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Cheap eBay rear hub problem


GnatGoSplat

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I bought a cheap rear hub for the 94 Cutlass from eBay. Brand new, only $20, seller listed it as Precision brand which is the premium brand O'Reillys carries for $120. Sounded too good to be true, but if seller is honest about the brand, maybe it's worth a shot. He has positive feedback.

 

Anyway, I got the hub yesterday, and it makes noise when I rotate it. It sounds like it could be the ABS sensor inside making the noise, I'm not entirely certain, but it's loudest on the back of it and I feel like I can feel the detents of the teeth on the internal ABS sensor.

 

I took a vid (might need to turn up the sound):

 

I've never bought a brand new hub, I've always just had spare JY ones that I swapped in when I had one go bad. I don't think any noise would be normal, though sometimes things do need to break-in, especially if manufacturing tolerances aren't tight enough. I imagine if my hypothesis of it being the sensor is correct, it might break in, but if I'm wrong and it's a bearing problem, then it probably won't. Think it'll break in? Or should I return it?

Any way to tell if it's even authentic Precision brand? It didn't come in any factory packaging. In fact, it came with hardly any packaging at all and was rolling around in a box that had become soft and mushy from the heavy hub rolling around in it so much.

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I'd think that is NOT normal, just installed one on a 2g Grand Prix yesterday, it felt smooth, no grinding, no abs sensor dragging on reluctor wheel.

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Thanks, I figured it wasn't normal. The thing is, it's supposed to be the same brand/model as the premium ones O'Reillys sells, but it could very well be a knock-off. I suppose it could also have been damaged in shipping since it was poorly packed. Looks like returns for this seller are automated via eBay and they'll cover return shipping via the automated system even though item description says buyer covers it.

 

I saw another auction had one for $42 that says Delphi in the title, but I don't know if I trust that it's the real deal.

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Which brand did you get from Rockauto? We don't have Advance around here, just O'Reillys and Autozone, but Autozone is across town and rather inconvenient.

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I'm with ya on trying to save money, but it's not worth risking it on some cheap ass eBay hubs.

 

Action starts about 0:15

[video=youtube;NWvqu3askGs]

HAHA. This will be OP one of these days after using JY and ebay hubs.

 

But seriously, if it's your DD/ nice car/ someone-you-care-about's car, I really wouldn't be cheaping out on something as important as the wheel bearing/ hub.

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JY hubs are still going strong, I installed one on the 89 probably 9-10yrs ago! They were low mileage, genuine GM, came as a package deal with my 96 Monte front knuckles, they were still attached to the halfshafts and knuckles and I didn't see any reason to toss 'em since they were nice and smooth. Don't remember what I installed the other one onto, but I used it on something that I still have since I haven't sold any W's. :lol:

 

Well, like I said, the eBay hubs were supposed to be name-brand. Of course, eBay sellers probably lie, but I was hoping it really was "surplus goods from Michigan" like their auction said!

I was thinking to order the Raybestos from Rockauto that Chris mentioned, but not if they're the cheapies that John had trouble with (I didn't notice anything cheaper on their site).

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All precision brand hubs have either PRECISION or MOOG or BCA laser engraved on the face of the hub, along with the part number. BCA Bearings, Precision Hubs, and Moog Hubs are all 100% the same. Federal Mogul is just having fun switching the names around.

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JY hubs are still going strong, I installed one on the 89 probably 9-10yrs ago! They were low mileage, genuine GM, came as a package deal with my 96 Monte front knuckles, they were still attached to the halfshafts and knuckles and I didn't see any reason to toss 'em since they were nice and smooth. Don't remember what I installed the other one onto, but I used it on something that I still have since I haven't sold any W's. :lol:

 

Well, like I said, the eBay hubs were supposed to be name-brand. Of course, eBay sellers probably lie, but I was hoping it really was "surplus goods from Michigan" like their auction said!

I was thinking to order the Raybestos from Rockauto that Chris mentioned, but not if they're the cheapies that John had trouble with (I didn't notice anything cheaper on their site).

 

Be sure to let that eBay seller have it in the feedback!

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Gnat. I would still go the j/y route. You live in a less rusty place than us here in the north, and a good one can be had cheap, and they are common. I've gotten all HUBs for the cars I've worked on used, with only one that later needed re-replacing...

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"cheap" and "ebay" are not words I like to associate with parts that hold your wheel onto the car. I like buying Timken hubs from RockAuto, great quality for a reasonable price.

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It must have been a fake then, there was no "PRECISION" anywhere on the hub, it only had "CMB 512004" engraved into the face and no other writing or characters.

Searching Google, it looks like CMB is Chinese crap. http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/cmb-hub-unit-bearing.html

 

Ken, I don't really have the ability to go to junkyards any more, their hours conflicts with my work hours. I'd rather just have a hub magically show up on my porch anyway. :lol:

 

Timkens are over $100, but then it looks like the Raybestos are $90. Guess I must have been looking at the $60 Value Pro last week and mistaken it for the Raybestos. Anyone know who makes Value Pro? I don't really want to spend too much for a hub considering I really hope this car is gone in 6-months. I'd just leave it to be the next owner's problem if not for the fact it's chewing up tires and can't be aligned in this state.

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