11 top manufacturers of hub bearings

The rumble of a worn hub bearing is rather discomforting, as it is heard inside the vehicle even with the windows closed. First the sound appears on the highway when driving at speeds of 80-120 km/h, and then is already heard in the city at 30-40 km/h. If nothing is done, the hum will increase, and gradually the wheel will literally start to dangle, which is no longer safe. For those who have puzzled over the search for parts to repair and fix this problem, our rating of the best manufacturers of hub bearings, which will help determine the choice. The material takes into account product quality and feedback from motorists as well as service technicians. You only need to find the part by code or size.

Rating of the best manufacturers of hub bearings

SNR

Rating: 5.0

SKF, the Swedish manufacturer of ball and radial hub bearings, comes in second place in the ranking. The company was founded by engineer Sven Wingqvist in 1907 when he introduced his first bearing. Three years later the company already had 325 employees. Subsidiaries gradually emerged in the U.K. It is interesting that the car factory Volvo was created by top managers of SKF, and later it was able to separate and become an independent company. In addition to hub bearings, the manufacturer also produces oil seals, lubricants and seals. Drivers in reviews like the fact that the company makes hub bearings along with hubs that already have an ABS sensor.

The manufacturer is added to our rating because it has the widest dealer network in the world. In addition to its more than 100 locations, it has many representative offices, the addresses of which can be found on the official website. This helps you find a direct supplier close to where you live and avoid overpaying by buying from retail auto shops. This option will interest large service stations and companies with a large fleet.

Advantages

• there are rare hub bearings with a flange;
• in-house research and development centers;
• offices and factories around the world, including Africa, the USA, Asia, Europe and Australia;
• there are bearings with built-in sensors.

Disadvantages

• The outer diameter of hub bearings is limited to 95 mm;
• high cost;
• Saving grease in sealed bearings.

FAG

Rating: 4.8

The German manufacturer FAG, which started its activity in 1883, is in the top three of our rating. The concern manufactures a wide range of products, including spindle bearings, radial bearings, shrink sleeves, roller and spherical plain bearings. The company has a total of 25 companies, so the country of manufacture on the package can be: Italy, Portugal, India, Austria or Korea. 84% of customers surveyed recommend this manufacturer’s wheel bearings. In addition to the joint itself, a new hub bolt and four nuts from the levers are put in the box. This allows for complete maintenance of the assembly so that there is no backlash or unreliable connections.

We have added the manufacturer to the rating for two reasons. First, it produces hub bearings in quality packaging. The part is sealed in polyethylene, so the grease does not dry out, even if it is on the shelf for a long time. The heavy cardboard box protects the part if it falls during shipping. Secondly, FAG truck hub bearings come with a plastic fixture that makes it easy to press the part in.

Advantages

• high-quality packaging;
• Is an original part on some foreign cars (Nissan, Maybah, Volkswagen);
• durable operation;
• Proven track record.

Disadvantages

• Uncomfortable hub bolt for the internal hexagon in the kit;
• high level of fakes;
• at times it is very difficult to install.

NSK

Rating: 4.7

The Japanese manufacturer is still on the top of the list. Company was founded in 1916 and now has production facilities in 55 locations around the world. Large concentration of factories in Japan, U.S., Asia and Europe. Assortment contains cylindrical roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, and rolling shaft bearings. There is a separate line of super-precision products. Manufacturer is ISO 14001 and 9001 certified. Craftsmen of car services praise the Japanese manufacturer’s hub bearings in their reviews for durability, but they note that a long service life is possible if the part is pressed in, rather than hammered out.

In our opinion, the manufacturer deserves a place in the top rating because of achievements in development. It spends 100,000 euros each year on a laboratory where it invents and tests new types of hub bearings. Designers managed to reduce the weight of the cage without loss of strength, improving the competitive qualities of the product. The group’s hub products are designed for high speeds and are resistant to contamination.

Advantages

• Meets high quality standards and comes with certificates;
• 55 plants around the world;
• release 1.25 billion. hub bearings per year;
• spend 100 million euros a year on research and development activities.

Disadvantages

• a lot of fakes;
• high cost;
• just for cars.

NTN

Rating: 4.6

The fifth in the ranking is a manufacturer from Japan. It produces hub bearings in white and blue packaging that is known worldwide. Production facilities are located in many countries – in total there are 32 plants. The company produces hub bearings, rollers for timing, clutch, transmission, and bearings for suspension. The company also manufactures miniature joints for printers and scanners. Acquired a 51% stake from French company SNR in 2008 and now combines Japanese and European expertise to capture an even higher percentage of the market. Drivers are satisfied in the reviews with the sufficient amount of lubricant inside the hub bearing and a reliable rubber seal that protects the balls from dust.

Our experts have included the manufacturer in the rating of the best because of its reliability. In Japanese automobile industry this company supplies hub bearings directly to assembly lines of such brands as: Nissan, Lexus, Toyota, Mazda. If the manufacturers of such famous cars are not afraid to install them in the flow, then you can be sure of the quality. But there are a lot of fakes on the market (you can’t tell from the packaging or metal), so you should buy them only in trusted stores.

Advantages

• wide range of products;
• It uses the latest technology in its production;
• 50 offices for direct purchases;
• 32 plants in Taiwan, USA, Canada, Japan and Germany.

Disadvantages

• high cost;
• no outside diameter over 95 mm;
• often there are fakes, which are difficult to distinguish.

