Dorman Wheel Bearing - Experiences?

I installed an SKF bearing on my truck a month ago. So far so good. They're almost suspiciously inexpensive on Rock Auto lol: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=12676781&cc=1445180&pt=1636&jsn=1
The 3 yr / 45,000 mi warranty is decent.

 

I got Koyo off ebay.

 

thanks! With shipping to Hawaii (not ground/DHL) it’s about the same as next day shipping from Napa. There’s is $186 on sale rn.

curious, photos of the units bearing or description don’t say where they’re made. Does anyone know where?

*Edit: saw a video of an install posted 6 months ago. FWIW the box said made by SKF in China.

 

There's a guy that does wheel bearing in Hawaii - he's on TW but I can't find it - everybody seems 2 B happy with him.

 

It's what I used.

 

It's alright. It will last you a few years, but not as long as OEM or other quality bearings. If you go with pre assembled then you can do it your self. It only 4 bolts and the axle nut. There is also a pre assembled SKF assembly on rock auto for around $100 each.

 

I recently replaced both my front wheel hubs and complete rear axle assembly on both sides. What I've found is most of the aftermarket brands in this case are just rebranding the koyo bearings which is what Toyota mostly used for our generation of Tacomas. on close inspection you can see the Koyo and part number on the Dorman parts which exactly match the parts from Toyota.

 

Thanks - that's very interesting - as aside I've wondered when Tacoma front wheel bearings have to be replaced so often - I don't believe this happens with other brands as often.

 

Hey George,
I didn't need to replace my bearings until after I lifted the truck. When I had to I decided to replace everything on the front end at once. I replaced my upper & lower control arms, my steering knuckles, my steering rack & tie rods, cv axles, needle bearing to EC bushing, etc. I just fully removed by sway bar though as it was making contact with the strut occasionally. My rear were ok at the time I just did them as they typically would go around 130~150k and I was upgrading my rear brakes at the time. Tacomas are very easy to work on. Side Notes: I recommend getting lifetime wheel alignments at firestone though if you do frequent changes to your truck, they know me by face & name there now. Also, regarding the CV axles I can recommend (so far) the Cardone HD, BUT if you have a lift I recommend replacing the boots with silicone boots either before isntalling or right away if you get a torn boot*. They are a good affordable alternative to buying upgraded CV axles and are very beefy. I've had no issues since and that was 25k ago.

 

other make vehicle front bearings go bad at 100k. Thats sedans without big heavy tires or off roading.

 

Having seen way too many fake / counterfeit parts over the last few years, I'll disagree with that. First of all, Dorman has staked their reputation on low price, not high quality. They are above all, the Harbor Freight of auto parts. That said, the chances of them using a real Koyo (or any high quality bearing) is next to zero.

Second, there are knockoff Koyo (and many other quality brand) bearings literally flooding the market. How do you know if it's real or fake? You don't. Some of the fakes look pretty convincing. The proof is in how long they last - and they don't last very long.

Finally, nobody is re-branding Koyo bearings. (That would mean they have another name on them.) They cost far too much to make that worthwhile. What lots of folks are doing is re-branding sub-par / poor quality / low price bearings as Koyo. How can you tell? The fakes cost far less.