It's about time to replace the front bearing in my van. I saw so many manufacturers I'm confused. Among Timken, BCA, SKF, Dynapack, which one is the best? I don't want to do this too often, so I'd rather pay for a good set.

Thanks

 

Personally, for aftermarket bearings, I've always preferred Timken...whether or not they are better than any of the others is another matter....

 

Motorcraft original
about same price as other top line

 

My replacements were Timken, a brand I've always trusted.

 

I agree with arocolorado timken are best, I used to work in a factory in england that made them under license that company was called skefco now known as skf I believe. I was a contractor doing pipe fitting and welding. There was a shop in the factory you could buy the bearings and I allways used to get any bearings I needed from there, never had any problems with those bearings. There a little more expensive than others but the quality is so much better. I was also able to get some oddball size bearings for my vintage motorcycles from that shop. Well thats my 2 cents worth.

 

I am inclined to trust Timken myself. But I saw that the BCA bearings are about twice as expensive and I had no idea why. I always thought Timken was the best. As for Motorcraft, I doubt they make their own bearings. They probably had someone else make the bearings and put their name on it.

 

Motorcraft/Ford does have good bearing though, I have trusted my life to them for years. Over 150k on front and rear wheel bearing on several Fords including a 429 Cobra Jet that I won't tell you the top end on, over 150 and more with 3.07 gears. over 250k on a '73 F250 4 wdr with built 460 pulling 10,000 lb trailers and real gas was less than 50 cents a gallon. these were at real freeway speeds when normal posting was 80 mph and Montana was pedal thru the floorboard, pushed a Chev so hard in Montana on 90 that he burnt out his pinion shaft bearings and he had to let me by as the smoke cloud was coming out of his diff.
Bearings Built Ford Tough.

 

I have always worked with timken and SKF, no issues whatsoever. Never heard of BCA or Dynapack.

 

Montana eh? I have always thought that there is no speed limit in Montana, at least during daytime. Back 10, 15 years ago, all you would get was a $5 ticket that you paid on the spot and it didn't go on your driving record.

Was that a thing of the past now? Back in July, I was traveling through Montana to Glacier NP and then Calgary, and I saw plenty of Highway Patrols out giving speeding tickets for real. I was very careful not to get one, but I'm wondering if Montana has been enforcing the speed limits for real now? Anybody from Montana here?

 

I know when i ride my bike in New Mexico they try to inforce the speed limit. They use Planes and Jeeps to run you down. They try but I hit 180MPH and never look up or back

 

Motorola chases down even Ferrari's and Lamborghinni's at over 200 mph. yes, The Big Sky state now has enforced freeway speed limits, 75 mph max absolute, 70 mph on secondary roads, used to be only whatever was reasonable and prudent during daylight hours, the $5 ticket met the requirements of the Fed.energy conservation regs of the 1970's & '80's. now Montana has budget problems so the tourista's pay mucho dinero.
WSP here recently spike stripped a Lamborghinni on I5 lasered at 195. Ticket was probably $1000 and tires/wheels were probably $10,000

 

A visiting friend from Denmark told me that over there, traffic ticket was assessed as a percentage of your annual salary. So, one guy actually got a half a million dollar speeding ticket. We got it cheap here man!

 

Back in the early 90s when everyone was going back to 65/75mph on the interstate Montana for a couple years had safe and saign on the interstate, but thanks to the feds, it did not last long.

 

IMHO there's not a lot of difference between good name brands. The important things are to: use new races with new bearings so that they wear together, pack the bearings well with a good grease designed for wheel bearings, and use the proper tightening procedure.

Do this and you will be fine.

 

TIMKEN!! In fact, Timken is a part supplier for various Ford parts, installed new at the Ford Assembly Plants. For example, my wife's 1990 Ford Escort GT 1.9 HO had the clutch replaced. We purchased the car dirt cheap, all because the previous owner did not know how to drive a stick. At 4o K the clutch was worn, due to bad habits. The shop (specializing in Ford Products) showed me the part ordered from the Ford Parts Dept. It was a Timken clutch, pressure plate, etc. Timken box with Motorcraft Part #s!! Now her Escort has 77K and shifts perfectly. I remember clearly what the owner told me a few years ago. (This is why I do business with this shop, for work I cannot do myself. 1) The know Ford Products. 2) They quote their job price, using Motorcraft or factory parts. 3) They guarantee their work, no BS on $. If they have to add a $16 part, they don't call you up and say "my tech stripped this nut. We need another $16 to continue work. They eat any overhead. I reward them buy bringing by business to them and referring others. 4) They explain what they do, and treat the customer like an equal. 5) Most important to me. They actually thank me for my business, calling me a week later to see if everything was okay? It was.) Anyway, go with Timken. They make quality parts, not inferior junk. I would always use a Timken part if available. Good luck with your bearings. Repack them every 2 1/2-3 years, whether you replace disc pads or not, and they will last a LONG time, for an hour or two of your time and labor.