I see Timken hubs recommended on forums but they aren't what they used to be.

Last December I put two new Timken 513084 front hubs on my 98 XJ. Fortunately
I kept the old hubs as emergency spares even though they were both noisy and
one had some play.

Eight months later one of the Timkens got real noisy and had play in the bearing, so I
put the better of the two old hubs back on. Today out at a gas station the other
Timken's bearing collapsed inside the hub and sounded like a bucket of bolts, so I just
parked it and went to get the other old hub and put it on so I could get the Jeep home.

The old hubs were put on in 2010 and 2011 and lasted until 2018. One was a Carquest
and the other a Federal Mogul brand that has since been discontinued.

 

Usually that happens when the axle nut isn't torqued to 175 ft/lbs - but it seems like none of the formerly high quality manufacturers are putting out really quality stuff anymore.

 

 

i know it's anecdotal, but i've been on my current timken hubs for 2 years now and still going strong. maybe you got a defective part, but the fact that both failed leads me to agree with the others and say the proper torque was not applied when installing them. if that's the case, lesson learned!

 

I have the Advance Auto special on my 95, one side for over a year and the other side for a few months - both are running fine.

If it were me, I'd hit Autozone and get a set of Moog's with a 3 year warranty ($100 each around here) and put them on and be sure to torque the axle nut to the correct torque. I think that will give you years of service and peace of mind that if you have to replace one or both that you won't pay for parts again for at least 3 years.

 

Hmmm... I forgot you're not in the continental U.S..... maybe AZ will ship to Africa.

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/jeep,1999,cherokee,4.0l+l6,1431776,brake+&+wheel+h ub,wheel+bearing+&+hub+assembly,1636 Options as cheap or as expensive as your heart desires.

 

I know many people have recommended the Timkens in the past but I always figured if and when the time came I am going with SKF.

 

We'll see how the Advance special holds up - if I find myself needing to replace mine, I think I'll be looking at SKF myself or possibly the Moog with the warranty. While it's a pain to change them out, after the first time it's not too too bad and pales in comparison to repeatedly paying $50-75.

 

I put a set of moog hub bearings on my xj back in 2015 and they are still good . It is important that the axle nut is torqued to 175 ft/lbs , because to tight it puts to mach pressure on the bearing , but to loose and the bearing come loose .

 

Also keep in mind less backspacing on the wheel or using spacers will cause the bearings to fail prematurely. Many of the most trusted companies are buying from China now. I just bought 2 MOOG lower control arms and they were made in China. I've bought Mopar parts made in Mexico.

 

OP, from your location, it could very well be you got counterfeit hubs.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-ball-bearings

 

yep. i switched to SKF about four years ago since i noticed timken having a few issues. still lifetime warranty and a nice quality product. i've had moog fail faster than white box china.

 

I have been told by somebody I trust that Moog parts are not what they used to be. Whenever I need front end parts I go with Napa's NCP line. Not the best price wise but I feel that they are a better choice.

 

Thanks for the replies and the advice. The Timken hubs were bought
from rockauto.com in 2018 and we carried them back here in our suitcases
as personal items. Ordering auto parts by mail or air freight has led to
exorbitant customs charges.

I had my mechanic get a used hub from the Jeep junkyard in the big city.
Dickered down to $120. They are getting rare here. There are no new
hub options in this country.

We installed the hub this afternoon. We used a L-shaped wrench with a long
handle. The mechanic held the handle 18 inches from the hub and tightened
with just about all his weight, about 130 pounds. Maybe that won't be too tight.
The hub drives quiet and smooth now.

Maybe my bad experience with the Timkens is the exception, and I hope any you
have do not fail, but my mechanic and I agree that their lack of dust shields lets water
and grit into the bearing too easily. The other brands have them, why not Timken?
Also, if you look at the pictures of the various hubs out there, you'll notice in the
profile picture that the neck of the Timkens is smaller in diameter than the Mopars
and about any other brand. Why is that?