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Front wheel bearing hub recommendations

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by RoniusMaximus, Nov 20, 2018.

  1. RoniusMaximus

    RoniusMaximus Junior Member

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    Hi all, new Prius owner here and while I got a great deal on my 2005 Prius, I found out it needs new front wheel bearings as there is a noticable humming noise at front above 30mph. Ive looked over some prior threads and found that the timken seems to be the most popular. The reviews on Amazon though dont make me feel to confident in going with that brand. Personally, I have had good experiences with moog parts.

    What caught my attention was a few offerings on ebay for under $100 shipped for a pair of front wheel bearings and hubs. Has anyone trade the cheaper stuff on ebay? Seems like some people using the timken and oem are saying they are only getting around 50k miles before having to replace so just wanted to know what brands you folks have tried and recommend. At the very least, I am hoping for an updated recommendation since a lot of the posts ive seen are a few years old.

    Thanks in advance!
     
    #1 RoniusMaximus, Nov 20, 2018
  2. 05PreeUs

    05PreeUs Senior Member

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    #2 05PreeUs, Nov 22, 2018
  3. jessiejosco

    jessiejosco Member

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    The last one I replaced was a SKF brand. I decided to try it because the OEM ones only seem to last about 80,000 km and I figured SKF could not be any worse. When I compared the SKF to the original Toyota part I was disappointed to see that the SKF was actually made by the same company as the Toyota part, not SKF. I would guess Timken are the same too. So I would go OEM, Timken, or SKF. Whatever one you can get the best price on. I would not go no name. The SKF has done about 80000 km so it is doing as well as the Toyota bearings I have used in the past.
     
    #3 jessiejosco, Nov 22, 2018
    m.wynn, Mendel Leisk and RoniusMaximus like this.
  4. NortTexSalv04Prius

    NortTexSalv04Prius Active Member

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    Name brands have been diluted with free trade. SKF (German) Timken (USA) anything else is highly likely to be china made which may or may not be up to any ISO quality standard . OEM (new) is quality as well …...getting salvage yard parts is just that
     
    #4 NortTexSalv04Prius, Nov 22, 2018
  5. KevininFl

    KevininFl Junior Member

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    SKF.The best prices i have seen are on ebay, but you have to keep searching sometimes for that price.
     
    #5 KevininFl, Nov 22, 2018
  6. m.wynn

    m.wynn Senior Member

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    I can verify Timken appears identical to the OEM bearing including the "Koyo" brand stamp. I did the front passenger side in the family '07 at 140k miles in 2014 and the front driver side a year later at 150k. The car is at 195k now and rolling smoothly. About 6 weeks ago, I did a Timken on the front passenger side of our '05 Sienna.

    Reviews on Amazon are all over the place, but I've purchased all 3 there and have found nothing but brand new quality.

    No experience with SKF but would be willing to try them based on their excellent reputation with both bearings and seals, and @jessiejosco stating they use the Koyo bearing also. SKF is a popular seal upgrade in the motorcycle and mountain bike front suspension fork world, too.

    Otherwise, I agree with the feeling that aftermarket quality is generally terrible.
     
    #6 m.wynn, Nov 23, 2018
    vincent wong, RoniusMaximus and Raytheeagle like this.
  7. RoniusMaximus

    RoniusMaximus Junior Member

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    Thanks everyone. I have narrowed down the Timkens as my choice for front wheek bearings. I was going to go for some TRQ ones or one of the pairs on ebay for $65 shipped and lifetime warranty but I cant find enough reviews/feedback on the offbrands.
     
    #7 RoniusMaximus, Nov 23, 2018
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