20 replies to this topic

[Chris1992]

Hi guys, so today I set about replacing my rear bearings with some SCH ones that I bought from Minimine for 11 quid each. Long story short they're not very good... They bind as soon as you begin to tighten them up, implying I need a shim between them. However this points toward deeper quality issues, so I'm not so keen on using them. Will be contacting Minimime tomorrow. (The hubs are reconditioned, and I didn't forget to fit the outer races that came with them).

 

The ones I've taken off seem to be genuine Timken ones, which was a bit of a surprise. I'd like to replace these with a new set, but I can only find front Timken ones on Minispares, so does anyone know where I can get hold of rear ones? Or indeed another high quality alternative? I have 13x8 wheels so I need the extra beefiness lol.

 

Cheers

Chris  

[cian]

I have plenty of nos British made timkens instock £30 per side

[Chris1992]

I have plenty of nos British made timkens instock £30 per side

 

PM'd you mate 

[1984mini25]

Hi guys, so today I set about replacing my rear bearings with some SCH ones that I bought from Minimine for 11 quid each. Long story short they're not very good... They bind as soon as you begin to tighten them up, implying I need a shim between them. However this points toward deeper quality issues, so I'm not so keen on using them. Will be contacting Minimime tomorrow. (The hubs are reconditioned, and I didn't forget to fit the outer races that came with them).

 

I wouldn't bother wasting your time to be honest. I had the same issue with them over the same bearing (witch later went in the bin) around 6 years ago, and got this as a response... (and blocked from buying from them on eBay)

 

http://www.theminifo...rings-to-avoid/

[Chris1992]

 

Hi guys, so today I set about replacing my rear bearings with some SCH ones that I bought from Minimine for 11 quid each. Long story short they're not very good... They bind as soon as you begin to tighten them up, implying I need a shim between them. However this points toward deeper quality issues, so I'm not so keen on using them. Will be contacting Minimime tomorrow. (The hubs are reconditioned, and I didn't forget to fit the outer races that came with them).

 

I wouldn't bother wasting your time to be honest. I had the same issue with them over the same bearing (witch later went in the bin) around 6 years ago, and got this as a response... (and blocked from buying from them on eBay)

 

http://www.theminifo...rings-to-avoid/

 

 

That is a shocking response from them! absolute degenerates... I'm going to try my luck with my most polite telephone voice, but if all else fails I'll give them a piece of my mind and name/shame them on social media.  

[jonjosar]

Chris 1992, wondering how how you got on with Minimine and the bearigs query. Just that i had exactly the same problem with them a while back. I ended up using a very very fine shim and was able to torque them up correctly. It was my intention to keep an eye on them when i get the car on the road. I,ve bought loads of stuff from them and to be honest, never had any problems with stuff not fitting before this. 

The quoted response from them a few years ago is a bit worrying considering that this is definitely not a one off and as a seller who more than likely monitors the forum, they should take heed. I have no doubt that there will be persons of differing skills levels but we all cant be fitting them wrong or have worn hubs etc.

[Chris1992]

Chris 1992, wondering how how you got on with Minimine and the bearigs query. Just that i had exactly the same problem with them a while back. I ended up using a very very fine shim and was able to torque them up correctly. It was my intention to keep an eye on them when i get the car on the road. I,ve bought loads of stuff from them and to be honest, never had any problems with stuff not fitting before this. 

The quoted response from them a few years ago is a bit worrying considering that this is definitely not a one off and as a seller who more than likely monitors the forum, they should take heed. I have no doubt that there will be persons of differing skills levels but we all cant be fitting them wrong or have worn hubs etc

 

I was as confused as you when I discovered their reputation for poor bearings and customer service. I've also bought plenty from them and never had an issue until now. I'm in the process of trying to get a refund, and so far things seem to be going smoothly (touch wood). Instead of emailing, I just called them directly and explained the problem (mentioning that my radius arms are reconditioned before they could blame me lol), and to my surprise they simply said to send them back and I'd get a full refund. I'm going to put them in the post tomorrow and then we will see if they honour their refund offer! Will keep this thread updated with how it all pans out. 

