Is OEM the best ?

i don't think there have been any objective studies done of various bearing manufacturers. anecdotal evidence sometimes points to oem, and sometimes not. i would go with a reasonably priced, well respected source.

 

art knows bearings.

 

Does this mean the tire rotation test drive produced the noise still in the drivers rear of the car?

 

I've heard there's one third party manufacturer's bearing that are in fact the OEM bearing,, ie: you can buy them with Toyota name (presumably for more) or through the actual manufacturer. I've no more experience/knowledge though: maybe someone will be along who knows specifics. The bearings were identical in appearance, had same numbers stamped. Could be Koyo as you've been told, do not know.

 

Now that there's two threads on this....I'm going to ask, has the worn bearing been confirmed? Does it to be replaced right now?
Ie; is it effecting mpg or is the sound driving you crazy?
You could also have a dragging brake.

 

For what it is worth to you, all OEM parts and labor by a Dealer have a 12 month unlimited mileage warranty. Says so right here on my receipt for the wheel bearing install my local Dealer just performed.

 

Yeah, that's never good, frustrating for responders.

 

You may be referring to my observations regarding the Timkens, Mendel. I found them to apparently be exact OE with regard to Gen 2 fronts, Koyo stamped bearing and all. I have not had a failure with my Gen 3 yet, but when I do I will go the Timken route unless someone here verifies they are something other than apparent OE. Both Rock Auto and Amazon sell them at a price comparable to any replacement. I prefer OE for the Japanese spec (although who knows where they are actually manufactured) bearing and after reading unconfirmed reports that some of the big name aftermarket brands use China-made bearings. I've also seen opinion/conjecture that Toyota models prone to wheel bearing failure are such because of camber/toe specs which stress the bearings. This leads me to believe that lesser quality bearings will only fail sooner if used on a failure prone model. I also feel it's critical to torque the axle nut to spec and not just blast it on at 300 ft. lbs. with the air impact. That's my opinion/conjecture, YMMV!

 

Thanks, I had only vague memory.

(Saved your comment and this address in my (.txt format) notes!)

 

But probably better than what I am accused of from time to time which is selective memory

 

Wife and 2 daughters here. Tell me about it...

 

I can pretty much "carpet" forget. My wife otoh, can "remember" watching downloaded first-run movies, where there's no chance she's seen it before. Sort of a deja vue thing I guess. So between the two of us, it balances out, lol.

 

They do have minds like steel traps. Mine used to be better, but that was B.C. (before children). Now I'm lucky to remember the important things like our anniversary and her birthday.

I usually buy the cards a couple of months in advance to ensure I have them on the right day and not have to run out midday to buy a card. Nothing is worse than that.....