Putttn

Got some cupping on my Duratrac 31's on 96 XJ Country. Local shop jacked it up and checked the wheel play and needs front bearings. Since I need them is there any brand/setup I should go with since it has to be done?

CCKen

I used Timken bearings, Got them from Autozone because they offered a three year warranty at the time. But that's meaningless anyway.

BillyBoy

I used auto zone specials... think they were Duralast. Depends on what you do with your jeep. Mine is a daily driver. Second one I put them on. First lasted the 100000 until the Jeep capped out. Second is still running and driving nice.

Make sure you spend the time to clean it all well. It helps going back together.

Turbo X_J

Shocks, not rotating tires properly.

cliffy

I hit the retail me not website and used a coupon for advanced auto. Got it for about $50 after discount.

Putttn

Got new shocks/Bilstein and the Ol Man Emu setup but at the time bearings were ok. You can feel the play in the wheel

Jeepin'_Aint_EZ

You can't feel wheel bearing play in your steering wheel... UNLESS they're about to fall the F off. You'd actually hear them before you feel them. Sounds like an airplane buzzing that is relative to your speed.

I bought timken wheel bearings but apparently that name doesn't hold its premium value like back in the day. I've also ran Moog bearings. Haven't had trouble with either and they are abused.

jordan96xj

I used Moog Problem Solver hub/bearings. I made the choice just by reading the forums and the experienced users mentioning to either go with Timken or Moog. Local parts place had Moog. So that made the decision easy. They definitely weren't the cheapest, which brings me to the more important point.

It became obvious that there is a huge price range in available hub/bearings. I'm not saying expensive is -always- better. But I would never buy/install the cheap ones. No name companies selling bearings at less than HALF of what all the reputable brands cost. That just isn't going to end well. And you'll be troubleshooting them again within 12-24 months.

Jeepin'_Aint_EZ

I'm going to second your theory on the cheap bearings. I cant attest to to how they perform versus a more expensive/premium bearing because I've never ran them. Maybe there is someone here that can shed light on the cheaper brand bearings.

BTW if you can hold off, I'd buy them from rockauto. Name brand bearings are significantly cheaper than if you were to purchase them at a local autozone, advance, napa, etc

Anony

When I did my fronts I went with Timkens. There are other good wheel bearing hubs such as Moog, SKF, etc.

I'm not certain of the less expensive hubs which are less than half the cost. IIRC from reading several years back all wheel bearing hubs are made overseas such as in China and elsewhere, possibly Mexico or parts such as the bearings are made overseas and possibly the hubs are assembled here in the US. AFAIK, ball bearing manufactures once in the US have either moved their plants overseas or have gone out of business, as the US use to have several older companies that manufactured ball bearings and supplied hub manufactures with bearing parts.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/j...le.com+URL+%2F

jordan96xj

I wish I had a link, but just on this forum a couple of weeks ago someone was troubleshooting a front end problem. They ruled out the hubs because they had recently put 2 new hub/bearings in. After a ton of other troubleshooting and time spent, they found themselves back at the hubs. They were only 12 months old, and they posted a picture. Honestly, they looked worse than that 20 year old factory hubs I just pulled out of mine.

First, they had corroded a crazy amount because the metals used in them were terrible, and second, they had all sorts of play because they let foreign material into the sealed areas to easily. And that is what will kill a bearing quickly, especially up here where we drive in potent salt-water-slush 3-4 months out of the year.

Main point, they admitted they had used bargain hubs, and it didn't pay off at all.

Turbo X_J

"Local shop jacked it up and checked the wheel play and needs front bearings."

I think the local shop is jacking you up, if you don't know how to check, find another shop for a second and possibly a third opinion. btw: silly to replace hubs and not replace the axle shaft u-joints, you're right there anyways.

ETA:
Don't even have to take my word for it, here item #2:

Jeep Driver

If you can 'feel' the play...............ball joints.

NM-XJ

You get what you pay for with bearings - Timken, SKF, and Moog are of good quality. I'm a Timken man, myself.

Many people, however, overlook just how critical proper preload is to bearing life. In an XJ hub setup, preload is developed by the hub nut on the axle stub shaft. So...make sure the threads on your shaft and nut are very nice and clean. Then absolutely 100% make sure you torque them to spec. Not less, not more. I believe the spec calls for plain dry threads. So don't lube them or apply loctite. If you do, you'll have to back off on the torque spec to achieve the same/correct bearing preload.

BlueRidgeMark

Bearings that are very far gone will allow wheel play that is obvious when the car is jacked up.