Zootal Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 More front end woes So I had the front wheel bearings replaced, and getting them pressed went just fine. The outer seal fit just fine, had to be pressed in as you would expect. The inner seal, however, you could put in with your fingers, and likewise pull them out again. The outer diameter is just small enough to keep them from fitting tightly. The seals are Timken, and I would have thought they would fit properly. Any advice on where I can get a set of seals that fit properly? I can go to the dealer if I have to, but are there any brands that anyone can recommend using (or avoiding)? I saw this once on a rear crank oil seal. The cheap off brand seal did not fit tight, and was sloppy. Went and bought a National seal, and it fit perfectly. It's been in production for several years, and does not leak a drop. Maybe I need to try National instead of Timken? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zootal Posted September 28, 2016 Author Share Posted September 28, 2016 Parts store says Timken superceded all of the different oem numbers into a one-size-fits-all seal <sigh>....trying a different brand, I'm betting it works... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zootal Posted September 30, 2016 Author Share Posted September 30, 2016 So this is my attempt to answer my own questions: 1) Timken superseded several different OEM seals to one seal, the one they now list is different from the OEM seal, does not have the same dust lip, and is not the same size. It does not fit. I got some Beck Arnley seals, and they look like the original seal in that they have the dust lip, and they fit perfectly. SHAME on Timken. Cheers to Beck Arnley. 2) Autozone makes (buys) crap axles. The boots last two years, and the joints wear out at about the same time. I'm also having problems with a "Duralast" egr valve that I bought recently, I think I'm not going to be buying Duralast parts anymore. 3) Never buy parts house brand parts. Never buy off brand parts. Go for the name brand. I'm replacing ball joints and axles that are less than three years old because I bought crap parts house brand made in China/mexico garbage parts. This time around I'm putting KYB and Moog parts in the front end because 1) they fit and 2) reputation. 3) Less likely to break/wear out in less than three years. <sigh> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighton96 Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 I've heard Beck Arnley makes a lot of the OEM parts for Subaru so I'm not all that surprised that theirs was perfect. If I don't buy Subaru OEM parts I tend to stick with Beck Arnley, just for the peace of mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zootal Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 So I got out my magnifying glass and took a close look at the "Beck/Arnley" seals I bought. They were actually made in Japan by THO, a Japanese manufacturer of oil seals, among other things. I would not be the least bit surprised to find out that Fuji Heavy Industries/Subaru buys their seals from THO, which would explain why it looks *exactly* like the factory seal. I don't think Beck Arnley actually makes their own stuff, they just find medium-high quality stuff from other manufacturers and resell them with their own name on them. These seals are a classic example, they buy them from THO and repackage them with their own name. So I'm guessing Beck/Arnley only deals with medium-high end stuff, and avoids the crap quality. Most if not all auto parts stores find the least expensive parts and put their name on them, hence the crap quality you get. Autozone has two grades of parts, Valucraft, which is really garbage quality, you are risking your life using Valucraft parts. Then there is Duralast, what I would classify as medium-low grade - it depends on who they buy the parts from, some might actually be decent grade, others are garbage. My Duralast axles did not last three years. Duralast tie rod ends do NOT come with castle nuts, and I've seen those nuts come loose even when torqued to spec. Do you know what happens when your tie rod end comes loose when driving down the road at 70mph? It does not end well. Apologies for the rant. I'm gratified to find out the Beck/Arnley seals are THO and probably the same as what the factory uses. I was a mechanic in a previous life, but I retired from that trade in 1983. All of the cars I'm an expert on are long gone to junk yards. I made a living overhauling carburetors, that should give you an idea how old I am and how long it has been. Back then we did not have as much of a problem with garbage quality car parts as we do today. Quality stuff was made in the USA (or Japan or Germany) and easier to find..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighton96 Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 I know how it is, I refuse to buy anything but Seafoam from Autozone , haha. I worked for Advance for a good while and about a year into the job I stopped buying most of their stuff, yeah their cheap brands do the job but I really don't want to be replacing the same parts down the road again, I only buy from Advance if I know its a good brand like Moog or Beck AND it comes with a warranty. I mean, I won't even buy Optima or Wagner stuff anymore, I always thought they were high end stuff but I had them come back defective all the time plus I hate the wagner pads on my car atm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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