Most suppliers will just buy cheap from another another brand like FAG and put it in a box with their logo on it and whack a big price on it.

Every bearing has a number stamped on it so if you google that number you will find much cheaper bearings.

Indeed they were sourced from you Dai - and looky what you find on the box (must confess I had never noticed that before),



Or in this case "may contain nothing manufactured by SKF"

The engineers equivalent of "May Contain Nuts"

Mac.

360beast wrote:Most suppliers will just buy cheap from another another brand like FAG and put it in a box with their logo on it and whack a big price on it.

Every bearing has a number stamped on it so if you google that number you will find much cheaper bearings.

I would say FAG and SKF are the two best bearings available. Timken is another make I hear good things about but not used them much. I've stuck with SKF and FAG as if they are good enough for Volvo then they are good enough for me.

The cheap bearings might be ok for a while but from experiance teh service life will be a lot shorter

It does make me think about the bearing kits from Volvo. I have often seen a mix of SKF and FAG in the same Volvo box. I always thought it was Volvo mixing them but I now suspect it might have been SKF supplying the bearings that way

Whilst the axle is off and in pieces it sees prudent to check and clean up the brakes.





No problems with the O/S - now all ready.

N/S wheel cylinder is seized (the O/S is a different, and seemingly a newer component).

More to come.

Mac.

Evilness abounds awesomely.

I see a big problem coming for the young Sion.......once Mac is done with the rear axle it will bee too nice to put back under the car
OhOh

Love what you are doing Mac!

Keep up the good work Mac!

Unfortunately for me, I'm caught up in the usual festive logistics nonsense and got a bit of a Honda Headache. (don't worry it still works )

Bit more work today,

Both backplates primered red, the outer surfaces coated with "stonechip"' and chassis black.

Applying copper grease to the shoe sliding pads,



Fitting the shoe springs,



Everything ready to re-fit when I get around to finish de-rusting and painting the axle beam,



All new bolts from the bolt shop of course.

Mac.

Goodness me Mac, I will essentially have a brand new rear axle assembly by the time we re-fit it to the car!

Thank you so much for your hard work, and hopefully I will see you in the next few weeks.

I thought it was a self-portrait.... Didn't someone looking like that on the dodgy old Magic Roundabout say 'Time for bed'.

Ah! The cryptic Bogbasic speaks.

"Self portrait" - of whom? - Me perhaps? - where? - my avatar? (Yes that is me)
But why Zebedee? (Off to bed) - Zebedee had no beard - !!

Does my memory fail me? - did a Magic Roundabout inhabitant look like a 340 rear brake set?

Or are the utterances of the Basic Master Bog occasioned by a surfeit of "falling down water" or "erbal"?


Thanks for the appreciation Siôn - but purely selfish I assure you - keeps the grey matter from solidifying and the arthritis away from my fingers.

PS axle beam is now in red oxide primer and but the seals in the "seized" N/S cylinder are badly marked - I would recommend fitting a new unit (yes I have several in stock).

Wibble, greep, bloot, meep meep.

Sorry Mac, I was just jealous. I was using some of your photos to reconnect some wires in the heater box - all completely invaluable stuff. ttfn bog.

Don't apologise for being weird - weird is good, very weird is very good!

I hope I've been more wired for a lot longer than most here.

Do you still need the small grey knob? (Attached to a radio or otherwise) I should be able to assist.

Ma
aaa
cc

Hello Mac, I am still looking for the small radio knob, so if you have a spare one, or a spare VC-600 radio (it does not have to work) I would be very glad to hear from you.