[1984mini25]

Well after the reply I got a few years back via eBay messaging (so not asking to return or refund) I left it at that. It wasn’t until a few months later that I tried to buy something else from them again it turned out they had blocked me. And I’ve seen no reason to buy from them since apart once last year at Himley hall for a new fuel cap (the only trader that had any) but even then I had to oil stone the keys before they would fit and work properly.

 

Prior to that I’d always had issues (but never bothered contacting them) with the rubber on their knuckle joints disintegrating to nothing within months (I was using the car as a daily, but no more than 2k per year), meaning I’d had to pull apart and rebuild the suspension each time come mot time. After the 3^rd time I gave up completely and spent a tiny bit extra on some genuine Delphi knuckle joints from a local motorfactors witch not only being of superior quality, the rubbers on them are still as good as the day they were fitted 3 years ago.

[Norris73]

Minispares still do Timken rear wheel bearings (the tapered roller type) - part no GHK1805. Picked one up last Saturday and fitted to my '72 Mini 1000, fitted great, torqued to spec, with no binding etc and rotates smoothly with no play in any direction, unlike the old RHP (Hoffmanns) bearing it replaced. Have never attempted to fit anything other than Timken bearings, and have never had any issues.

[Compdoc]

I also fitted a pair of GHK1805 and reconditioned radius arms from MiniSpares. No problems with fitting or torquing up.

Not cheap, but then you get what you pay for.

https://www.minispar...|Back to search

[Cooperman]

Remember chaps, buy cheap - buy twice!

[cian]

Perhaps people now are starting to realise that the cheap aftermarket bearings ( and much more ) are just rubbish!

[Spider]

Perhaps people now are starting to realise that the cheap aftermarket bearings ( and much more ) are just rubbish!

 

From my days in the trade, it seems that this message always seems to get lost from one generational owner to the next. It was the same when I was doing this stuff on a commercial basis, I would always explain why our bearings were dearer than those from the parts store and had plenty on the desk to show as examples, which would be followed from the (potential) customer with the inevitable " I can get them cheaper,,,,, ".

 

Fine, go get them cheaper,,,,

[cian]

100% mole spider!

On a slight side note I was browsing the mini suppliers web pages checking current prices etc, I was on a large well known xpart supplier who where offering genuine rear wheel bearings for a to good to be true price, on the web page all checked out part numbers the box in the picture even the generic picture of the timken bearings ( clearly showing the timken stamping ) so I thought well il buy two and see, well what arrived where two brand new mg rover boxes but what was inside where KOR bearings, immediately I was on the phone for two reasons

1- the picture on the site clearly shown a timken bearing

2- as far as I’m aware a genuine bearing is a timken bearing

Now the chap on the phone was reasonable but he gave me the whole “ they are genuine bearings “ but after a reasonable civilised conversation I got my money back, it has been stated on the mini forum that KOR bearings are ones to avoid I didn’t open the packaging but they really looked nasty in that cheap packaging we all know about! So perhaps timken are no longer supplying genuine rear bearings? Buyers need to be vigilant!

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100% mole spider!

On a slight side note I was browsing the mini suppliers web pages checking current prices etc, I was on a large well known xpart supplier who where offering genuine rear wheel bearings for a to good to be true price, on the web page all checked out part numbers the box in the picture even the generic picture of the timken bearings ( clearly showing the timken stamping ) so I thought well il buy two and see, well what arrived where two brand new mg rover boxes but what was inside where KOR bearings, immediately I was on the phone for two reasons

1- the picture on the site clearly shown a timken bearing

2- as far as I’m aware a genuine bearing is a timken bearing

Now the chap on the phone was reasonable but he gave me the whole “ they are genuine bearings “ but after a reasonable civilised conversation I got my money back, it has been stated on the mini forum that KOR bearings are ones to avoid I didn’t open the packaging but they really looked nasty in that cheap packaging we all know about! So perhaps timken are no longer supplying genuine rear bearings? Buyers need to be vigilant!

 

Timken still make original spec bearings, no issue there.

 

Unfortunately Xpart are looking at what is available on the market and the price, and not what is in the box any longer. We have stopped doing Rover bagged baulk rings, Ball joints and other parts that should be higher quality in an MGRover box,