Wheel bearing dilemma

[wing0]

2001 Lexus RX300 with 220k km on it.
Seems to have developed wheel bearing noise in the rear.

I want to get my own part and bring it to mechanic to fix as their quoted NSK price is about 2x more than what I can get from carquest.

BCA(carquest premium) in stock, 3yr/75k warranty $43
NSK(have to prepay to order), 12 months warranty $53
OEM $160
Lexus dealership - wheel/hub unit only, $360

I could also order SKF for $48, but no stock at the moment at amazon.ca

Would I be ok with BCA?

 

[Rand]

I'd buy the part from the mechanic that way you have a warranty.

Its not logical to ask him to warranty anything if using your part... including labor.

 

[Ramblejam]

I've used the Raybestos Gen. 2 Hub Assemblies on these vehicles without issue; they're inexpensive, available on Amazon, and make for an easy installation. Then again, I'm doing the labor here, not someone else.

Originally Posted By: Rand
I'd buy the part from the mechanic that way you have a warranty.

Its not logical to ask him to warranty anything if using your part... including labor.


+1

 

[Tegger]

We just had a discussion on this. I quote from that discussion:

Originally Posted By: mk378
This is not for the OP [engineer20], who is a troll, but for anyone else who is seriously reading this.

Never bring your own parts to a mechanic. Always hire mechanics on a "furnish and install" basis. If there is a problem with a customer-supplied part, it often ignites a [censored] contest where the mechanic says "It's a defective part" and the parts vendor says "It was improperly installed." The customer is caught in the middle and thoroughly [censored].

If you contract for furnish and install this won't happen. The mechanic has to stand behind the whole job. He needs to deal with the supplier himself and get a new part.

Originally Posted By: Tegger
Excellent points.

In addition to those points, the mechanic also adds a markup on the parts he installs. By providing him with the parts, you rob him of his markup. His labor rate is set considering that he will make money on both labor AND parts.

When you (as a consumer) buy a part, you pay full-retail. The mechanic pays way less than you do for parts, then adds his markup, which brings the part close to what you would have paid full-retail anyway. Only the mechanic gets the markup instead of the parts house.

More about problems with parts: Aftermarket parts are frequently substandard or defective. By supplying the part himself, the mechanic relies on his supplier to deliver the part to him. If the part turns out to be substandard/defective, the mechanic just asks his supplier to drop off a new part next delivery. No sweat. If YOUR part is substandard/defective, YOU have to do all the driving around, presumably in the car that needed fixing to begin with. And then everybody has to wait while you get around to doing that.

 

[Quest]

LOL! Another round of "penny-wise, pound-foolish" request.

Fact is: even though you may pay 2x more if the mechanics get the part for you (markup), fact is: you also want him to take on the liability part if any mishaps due to parts or workmanship failure in the very near future.

Ditto with dealerships.

As a p/t mech myself: I do not offer any guarantee when ppl bring their own parts (I made them sign the waiver), not even labour part.


Q.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My mechanic prefers when customers supply the parts. A lot of his customers are people who understand how things work and either don't have a place to work or the time to do it. He doesn't have to wait around for the parts to get in, then return them if not needed, doesn't have to mark them up and then pay tax on them ...

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: Rand
I'd buy the part from the mechanic that way you have a warranty.

Its not logical to ask him to warranty anything if using your part... including labor.


+2 or go OEM.

 

[Chris142]

It sounds like there may be press work required unless you go with the OEM part that comes complete. If so Let him supply the part and press work and supply his warranty.

 

[Wolf359]

I've always gotten my own parts for my mechanic. I can't seem to recall how many times I've had defective parts. Hardly ever so it's always cheaper for me to buy the part. I've had mechanics offer to buy the part at their cost, but strangely when I use a $40 off $100 coupon code at Advance Auto, their price ends up higher than my price so it's still cheaper for me to buy the part than them as they probably just get a flat rate discount and it's not 40%. Most of the time when anything failed, it would have been well past any regular warranty that you can expect. What's the normal warranty on labor and parts anyway? I think normally you would get a 3-6 month or a 1 year warranty. The mechanic I found has way cheaper labor rates than a regular shop.

 

[Kool1]

I've used BCA bearings over the years and never get a long life out of them. NSK or SKF would be my go to bearings; especially if they're made in Japan. Friends have told me that NSK and SKF bearings are now sometimes from China and that scares me. L&S bearings are the worst bearings I've ever used. I avoid L&S bearings like the plague.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: Quest
LOL! Another round of "penny-wise, pound-foolish" request.

Fact is: even though you may pay 2x more if the mechanics get the part for you (markup), fact is: you also want him to take on the liability part if any mishaps due to parts or workmanship failure in the very near future.

Ditto with dealerships.

As a p/t mech myself: I do not offer any guarantee when ppl bring their own parts (I made them sign the waiver), not even labour part.


Q.


Don't laugh too hard, chuckle head

Seriously, a couple of things to consider, as a rebuttal to your condescending post:

1. Not everyone can afford a marked-up part + labor, if the part is marked up well beyond what one can get elsewhere. It may be, that the mechanic will benefit from charging labor vice no work at all.

2. What is the relationship the OP has with the mechanic? If he brings all of his complicated work (and tons of referrals,) the "warranty" may not matter.

3. How many failures, specifically for name-brand, high-quality bearings are there within warranty periods (mechanics, not part manufacturer's.)

3.1 How many bearings that are destined to fail quickly show no apparent signs that could be picked up via inspection prior to install?

I agree, that saving a few bucks is not worth the risk. I'm just not sure that the savings is only a few bucks and that any amount of savings, given the apparent risk, isn't worth considering. So, LOL! at your presumptuous post.

