1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Wheel bearing will not fit half shaft spline.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Cory Potrafka, Dec 17, 2016.

  1. Cory Potrafka

    Cory Potrafka Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2016
    51
    8
    0
    Location:
    Floyd, VA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Can anyone think of a reason why 2 different brand of front wheel bearings will not fit on the half shaft spline of my 2005 Prius? A few months ago I did the passenger side. I bought a Timken from Rockauto.com and it slide right on like butter. Now I am doing the driver side. The old one slid off again like butter. There is no wear, was a perfect machine precision fit. Had ordered a Dura International from Rockauto.com (had less money available this time around). It looked identical at first inspection. It fit the bracket perfectly, just like the one I removed. Went to slide it on the half shaft and no go, not even close. I pushed I wiggled, zero chance of this fitting on my spline. Looked closer at the two center holes (new one and old one) and noticed a different pattern. New one had pointed, triangular shaped ridges, old one was more squared off (peaks and troughs flattened instead of pointed). Drove 1.5 hours to nearest store with the part in stock and bought a Driveworks bearing assembly. It looked closer to the pattern than the Dura International but still looked not quite right. I bought it anyway because I had no other options and could always return it (hopefully to a closer location). Got back to my car and no fit again! I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this, surely I am not the first person to by these parts. has nobody informed them that they do not fit? I would assume something weird with my half shaft except that I have looked at 3 different ones that are all supposed to be the correct one (including the one I removed that of course fit) and each one has a different spline pattern?! Driving me a bit crazy, had zero issue replacing the passenger side. I guess that leads me to the conclusion that I ought to buy another Timken but what if I have a strange half shaft on just my driver side. I can think of no logical reason for this but neither can I think of any logical reason that 3 parts that are supposed to be the exact same have 3 different spline shapes. BTW, there is absolutely no damage to my shaft splines, it looks great, it is lubed, and the old bearing slides easily up and down it no matter how many times I rotate it and put it back on. Attached is a drawing of the three spline patterns I have seen so far, supposedly all the exact same part! Frustrated. 0001.jpg .
     
    #1 Cory Potrafka, Dec 17, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2016
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,198
    6,461
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Well - the logical reason that I can think of is that some aftermarket parts do not have the correct fit. This is why I generally avoid such parts. However since you know that Timken works, then it would be reasonable to get that brand again.
     
  3. Cory Potrafka

    Cory Potrafka Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2016
    51
    8
    0
    Location:
    Floyd, VA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Probably the case, I just don't understand how every single one of these does not get returned! And if they do, why in the world would any representative still sell them?! I am getting another Timken, my only concern is that I know it fit the passenger side, I have not slid a Timken onto the driver side before. Nowhere have I seen ever seen a Left or Right front wheel bearing for my car, only Front or Rear.
     
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,198
    6,461
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I believe that the front bearing hub has the same design for left vs. right, hence no need for two separate part numbers.
     
  5. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2011
    1,355
    486
    0
    Location:
    District 6
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Same bearing, different L and R steering knuckles.
     
  6. Cory Potrafka

    Cory Potrafka Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2016
    51
    8
    0
    Location:
    Floyd, VA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I know this. I just have this unjustifiable worry that something is really weird about my driver's side half shaft.
     
  7. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2011
    1,355
    486
    0
    Location:
    District 6
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    And what makes you feel this way other than the bearing you bought did not fit. The Timken or OEM bearing will. There is no difference in the L and R half shafts except length. Splines are identical.
     
  8. snewman24

    snewman24 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2008
    6
    1
    0
    Location:
    Omaha, NE
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    What are the part numbers of the two with the wrong spline?
     
  9. Cory Potrafka

    Cory Potrafka Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2016
    51
    8
    0
    Location:
    Floyd, VA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Driveworks has no marking on the part, on the box is NT513265 and is from Autozone and made in China

    Dura International part is stamped with:
    513265 G3
    W88A 02/12
    MADE IN CHINA
    And the box says NT513265

    In the pictures the Driveworks and the Dura International look pretty similar but look at them closely reveals a good bit of difference. It is possible they would fit the same spindle just not mine. Look at the bottom side of the splines to best note the subtle differences.

    Driveworks
    bearing Driveworks.jpg

    Dura International
    bearing DuraInternational.jpg

    Old bearing
    bearing old.jpg
     
    #9 Cory Potrafka, Dec 17, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2016
  10. Cory Potrafka

    Cory Potrafka Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2016
    51
    8
    0
    Location:
    Floyd, VA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I readily admitted it was unjustifiable, but to be clear it was two different brands from two different places, both are supposed to fit my car and actually have more in common with each other than with mine. I never had to inspect the exact spline shape of the Timken I put on the other side. I am not the first owner of this car, what if someone bought an after market half shaft and wheel bearing as a set and it fit the motor side fine but had its own weird spline shape on the wheel side. probably stupid idea I know, but why two in a row that do not fit? It is possible that the two new ones are similar enough to fit the same spline, just not mine. See pictures above but note that the two new ones look less alike in person than in these photos. Neither come to a complete point as in my diagram but one has much flatter points, which is why I gave it a try after the first one did not fit. Just looking at it I felt it would not fit but I knew I could return it easier than the rockauto one.
     
  11. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2011
    1,355
    486
    0
    Location:
    District 6
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Believe me, I understand and can totally relate to your frustration. I have experienced this with other parts before.

    But think about this logically for a minute. If the driver's side half shaft had been replaced in the past, why would anyone deliberately use a different spline on the outboard side at the knuckle vs the inboard side into the transaxle? The transaxle must be the same since you have already replaced the passenger side wheel bearing.

    Must have been a part number mix up. Really unusual that two cross reference parts did not fit but there's always a first time and you're the unlucky lottery winner here, unless the Timken or OEM bearing does not fit. Then it's a Scooby Doo mystery for sure.

    When I did a front wheel bearing on my Prius, I bought OEM Toyota from Amazon.com. Needless to say it was an exact match. Cost more but sure to fit.
     
  12. Cory Potrafka

    Cory Potrafka Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2016
    51
    8
    0
    Location:
    Floyd, VA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Just looked closely at the pictures on Rockauto of the Timken AND the Dura International part I was supposed to have received. In the magnified view I can tell that both these photos are of parts that would fit my car. I believe Rockauto sent me the wrong part in the right box. Thus the mismatching part numbers on box and on the part itself. Additionally looking at the photo you can see the part number does match the box number, unlike mine. Have no idea why Autozone gave me a wrong part. Maybe because they are Autozone but most likely there is an incorrect cross reference at the manufacturing level or in some master sheet the stores pull from. I will order the Timken, get refunded for the other two, and most likely be on my merry way. Ha, last time this was a two day job (had to have a shop press the old one out), this time was well on its way to being a couple hours or so. Oh well, so much for that. Factor in multiple shippings and I am going to be around a week without transportation as my car resides in a friends garage whom I told would be two days tops!