I had the same thing happen to me 4-5 yrs ago with my truck. Bearing was too small. It wasn't a Timken though. I returned it to napa and went somewhere else and got a Timken that did fit. It wasn't quite that small, but about .008 iirc.

 

I don't have the box anymore. Threw that away. But it did look legit. It had the little holographic anti-counterfeit badge thing.

Non of the parts houses around me carry Timken products... I might try ford.

 

I have heard from people that timken has gone to China. I haven't verfied this but if that's the case I will be looking for a new bearning mfg. Koyo has always been good.

 

As I said, I had this same issue with both National and Timken bearings. I tried multiple of both brands and measured them, all were too small. Also verified the part numbers multiple times. I believe its more than likely a manufacturing flaw, but the fact that multiple brands have the same issues is what i couldn't figure out.

 

Bronco grave yard sells wheel bearing kits too. I wouldnt think they would steer you wrong. Have you guys tried spicer?

 

That was one of the first places I looked. It seems JBG sells Timken Bearings as well...

 

Autozone here sells Timken bearings. I'm pretty sure they are still made in the USA. Timken is all I use. I have had issues with the inner bearing going up on the spindle before, but I just get it up there and push and keep wiggling the hub back and forth and they always go. Gotta hit it just right it seems like and they will slide right on there. It's almost always hard though.

 

Same thing here I used that little bit of space between the seal an race to hammer 1 on last week. Should be fun to get off someday.

 

I did bearings in a truck recently that were tight and I used heat to get them on. Heat the bearing up slightly (I just let it sit on the wood stove for a few minutes - not too hot or you'll cook the grease out of it) and chill the spindle (I stuck mine in the deep freeze for a while) and the little bit of difference it made allowed me to slip it right on.

 

The bearings I took out where Timkens. They don't bind or seem tight at all. They slide right on with no play.

 

The spindle I was working with was less than perfect. Most should slip right on, but if they don't a slight heat difference should make it go without resorting to the BFH.

 

Just seems to be the way new bearings are. Like I said, about every time I've done them, which is more than I can count, the inner is hard to get on the spindle. You just gotta keep wobbling the hub around on there and pushing at the same time, and when it hits that sweet spot it will go on. it is frustrating, and I have had to stop and put the hub down and rest, then go at it again before, but it will go.

 

Looking at your numbers, which I didn't the first time I read your post, you don't have a fifteen thousandths of an inch discrepancy, you have a difference of fifteen hundredths of an inch. That's more than an eighth of an inch. Something isn't adding up at all. Just wondering what kind of tool did you use to measure the bearing bore with?

Fifteen thousandths is too much for a press fit even if you heat the bearing and ice the shaft, but more than 1/8" is way out there.

Bob

 

Oops. My decimal place got off.

Spindle: 2.2531"

Bearing bore: 2.2369"

So a little more then a .015"

.0162" to be 'exact'. Id give or take half a thou or more with my digital calipers.

 

What do the old bearing bores measure with your digital calipers? I have a helluva time accurately measuring ID's with calipers. If you have a nearby machine shop maybe you could ask them to mike the bearing bores? Don't mean to be questioning your skills, it's just that calipers are not the best tool for measuring ID's.

7 Degrees F here outside of Reno this morning. That's cold for us!

Bob