 

[Quest]

@get-me-wooie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2lfZg-apSA

enjoy!

Q.

 

[mk378]

Like Chris142 suggests, even for a good mechanic, pressing a bearing has a more than zero risk of damaging it and having to buy another one.

If you buy the hub complete it is a much simpler bolt and go job.

 

[Dufus2]

I own a 91 Tercel and I used a BCA in one front wheel from Advance Auto Parts, 100K later its still in good condition. The other side went out and I used a Japan bearing (NSK?) because I did not want a Tawain-eese bearing from Autozone because its a real PITA replace with a press.

 

[krismoriah72]

SKF can be bought at NAPA, Timkens at Autozone. I would worry less about the quality of the bearing than the installation of the new bearing. I would ask your mechanic to put into writing that any damage to the hub or knuckle is on him for the install and ask for a warranty. Also since you are buying your own parts you will need seals.

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: wing0
2001 Lexus RX300 with 220k km on it.
Seems to have developed wheel bearing noise in the rear.

I want to get my own part and bring it to mechanic to fix as their quoted NSK price is about 2x more than what I can get from carquest.

BCA(carquest premium) in stock, 3yr/75k warranty $43
NSK(have to prepay to order), 12 months warranty $53
OEM $160
Lexus dealership - wheel/hub unit only, $360

I could also order SKF for $48, but no stock at the moment at amazon.ca

Would I be ok with BCA?


Is you mechanic ok with you supplying the parts? Get the best parts possible. I cheaped out on doing front wheel bearings on my Sienna. Ended up having to do it twice (I did it myself), and used a Toyota bearing the second time.

Does your rear bearing look like this Camry?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD-Xgyz2_dU

Looks like you buy the whole assembly and it bolts in... much easier than having to press out the large front bearing.

 

[Ethan1]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool
3. How many failures, specifically for name-brand, high-quality bearings are there within warranty periods (mechanics, not part manufacturer's.)


That depends on how it's installed; they're quite easy to damage.

Originally Posted By: gathermewool
3.1 How many bearings that are destined to fail quickly show no apparent signs that could be picked up via inspection prior to install?


100% of them.

 

[philipp10]

As usual, the crew here is way over-thinking what is a pretty simple car repair. Buy a good quality bearing and bring it to your mechanic. Make sure he has enough talent to properly press in a bearing. Then, DON'T WORRY about the warranty. It's a bearing, they literally never fail prematurely.

 

[JMJNet]

IIRC, Toyota uses Koyo Bearing.

 

[Quest]

Lemme tell you one thing: never deprive a good/honest mechanic his much deserved living.

You can claim anything/shortchange everything just to save a buck. Fact is: a good mech you have established a mutually-repectful relationship goes a long way, oftenimes he/she can cut you a bit of slack here and there for you (so long you ask).

In return: he/she will take good care of your motoring needs, which includes absorbing the RE&RE cost if something goes wrong (on parts he supplied).

Most of the honest/good mechs would not short-cut you on their work, and will honour their labour quality if something goes wrong.

You shortchange them on supplying your own parts (and not letting them have their deserved markup on parts), then unless the mech is a mediocre ones whose desperate in getting that 1/2hr labour to feed his family, otherwise: the mech may not be all that happy with you at the end of the day.

my observation on these postings on the said subject tells me the following:

(1) most posters of recent willing to cut deep corners by shortchanging on their mech's service cost (incl. that "schoobie doo" incident earlier), by buying their own parts and would try to force their indy mech (who ended up only charging meager hourly labour charge on the job )to bear the liability burden when aftermarket component supplied by the car owner failed.

(2) most posters despise mech's charging cost for doing automobile work, and do not like to let their mech to make an extra (mostly honest) buck on parts markup.

Makes you wonder why so many half-ash mickey mouse indy jobbers out there screwing things up even on things such as t-belt service or many other service.

You must understand the following:

(a) most mech shops bear a lot of financial burden of hiring staff, cost of running a shop, insurance, new tooling costs, etc. So those parts "mark-up" goes into the book, not just the mech's afterhour beer money...

(b) honest shop/mech with long-standing good relationships will bear the burden for good standing customers and will take good care of them no mattter what.

(c) there are lots of counterfeit brand-name parts out there that even national retailers such as Amazon,Rock Auto, etc. would occasionally ended up with, and while some of them may be difficult to deal with the consequences (when that happened). The good news is: a good mech/shop will handle such matters in a timely fashion. Also: based on an experienced mech who has the knowledge, most of the time they can tell if there's something "not right" before the part is being installed, and will stop at all cost to get it right for their customers.

In other words: your good shop will not leave you "hanging".

(*global brand name bearings are one of the most rampantly counterfeited commodity out there these days: so bad that i get a few percent of them failed in very short notice, even though the box looked genuine (not!)This phenomenon has become so bad during the past 20+ years that nowadays, I would have no choice(with lots of explanation to my customers) but oftentimes to buy factory OE stuff during servicing).

So much for trying to save a buck. To all those BITOG waterhole hangers here: if you want to save a buck, go through automech school and learn to wrench a car properly and then do it yourself.

Q.

BTW: my interpretation of the original OP posting raised the following questions: (a) is it a 2WD (FWD) or AWD? If AWD, cost on decent quality parts would be high, + additional labour cost to press the bearing and hub, etc. If it's a 2WD, then it's an integral hub + bearing unit which can be done in very reasonable time/cost. He didn't post enough information on this, and yet most BITOG waterhole hangers would jump in like vultures.....