Best Swivel Bearings to get

I'm going back to change both my lower swivel bearings.

I know Aaran autos do them and Mark Black.

You can also get them from Turborenault.

Anybody any experience of buying these as a part from the above?

Any experiences or advice?

Variations in quality? Seems to be a variation in price. I'd like the best I can get without paying through the nose.

Cheers

 

Thanks for that!

Anyone use TurboRenault ones? £25 cheaper per bearing.....

 

Renault ones? As in the whole assembly? That seems excessive when the bearing itself can be replaced.

I just don't want to fit a soft chocolate, poorly toleranced bearing that will crumble after 50 miles.

 

Did you buy just the outer caged bearing, the cup with the needle rollers in? Or did you buy the insert too?

I've not actually seen one stripped down just pictures of worn out caged needle bearings.

I'm not sure of the individual parts that make the bearing assembly on the lower swivel point in the Megane. As I understand it an insert exists which is threaded to take the bolt. The insert sits in the bearing cup and rotates on the needle bearings.

Now does this threaded insert fit straight against the bearings or is there an intermediate part (race) between the two as below?

Because the bearing part numbers I've been quoted include what seems to be an intermediate bearing race (INA IR404520).


Either way if the bearings are worn then it makes sense that the insert or race could be worn to and even after new bearings play could still exist unless this is replaced?

This I need:
- the actual closed cup caged needle bearing INA 4520
- the inner race INA IR40452
- O-ring seal 52mm/4mm

 

Thanks mate!

 

Yeah definitely!

I tried to PM you but your inbox is full. I agree with what you said though

 

I got INA Schaefler ones for £22.xx delivered each in the end!

 

As if by magic....



Super quick for £1.50 delivery!

 

Actually they appear a quid cheaper here:

BK4520-A INA NEEDLE ROLLER DRAWN CUP https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A8UXLR0/?tag=rsmeg-21

 

Noticed the closed end of the bearing has a raised part in the centre. Just investigating whether this will cause a problem with the insert fully engaging the needles all the way to the bottom or if the added height of the insert causes any problems....

 

@manifold were yours like mine?

 

Yeah seconded.

I wrote the detailed one about bearing/upright disassembly/reassembly

 

Top bearings:

 

Did you fit INA ones like I sourced with new dust seals?

What was the condition of the turret like before you refitted?

 

Won't last forever. I've read originals have been changed at 45k. Mine were at 132k.

If however your turret is damaged (they all will be to a certain extent), this could mean slight play when reassembled with a new bearing. Over time that play will be worked on and the bearing will fail again.

We all replace the bearing because you can buy these off the shelf as fitted to other applications but no one replaces the turret unless they are buying a complete new hub.

Really both should be replaced when the job is done and would be if the turrets were available. Only way this could be done is if you had a new one machined up or a liner machined up with an interference fit on it.

Here's mine:


Before



After

 

Agree all round!
Think I paid £17 for INA.
I'd say they are better than original because the INA ones are fully caged where as the other makes (possibly not SKF) have their needles held in place by the top and lower lip of the shell alone and don't have a cage! Cheap Chinese stuff I'm afraid!

 

My logic is if I'm going to the trouble to strip and rebuild something I'll fit the best parts available or what I can afford. The car is the some of its parts at the end of the day.

Cheap stuff is just there for folk to sell out of garages when they do the work. Get a little extra profit on the parts and make the overall cost more attractive to the customer at the expense of longevity. Good garages will always offer you a choice if the job allows it.

Good example of this was my mates S4. He took it somewhere instead of to me for discs and pads all round and tyres. After he gave me grief about the parts prices I'd quoted him. About three months later he was complaining of warped front discs and rubbish handling, non existent in the wet. He learnt his lesson the hard way.