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Where to get front wheel bearing...

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5.4K views 24 replies 11 participants last post by  ME2000  
#1 ·
The front wheel bearings don't come cheap...

But luckily a month ago I purchased one from Autopartsway.com for $26...
(The price was $26 for a while.)

Now I need another front wheel bearing and the price went up like crazy.. now, SKF brand $88.95, OEQ brand $69.95, Mazda OEM $64.89 !!!

SKF Part # W0133-1614073
OEQ Part #: APL33-1614073
Mazda Part # J001-26-151



Anyone know where I can get them cheap again?!
 
M
#3 ·
I had a shop replace my driver's side front wheel bearing about a year ago when I had my CV axles replaced and they used an aftermarket bearing. It's now in worse shape than the factory one it replaced.

How much of a pain is it to press out a wheel bearing? I don't have a bearing press, so I'd have to rent/buy one. What kind/type am I looking for if I do this job myself? I did the front wheel bearings on a Dodge Shadow years ago, but those weren't pressed in. I'm tempted to take it in because I'm lazy and my tools are so disorganized right now that it would probably take me longer to find the tools I need than the job itself.
 
#4 ·
Saint_: sorry I forgot to mention... it's for the supercharged model. They seem to be more expensive.
Rockauto shows: BeckArnley $52.79; Timken $64.79 and BCA/National $87.79
Still the cheapest so far though (next to $26)

MilliOwner:
You need a shop press and something to drive the bearing out. I used some old bearing to drive it out. You will also need a cutter to cut the bearing race because its going to be stuck on the hub.
 
#5 ·
Saint_: sorry I forgot to mention... it's for the supercharged model. They seem to be more expensive.
Rockauto shows: BeckArnley $52.79; Timken $64.79 and BCA/National $87.79
Still the cheapest so far though (next to $26)

MilliOwner:
You need a shop press and something to drive the bearing out. I used some old bearing to drive it out. You will also need a cutter to cut the bearing race because its going to be stuck on the hub.[/b]
Click to expand...
$40 for 2.5. I think Timken is a good brand. Did you check napa? If aftermarket doesnt work stock bearing may be a better choice.
 
M
#6 ·
You need a shop press and something to drive the bearing out. I used some old bearing to drive it out. You will also need a cutter to cut the bearing race because its going to be stuck on the hub.[/b]
Click to expand...
Uhg. I'm afraid I'll get so far with it then not be able to finish because something gets seized or damaged. Then my car is stuck in the garage on jack stands. I'll probably let the guys at the shop take care of it. I'm already doing the motor mounts and passenger side CV axle (again) myself, so I guess I can afford to have a shop swap a wheel bearing.
 
#7 ·
Uhg. I'm afraid I'll get so far with it then not be able to finish because something gets seized or damaged. Then my car is stuck in the garage on jack stands. I'll probably let the guys at the shop take care of it. I'm already doing the motor mounts and passenger side CV axle (again) myself, so I guess I can afford to have a shop swap a wheel bearing.[/b]
Click to expand...
Hah my passenger side is about to expire as well, after 15 months :) Are you putting raxle?
 
M
#8 ·
Yeah, definitely getting a new axle from Raxles.com when/if I replace. I'm going to replace the passenger-side engine mount and front engine mount first to see if the engine being at an angle in the engine bay is causing the popping. My engine has a noticeable tilt downward on the passenger side from my blown passenger-side mount.

I just had some excessive negative camber pulled out on the driver's side front corner a few months ago and with the new wheel bearing it'll likely have positive camber on that corner afterward. I never considered the negative camber was the bearing since I just had it replaced and had no noise (until very recently). I just jacked the front tire up on that side yesterday and there's so much slop in all directions there's no question that's where my mystery vibration is coming from.

At least I got a one year free-adjustment warranty on the alignment. Took them a while with the camber adjustment on the front though. It really must have been a pain in the ass. The only reason they did it was because I insisted.
 
#9 ·
$40 for 2.5. I think Timken is a good brand. Did you check napa? If aftermarket doesnt work stock bearing may be a better choice.[/b]
Click to expand...
Napa? you mean the local napa store? no...

I went to another local auto parts store. they quoted me $125CAN which is about $100USD...
Told the guy that oem is $90 and he says he'll match that but no less. yeah right damn rip-off.
 
M
#12 ·
Well, took my car to my (new) shop. Turns out the hub assembly itself was hosed as well as the wheel bearing the last shop replaced. Not sure if the last shop pressed the new bearing into a bad hub assembly or if they did a shit job and ruined the assembly. It's gonna cost me about $400 all told for a new bearing, hub assembly and labor. I could have gone elsewhere and had it done cheaper probably, but cheap labor is what screwed me in the first place. My new shop is worlds above the last place. Free on-site WiFi, espresso machine, lounge with DirecTV, magazines that aren't five years out of date. What's even better, one of the guys I talked to was actually familiar with Millenias...knew the engine types, usual problem areas like engine mounts, firm shifting gearboxes and smoking superchargers. I'll still be doing most of my own work, but when I can't, Metric Motors in Edmond, OK will be getting my business from now on. Several out-of-warranty BMW and Mercedes vehicles being worked on there as well. A very good sign indeed.
 
Y
#13 ·
Is there any visible damage? Do you think its worth taking the old parts/car back to the first place to at least inform them that they botched the job? A wheel bearing and hub is pretty hard to screw up as long as you have a press and have half a brain. Even super dirt cheap wheel bearing last far longer than a year.
 
M
#14 ·
Is there any visible damage? Do you think its worth taking the old parts/car back to the first place to at least inform them that they botched the job? A wheel bearing and hub is pretty hard to screw up as long as you have a press and have half a brain. Even super dirt cheap wheel bearing last far longer than a year.[/b]
Click to expand...
I didn't see the hub for myself but I trust this guy since I considered that there was something wrong with the hub assembly before I took the car in. Wheel bearings don't fail like that. So when I got a call a few hours after dropping the car off that it needed a new hub assembly, I wasn't surprised.

Confronting the first shop isn't worth my time. Besides, I did just that a week after I had the bearing and both CV axles replaced because one axle was making noise in turns. "No way the [$75 regrind] axle we put in is bad 'cause the boots look fine. Probably something wrong with your suspension." The guy was a real dick. I've heard enough hosed CV axles in my time to know what they sound like. That axle is now noisy as ever. Best case scenario, they offer to work on my car at a discount and that's just not worth it. Once I get my car back, a new CV axle and a couple of engine mounts are on order, which I'll be doing myself.
 
#19 ·
Anytime I need something that's over my head I have a little Japanese guy at this awesome shop that knows everything about the S, F'n expensive though
 
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#23 ·
The mods need to ban this guy. With the exception of his first post every single other post has been him pushing his parts site.:mad:
 
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