Front hubs - How long did yours last?

My front wheel bearings are getting sloppy - to the point that it makes the car dart around when I'm driving. Tie rod ends are tight and control arm bushings are all relatively new 1LE parts. I can take the wheel with the car in the air and rock it 1/8" or more top to bottom.

I have about 20k miles on a Timken hub from AutoZone that is at the end of it's life (past the end actually) and the Timken hub before it lasted about the same mileage. Not sure what Napa is selling, but the one I got from Napa about 50k miles ago is in about the same shape as a 20k mile Timken hub.

I know Timken makes very good bearings and I'm probably going to go back with another set of Timken hubs from AZ for $114 each, but was just curious how many miles other folks get out of hubs.

I've got some good rubber (Kumho Ecsta MX) and have been known to corner hard from time to time, but this car doesn't see track time or autocross time. Another thing worth mentioning - there is no abnormal bearing noise I can hear like I've heard when other wheel bearings go bad. I found the last one when I took it to get aligned and the techs couldn't do it due to bearing slop. I would expect you could find some slop in tapered roller bearings, but not with these sealed ball bearings (I'm assuming they're ball - angular contact I would assume).

Anybody running any of the hubs that are all over eBay new for ~$60 each?

Does anybody else have any of the slop present in their hubs like I've got in mine (keep in mind I'm hearing no noise from the bearings when I drive)?

I need new tires very soon an am just trying to get this resolved so I don't destroy another set of tires.

My right side on my 93Z went out around 58,XXX miles(Humming noise at highway speed) in 2000 .. Change both at the same time with AC Delco, around $170 for the pair.... Have 139,XXX mile now with no problems..:)

Where did you come up with a set of Delco hubs for $170? They are $217 each from GMPD and $263 each from Rock Auto.

I can take the wheel with the car in the air and rock it 1/8" or more top to bottom.

Side to side should be wheel bearings, top to bottom play is usually ball joints.

Bearings going bad would give me a humming noise at higher speeds? It does not change with brake application so I am leaning towards the bearings....

Come to think of it, side to side could be tie rod ends too.

Perhaps I should clarify, the wobble will happen if I rock the wheel up and down or side to side. It's got new 1LE control arms that were replaced the same time the hubs were. The tie rod ends have a few more miles on them, but have been done in the last 50k or so.

Come to think of it, I may have wheel bearing noise, but those Kumho Ecsta MXs at the end of their life are so loud they cover up all sorts of other noises.

To the comment about bearing noise being at high speeds - not always the case. It depends on where the defect is - inner race, outer race, cage, or ball. All defects have different frequencies that could possibly be excited by a slower wheel speed (cage or ball defect). I'll be sure to cut these apart and report findings when I replace them.

Back to my original question - are other people getting this short life from their wheel bearings? Is it the application or the brand of bearings I'm buying? I recall reading on the FRRAX forum a while back that the folks that road race these cars really go through front wheel bearings.

How many miles have you driven before having to replace front wheel bearings? I've used NAPA parts and AutoZone Timken bearings, neither of which has lasted over 40 or 50k miles.

Where did you come up with a set of Delco hubs for $170? They are $217 each from GMPD and $263 each from Rock Auto.

I went through an authorized ac delco dealer, this was back in 2000.... Being in the military had its advantages... :)

As for the noise, it normally happened on right hand bends at highway speeds traveling around 60~65 MPH; passenger side....:)

I recall reading on the FRRAX forum a while back that the folks that road race these cars really go through front wheel bearings. Yup. My originals went well beyond 100k miles in street duty. They even held up to my first set of 16 inch R compounds. The following first set of 275 stickies did them in though.

Now with 315s all the way around, I can loosen up a brand new set in less than 10 runs. Brand new GM or brand new Timkens (both the same actually). Doesn't matter. Hubs have become a yearly or even bi-yearly replacement item. This is pretty much the case for anyone running 315s. I just use the hubs until they get too loose for comfort. FWIW I've actually had better luck running used hubs if you can find them.


Note: The above usage refers to autocross only. No track duty.