forgeries and do your best to be sure that you are getting genuine Timken parts. If you do find a forgery, on no account send it back to the suppliers, who will just resell it to the first mug to come along. Always inform Timken, Trading Standards and maybe the police, as forgery is a very serious criminal offence. It is only if everyone affected deals with the problem in the correct way that the complete scumbags who supply counterfeit parts will be eliminated. Too many people are maybe just getting a new set of bearings and not ensuring that action is taken against the criminal scumbags.

We have had this problem in the electronics industry for years and have an organisation to deal with it, but still counterfeits get through. In one case in which I was personally involved, the consequences could have been very serious indeed. And that goes for the aircraft industry too, where just like the Mini the supply chain is heavily contaminated by sub-standard nuts and bolts. Sooner or later a wing will fall off an A380 over a major city. Well, maybe not that exact situation, but something of that magnitude is inevitable. And it costs every responsible manufacturer and maintainer serious sums of money to weed out as many illegal components as they can.

[Mini 360]

[InnoCOOPER]

Whilst any bearing can fail i suppose its best to purchase a known brand.  My idler gear failed (caught it in time).  It had KOR Bearing in the gearbox case (failed) and in the transfer case a German Bearing INA which is still good.

 

Ignore the 5/16UNC that was for a Helicoil size.  image1.JPG   96.18K   10 downloads  image2.JPG   26.19K   5 downloads

 

[Hunter2]

Unhappily I confirm the failure of both idler gear bearings within 1,500 miles after install...taking out the transmission case, the drop gear housing, destroying the idler gear and, after related stresses, sending the primary gear & input to the bin as well.

 

Bearings stamped KOR on the end of the drawn cup...not 1 needle left in either cup and only 3 bits looking like needles showing up in the case & housing.

 

The failure occurred on the Alaska Hwy. in Yukon.  I put the Mini on the sweep trailer.

 

Fortunately, the crank survived - cleaned, straight & polished up std/std.  Block bores good but all main & rod bearings damaged by fine aluminum particles.  Transmission & diff will need all new bearings, new central oil pickup, new oil pump etc.

 

A few Pounds/Dollars (not lower priced items by the way) on crap bearings results in a very big rebuild cost.

 

Wish I had seen this information before buying the bits.

Edited by Hunter2, 06 February 2019 - 01:07 AM.

[Spider]

Post # 19 here;-

 

http://www.theminifo...-quality/page-2

[DeadSquare]

Unhappily I confirm the failure of both idler gear bearings within 1,500 miles after install...taking out the transmission case, the drop gear housing, destroying the idler gear and, after related stresses, sending the primary gear & input to the bin as well.

 

Bearings stamped KOR on the end of the drawn cup...not 1 needle left in either cup and only 3 bits looking like needles showing up in the case & housing.

 

The failure occurred on the Alaska Hwy. in Yukon.  I put the Mini on the sweep trailer.

 

Fortunately, the crank survived - cleaned, straight & polished up std/std.  Block bores good but all main & rod bearings damaged by fine aluminum particles.  Transmission & diff will need all new bearings, new central oil pickup, new oil pump etc.

 

A few Pounds/Dollars (not lower priced items by the way) on crap bearings results in a very big rebuild cost.

 

Wish I had seen this information before buying the bits.

 

 

Ring your insurance company and ask for a claim form.

[Spider]

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

 

 

You should never use those, and they should not be sold. The spacer should only be supplied with the pair of bearings it was supplied with as a matched set, as it is used to take up manufacturing tolerances in individual bearings. If you fit a standard spacer, the running clearances will almost always be too tight or too loose, both of which will result in a short bearing life. Too tight, in particular, is likely to lead to a serious accident when the bearing overheats badly and the stub axle collapses.

 

A large proportion of the bearing problems reported here are probably due to one size of spacer being supplied with arbitrarily paired bearings.

 

 

I am utterly amazed Swiftune are making such things.

 

I have used these spacers a few times and while it's not stated on Swiftune's web site (or elsewhere I could find), I * think * these are supplied oversize and intended to be ground by the end user to the same size as the spacer in the particular kit that's being fitted. This is what I have done with the few that I've fitted and are 'on trial'.

[cal844]

Here in Scotland Dingbro do Drive tec bearings and also SQF or First line. I fitted a drive tec and I will never fit another... 6 weeks the drive tec lasted, so I called and asked if I could pay the difference for a more expensive option? No it must be replaced like for like. 6 weeks down the line it failed it's mot so I ordered a timken bearing... more expensive but worth it

[Pete649]

I have used these spacers a few times and while it's not stated on Swiftune's web site (or elsewhere I could find), I * think * these are supplied oversize and intended to be ground by the end user to the same size as the spacer in the particular kit that's being fitted. This is what I have done with the few that I've fitted and are 'on trial'.

 

 

That sounds entirely logical.

[tiger99]

But how is the average end user supposed to accurately grind it? Even a large garage doesn't have that kind of capability.

[Spider]

But how is the average end user supposed to accurately grind it? Even a large garage doesn't have that kind of capability.

 

My shop does but yes, fair point.

Send them out like most other machining operations.