The stealership wants $50+ for front wheel bearings, but I can get them for $30-$40 from Autozone or Pep Boys (brands are Timken, Beck Arnley, etc... the usual suspects). Opinions?

My car just hit 129k today, in case that matters.

 

yeah, they'll be fine. As long as they are made in japan. Also if you don't have a press...good luck. I had to take my knuckles to the garage and press in the new bearing and hub. Get it done at a garage...at least it'll be done in one day. The reason i say this, is because i did it myself and was really not worth the head aches.

 

ohhh, don't change the hub...u don't need to

 

yep, ull need a press to get those bad boys out.

 

Buy the Timkens from Autozone.

And you'll need a big press. I hear the $100 harbor freight presses have a tough time with these bearings.

Dave

 

Thanks very much for the suggestions, guys. Here's an update:

Only my driver's side bearing had play in it, so that's all I'm doing for now.

I ended up getting an SKF bearing from PepBoys had because that made it convenient to get a ride there and back -- I could buy the bearing, drop the knuckle off at the shop to have the bearing replaced, and come back and get it later. One stop. Well, that turned out to be a very good call, because the hub was worn and spalled so badly that there was play in the assembly even with the new bearing. One of the guys showed me the hub after the first attempt -- the spalling practically looked like cross-hatching, and the thing was so badly worn that there was a very slight lip behind where the inner race fits on. Very noticeable. Yet, somehow the tech didn't notice until he had pressed the new bearing in. If I had bought the bearing anywhere else, I would have been out the money for their oversight. This way, it's their fault, and I don't pay a dime.

There's a stealership around me that wants $140 and change for a bearing and hub assembly. All I have to do is pop it into the knuckle and I'm done. Any objections?

 

Retail on that is $150, and the cheapest internet dealer price is about $110, so it sounds like it's not a bad price. Some dealers in my area actually charge MORE than retail.

Dave

 

Bumping this for a reason - going to be buying a bearing soon..

d00df00d: how has the bearing lasted so far? Hearing mixed opinions on OEM vs. Aftermarket, would like to know how the SKF is holding up after a year.

 

wow surprisingly enough i just got done trying to find bearings online for the RL wheel and ask some questions on the org. I see that its impossible to do this w/out a press and a trip to the shop is inevitable for me. Anyone know how much it costs to replace a bearing? I'll get them to replace the calipers too while they're at it... Also the general consensus on Autozone bearings is that they're perfectly acceptable? thanks

 

I hate bringing back old threads.. lets try to keep it on topic at least..

 

side question: i suppose a new alignment is needed when the knuckle or hub is removed, is that right?

 

i was gonna say, SKF bearings cuz they have the best warranty
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...pe=184&PTSet=A

Jae

 

dont be cheap... get the oem bearing.. its like 45 bucks... i mean it lasted for like 10 years already... get a oem one it will last another 10..

 

My stealership is charging $120 for a bearing.. not exactly sure where youre getting this $45 number from... I can save around $50 buying aftermarket - which is why I want to know if it's been holding up. If not then I'll fork for the OE one, but only if its really necessary..

Still waiting for d00df00d's answer...

 

Someone should just look at the races of an old bearing and find out who makes it........ But yeah, the timken and skf ones are made in Japan, so they get my thumbs up wouldn't be the least bit suprised if one of them was the same supplier for the oem nissan.

 

Haha, sorry... I had deleted my subscription to this thread because it had been a while and the issue had been resolved.

After Pep Boys's screwup (see post #6), I ended up taking it to the dealer for an OEM bearing because I needed a hub as well anyway. If you'd like to know how that bearing is doing, you'll have to ask MikeSDA.

 

d'oh~~

oh well, thanks for the info

 

if they are charging you 120 for parts and labor i would do it...

look just cuz they say the bearing costs 100 bucks doesnt mean it does... i got mine from the dealer for 50 bucks.... how u may ask.. i told them that the dealer down the street from my house said it cost that much but they were out of them so they told me to call you..... simple....

 

120$ was for the part... I plan on installing myself.

Don't think I believe the "list" price is reflective of actual costs.. the bearing itself probably has $10 in parts in it. I think it depends on the dealership. Mine has proven to be unhelpful with regards to price negotiations.. whatever, their loss.

Anyway, my question's been answered... let this topic go back to rest.

 

It seems one of my front wheel bearings is bad and will need to be replaced. I've looked at the replacement procedure given on motorvate and it seems like a lot of headache so I thought maybe replacing the hub assembly would be easier. However, I am not able to find any place that sells front hub assemblies, real world or the internet. Places that do have them only show rear hub assemblies. Are those the same as the front ones, and if not, does anyone know where I can buy some?

 

I purchased an OEM wheel bearing from nissan a couple months ago and it was like $54.xx. $120 is not the correct price for just a single front wheel bearing...

 

I've purchased a new hub from nissan... I don't know that they call it an 'assembly' though as it's only 1 part rather than a collection of parts... are you talking about the spindle/steering knuckle perhaps?

 

I've got one or two in a box that I'll sell for less than $50.

It pays to always price shop on the internet for Nissan parts. Sometimes the local dealer is a reasonable thing, other times their prices are simply outlandish. The online stores also show retail price - and as such I've learned some local dealers tack an additional 20-30% on above retail. To think every car that goes into their garage gets skimmed 25% more than retail and they never even know it. Every person I know who goes to a dealer assumes that all dealers charge the same price (retail), what a scam that is.

 

you guys that know you need a press already are a step ahead! i had a sales rep( yeah i know..a sales rep..red flag) from courtesy nissan tell me that you can change the bearing with basic hand tools. he said the old bearing could be tapped out with hammer and screw driver and nothing else was needed. silly me didnt do any research and attempted it myself,took everything apart then got stuck when it came to figuring how to get the old bearing out. so in short a had to put everything back together and take it to a mechanic with a press.i was pissed!!

 

He's way wrong. Those wheel bearings don't just need a press, they need a heavy press. The shop I went to needed every pound of their 10ton press to change them.

Dave