I’m going to install Power Stop rotors on the front of my 2001 F150 2WD, and want to know if I should use the bearing races that come pre-installed in the rotors, or press in the ones that came with my new SKF bearings instead?
Need input on wheel bearing races
- Thread starter Twisted1
- Start date
Good question, but I have a question. Did the PS rotors come with only the races installed? Or are they including bearings, but you want to have higher quality bearings?
I've always been told that they should be installed as a set and new goes with new. But the new PS races have not worn in yet, so it shouldn't matter. But I'm OCD enough to need to pound out the PS races and install the SKF in order to calm my mind.
I've always been told that they should be installed as a set and new goes with new. But the new PS races have not worn in yet, so it shouldn't matter. But I'm OCD enough to need to pound out the PS races and install the SKF in order to calm my mind.
I share the same mindset, and that’s what drove me to create this post. Yes, the new PS rotors came with front and rear races already installed. They have numbers etched onto the races, but I can’t make it out clearly to look them up online. I too was taught that wheel bearing brands shouldn’t mix with different brands of wheel bearing races. So I’m 50/50 at the moment!
What's fun is from Ford the bearings and races are separate items. Whenever I quote out rotors with packable bearings, I quote new bearings and about 90% of the time the bearings are declined.
That’s true! Also as a quick update, I was able to make out the part number on the front race, and it is “LM12710”, which cross references Timken and SKF, and my SKF races share the same part number as well. Decisions decisions..
My opinion; you risk more damage by driving out a race and driving another one in than you do by using the races that came with it. I used to only match bearing brands but anymore if you open a box it may have a different brand bearing inside. Most OTR truck hubs come with races and you throw whatever bearing your supply house has in stock that fits the application.
I know its the nature of this forum but you are overthinking it.
I know its the nature of this forum but you are overthinking it.
That’s sound advice. This is honestly the first time I’ve made myself concerned with something like this, and have always dropped in quality bearings into pre-installed bearing races that came with new rotors. But erring on the side of caution, I thought I’d ask here.
These are straight roller bearings? Then I believe the inner and outer races need to be the same "angle" or cone shape, matched anyways for each other so they aren't running on the corner of the roller? Maybe the angles are standardized in this application?
If they are spherical rollers then, I think you could have a range of inner and outer race angles without a problem?
If they are spherical rollers then, I think you could have a range of inner and outer race angles without a problem?
You’ll be fine. I’ve done the exact same thing in my truck. New rotors with races installed and new bearings. I saved the races that came with the bearings.I don’t know why. Thought I could use it on something else I guess. Any way that was 80k miles ago. Cleaned Repacked the bearings at 60k. They still looked great. Truck has 220k on it now.
Yes they’re tapered bearings on my application. I ended up removing the races and installed the ones that came with the SKF bearings after I found some small scratches on the pressed races that were catching my nail. I also found 1 with a tiny speck of rust that had pitting. I wonder if the factories press the races on, then true them which can cause some small scratches on the races going off and on the machines.
I had the SKF bearing races in the freezer overnight, and used my Mac Tools bearing driver set to set them in. They all drove in with a few small whacks with my hammer. Wasn’t hard at all, as I was able to remove the pressed races out by tapping continuously around the perimeter of the races.
Also, if anyone is interested to see, these are the races that I removed from my semi-coated Power Stop rotors
I had the SKF bearing races in the freezer overnight, and used my Mac Tools bearing driver set to set them in. They all drove in with a few small whacks with my hammer. Wasn’t hard at all, as I was able to remove the pressed races out by tapping continuously around the perimeter of the races.
Also, if anyone is interested to see, these are the races that I removed from my semi-coated Power Stop rotors
As long as both are new it will be fine.
BTW a few years ago I had to put bearings and races in my f250. No local store had enough parts of the same brand so it got a bearing from here, another from there etc. A mishmash of parts.
It worked for years.
BTW a few years ago I had to put bearings and races in my f250. No local store had enough parts of the same brand so it got a bearing from here, another from there etc. A mishmash of parts.
It worked for years.
I love when people make a big deal about who makes the bearings for Ford. I have seen Timken, SKF, and Koyo all for the same part number. Also its fun how there are some differential bearing parts for newer vehicles that have a B5A and B7A prefix which indicates 1955 and 1957 respectively. Also C7AZ and DOAZ are common too, 1967 and 1970.
I always just use the new bearings that come in the rotors. I don't know if this is the "right" way, but I've not had issues so far.
Did you know that the Motorcraft rotors for my application are made in China for Motorcraft? Wonder which Chinesium warehouse it comes from..
I would use the SKF races that came with your new bearings. Who knows the quality of the races that were pressed in the new rotors.
I posted a picture of them a few posts up. They had “SDHT” laser etched onto them. Maybe someone here knows that brand.. But I did remove them and drive in the ones that came with my SKF bearings
A lot of the Motorcraft red label ones are. The blue label OE ones usually come from the first world, but not always.
Is there a logical system to cross over the red label part numbers to blue label OE ones?
