Real Quality

[ronan]

They looked ok on the outside

Famous last words

 

[Seadog]

bed frames, the good ones would kill a hacksaw blade

I believe the older frames were made from scrapped tram lines. High manganese steel.

 

[DavidS16]

Ah the finest of metals, Chinesium.

 

[dobbslc]

That's really worrying!
Imagine if you put them into a bike gearbox or something similar and they failed.
You could actually die because of those ****e bearings!

 

[grim_d]

I try to buy SKF when i can, we used to use them a lot in work in the machinery we used to build. Last time i went to buy bearings they were trying to push chinese rubbish on me, i told the guy serving i wouldn't take them for free, he was not impressed.

I try to buy Koyo or SKF.

Top bearing I got from local place for my pillar drill was a FAG, also good quality.

Have tried a couple of codex, polish I think, on less important stuff and whilst they are noticably cheaper I was by no means unimpressed, think less frills rather than less quality.

If a bearing place was pushing Chinese rubbish i certainly wouldn't be back.

 

[ronan]

If a bearing place was pushing Chinese rubbish i certainly wouldn't be back.

I wasn't, i don't want toffee bearings in anything i have, bikes or machines. I notice any cheap bearings i have handled, always seem loose. If you shake them they rattle like a pocketful of pennies and spin much too freely. The RHP or SKF's are much more resistant to turning, because they have proper tolerances, heat treatment and need a break in period.

 

[cumbriasteve]

when it was welded the coating used to stink dunno what they put on it

That fetched back memories, yeah there was a certain stink to them when welding, hope it was not the result of years of bedwetting by the previous owner

I got mine for 20p each from the auction room and made trailers with them but always did full lap joints they were known for breaking at butt joints, very hard brittle stuff.

 

[rtbcomp]

A place near me bought a load of trailer hubs from China and they all failed so they had to withdraw the product.

I was given some to play with for my glass crushing machine and they didn't last long at all. The shielding disintegrated after a few hours.

 

[Gritineye]

they were made of spring steel we used to make trailer frames out of them 50 pence each from scrapyards

We made roll cages for Speedworth superstock cars out of it in the early days, passed scrutineering OK but were known to fail occasionally.

 

[cumbriasteve]

What concerns me re those bearings is once watching the video you know you would not buy any ebay cheapies, but some of the smaller UK bearing retailers may see them as a way to increase profit, so you buy within the UK to hopefully ensure quality and end up with rubbish.

I also suspect some of them will be coming into the country branded as a quality make, there is virtually nothing they won't counterfeit now.

I witnessed the first independent trailer suspension units come in from China, they were riding on the popularity of the genuine and excellent product, the shafts simply fell out after a few miles of use and were so dangerous it was terrifying to imagine what was out there on the road.

 

[Shox Dr]

That's really worrying!
Imagine if you put them into a bike gearbox or something similar and they failed.
You could actually die because of those ****e bearings!

Rebuilt a R380 gearbox, couldn't get one bearing so used britpart one. Box lasted 500miles, when I dorpped the oil, it looked like silver paint

 

[gordon stephenson]

On similar lines My son bought a 3" dia router bit to replicate some skirting board profiles for his old victorian house that had 11" skirting, The router bit was running a full 0.040" TIR out of true.

 

[pedrobedro]

they were made of spring steel we used to make trailer frames out of them 50 pence each from scrapyards

A lot of the really old Victorian ones were made of cast iron, I never saw any spring steel mostly cold rolled angle iron which is hard on hacksaws but welds alright unlike the cast which can cause much frustration till you realise. SKF and FAG bearings are good quality.

 

[rtbcomp]

I think the legislation covering fitness for purpose should be more rigorously applied. If retailers/manufacturers were brought to book and company directors prevented from hiding behind limited liability we wouldn't have this rubbish on the market.


If the directors of ** had six months in chokey they'd soon stop selling eccentric Landrover brake drums for example.

 

[Swift&Bold]

It's the fault of the customer/buying dept.

"We've got these ones for a tenner, or these import ones for 17p"

'Everyone' gets the 17p version so the company making the £10 ones gives up because they're not selling any (or at least the stockist stops carrying stuff that never sells), then 'everyone' complains they can't get good quality stuff any more.

Don't blame our eastern friends, they're only building what the market wants - cheap stuff.

I've had many an argument that it's the consumer that dictates the market but nobody likes facing up to the fact that maybe, they have helped create the situation and are part of the problem.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, It wasn't so long ago that the market was flooded with counterfeit SKF bearings and boxes.

Colin

 

[ronan]

I notice you can buy mitutoyo Vernier calipers, digital calipers etc for very little from china via ebay. It has to be a counterfeit scam if ever i saw one.

 

[Robotstar5]

I saw the name ABEC on the bearing and thought it came from a big bearing supplier in Birmingham (ABEC bearings ltd) who used to supply Rover at Longbridge. A quick google finds they are no more and the name is now used by a Chinese skateboard bearing supplier.

I went there to buy some taper roller swingarm bearings and the guy behind the counter saw my Rover logoed (sp) shirt and said "as you work for Rover we will bill them for the bearings" result.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I locally use 2 suppliers for my bearings, mainly I can swing buy them on the way home, when I was fit to work.

They all say the same thing. Those you know will pay the extra to do the job once, those who don’t pay twice and pay more.


A classic one, a friend brought a trailer from Gumtree and decided to rebuild it. I supplied the Tech knowledge, he the grunt and the £££. Well ne wheel/hub bearings were needed, in his view (not mine). £12 from eBay, next day delivery. They arrived, and were wrong. Correct bearings, but they were different size to the ones removed, Sent back, cost him £4;99 to send back. Next set arrived. To big, did not fit the shaft or the bore.

Vark was not happy, dragged him to the nearest shop and made him buy new ones at £4:50 and £5.78 each. They fitted.

Man on the desk said “oh bean buying from That E bay bearing shop?”

Enough said.

Links below to my local shops. Both good and stock a lot more than you think. But no free coffee.


http://www.bearings-plus.co.uk/


http://www.fromebearingsandbelts.com/

 

[roofman]

Why arnt i shocked at this thread The very same reason why ime not shocked at running a hacksaw over a copy honda engine,s crank journal and cutting through it. The market place is flooded with the muck and its all our own fault for buying it trying to save money. @ bending that bearing race in John,s vid.