Timken

Rating: 4.5

The sixth place of our rating is given to American manufacturer Timken. The company appeared in 1889 in Ohio. Its founder is Henry Timken, after whom the name was chosen. This company was the first to install a roller bearing in a horse-drawn carriage and has contributed to the development of more reliable hubs. The concern now has 60 plants worldwide, including: Canada, Romania, Poland, South Africa, Netherlands, USA. In addition to the manufacturing facilities where hub bearings are made, the company owns 12 steel plants. Customer reviews show that it is a quality product that is trustworthy, but in the CIS countries, the market is heavily displaced by European and Asian products, so the percentage of sales is small.

We added the manufacturer to the top rating because of the large number of hub bearing sizes. In all, the company’s catalog contains more than 200 variations. This allows to pick up a ball joint to the hub of the rarest or long out-of-print car.

Advantages

• a wide range of products;
• There are roller hub bearings for trucks (with a diameter of 140 mm);
• dealer network in 27 countries;
• 12 in-house factories produce steel for rollers and cages.

Disadvantages

• high cost;
• Strange original grey packaging (the box is often much larger than the product itself).

Kouo

Rating: 4.4

Continues the rating of the best Japanese manufacturer Koyo, which began producing hub bearings in 1921, and now sells them at discount prices. JTEKT now owns the corporation, so this word is always added to the name on the package. There are 33 plants in operation worldwide, and the number of products produced is the 5th largest in the world by volume. Buyers in reviews like the fact that the hub bearings of this manufacturer are considered original Toyota parts. Some of them are even sold in a branded package with the inscription “Toyota”. If you want to outfit your Japanese car with original parts during repairs and save a little money, buy Koyo in a separate blue or white package.

Manufacturer is ranked among the best because of public trust. In a large-scale voting of motorists on a forum where 10 companies producing wheel bearings were represented, this company received 80% of the votes. The majority of customers in the CIS countries trust Koyo, which shows the universal recognition of quality.

Advantages

• 33 plants worldwide;
• 5th in the world in terms of production volume;
• high reliability;
• Cylindrical, spherical and needle bearings.

Disadvantages

• The maximum outside dimension of the cage – 110 mm;
• high cost;
• It’s hard to install correctly on your own.

Meyle

Rating: 4.3

The eighth position is given to German manufacturer Meyle. The company appeared in 1958. Its founder is Wolf Gertner, a former professional car racer. At first, the company specialized only in packaging and exporting parts from German cars to Latin America, where there was a clear demand for repair parts. By 1962 they had established a subsidiary in the USA, followed by Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore. But the company was still only a supplier of goods from other brands. In 1995, it made the step from packer to manufacturer and established its own Meyle brand. Subsidiaries have already been established in France, Great Britain and China for the production of hub bearings.

Although the company’s experience loses out to other manufacturers, but we added it to the ranking of the best because of the optimization of spare parts. The company takes as a basis the drawings of the original parts of brand cars and modifies them, eliminating the factory weaknesses. As a result, the buyer receives the product, fully matching the dimensions of the seating to the hub, but differing by a reinforced edge or alloy rollers with increased wear resistance.

Advantages

• “The University of St. Gallen has twice awarded the manufacturer a Top Job award;
• own laboratory for quality control;
• relatively affordable price;
• bearings are available directly assembled with the hub;
• A wide range of products that are perfectly matched to the original ones.

Shortcomings

• less experience in terms of hub bearing production;
• The joint can go 6,000 km or 60,000 km;
• Some of the hub bearings are manufactured in China.

SPZ-Group

Rating: 4.2

In ninth place in the ranking is a domestic manufacturer of hub bearings, based in Samara. Under the brand name SPZ-Group “hides” “Samara Bearing Plant”. It produces hub products for rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles, 35% of which are originally installed on Avtovaz cars. Therefore, for owners of Lada with these types of drive, it is not difficult to buy the original hub bearings. The manufacturer makes single-row spherical-roller, radial-thrust, tapered and needle-type joints. Cages are available in steel or textolite. These products are designed to rotate at up to 7000 rpm and have a static load capacity of up to 52 kN. According to customer reviews, the joints last up to 95,000-100,000 km.

We added the manufacturer to this ranking because of the particularly large diameters of hub bearings, where there are outer dimensions of 150, 210 and even 230 mm. They are a great choice for your truck. The letter “A” in the index indicates a higher load capacity.

Advantages

• A wide selection of hub bearings by size (inside and outside diameters);
• Clear number marking on the body (by laser);
• they last up to 100.000 km;
• There are roller, radial-thrust, tapered types.

Disadvantages

• Not the cheapest price, considering the domestic production;
• weak cardboard packaging (may shatter during long transport).

TRIAL

Rating: 4.1

Our rating is completed by another domestic manufacturer VBF. The trademark belongs to the “Vologda Bearing Plant”. The company is the largest domestic manufacturer of hub bearings of all construction groups. 65% of joints in cars of JSC “Avtovaz” are made at this plant. The product range of JSC VBF includes more than 1700 sizes of roller bearings and ball bearings. The company is actively experimenting with materials and configurations, for which it has its own laboratory. The manufacturer owns registered patents. Products are certified according to national and international standards. Customer reviews show that you can buy hub bearings in Russia from this brand in almost any city.

Our experts have included the manufacturer in the rating of the best, because its quality is much better than the Chinese products. If you need to replace the wheel bearing, but do not have money for a German or Japanese products, this is the best alternative. And they are recommended by service station craftsmen. The average life of a hinge on domestic roads is 85,000 km.

Advantages of

• There are sizes up to 180 mm;
• wide dealer network;
• are well suited to European, Asian and American vehicles;
• Produces all design groups of hub bearings.

Disadvantages

• overpriced relative to other domestic brands;
• Surprisingly, even here there are fakes.