Performance wheel bearing assembly

[Jblaza]

First post. Is there a link to a performance wheel bearing for 2004 grand prix no super charger w/ abs? I have a feeling I'm going to have to replace them, and I want performance based options. Like porsche extra diamond coated titaniumantium never fail wheel bearing assembly.

[wstefan20]

I've never heard of a real "performance wheel bearing" for these. I've had good success with the AcDelco OEM brands and nothing else. Everything else I've used fails fairly quickly.

[FordMan77]

I've had good luck with Timken or SKF bearings also.  There is no "performance" bearings for these heavy ass cars.  They like to eat front bearings and that's just the way it is.  Been running Timkens for a while now.  As much as I drive I can't complain about the lifespan and if you can source them locally you can warranty them out when they fail again.

[digitaloutsider]

x2 on SKF or Timken.

[Grandprix1]

I’ve got ACDELCOs and they haven’t given me an issue.

[vipmiller803]

I'm probably the exception. I used to like Timken and I have had them fail on me. Moogs worked better for me, which are an inferior product. Timken refused to warranty my 13 month old wheel bearing. Moog has a 36k 3 year warranty..

 

Even with all that said, any non-wheel hub assembly bearing I would go for is Timken. They know what they're doing, but they did lose my business on their hub assemblies, unfortunately.

[Imp558]

Do second gen hub assemblies have ABS sensors in them? I still haven't done the one on the Monte so I haven't noticed.

[digitaloutsider]

Yes

[Imp558]

That's a bummer. Can't even press them apart and replace the bearings because the ABS sensor wouldn't survive.

[vipmiller803]

You press apart wheel hub assemblies and replace the bearings? Where do you even get the bearings from?

[Imp558]

You press apart wheel hub assemblies and replace the bearings? Where do you even get the bearings from?

 

I'm going to attempt it at some point, some bearings are hard to find but in the end they all have numbers on the race to identify them.

 

I used to replace bearings every day on different types of industrial machines and some were more complicated than our hub assemblies.

 

For my application it should be fine since I'm removing the ABS completely so it doesn't matter of the sensor goes back in.

[Jblaza]

Id like to do an abs delete. Car steers so much better without that damn steering assist

[Imp558]

Power steering is pretty important unless you're built like Joe Piscopo

[Grandprix1]

I wouldn’t delete ABS if you paid me to. IMO it’s saved the car a good bit. Especially if you have upgraded brakes. Doesn’t give me issues either on the track or off the track. I refuse to delete safety features but that’s just me.

[Galaxie500XL]

My father told me in his Navy days, (he was an aircraft mechanic, airframes and hydraulics), that many of the pilots didn't trust the antilock systems, and believed they could do a better job themselves than an ABS system would do on landings.  As a result, particularly aboard aircraft carriers, they were having serious issues in bad conditions recovering aircraft--broken arresting cables, blown tires, damaged landing gear, even occasional crashes, to a point that in bad conditions, it was even scarier than a typical carrier landing.

 

They had one of McDonnell-Douglas's test pilots come into the squadron, and demonstrate the difference in landing the plane with, and without the system active.  It was convincing enough the CO told the pilots if they were discovered disabling the system before a landing without cause, there would be serious trouble for that pilot.  Damage to the ship, and the aircraft was immediately reduced during flight operations, once the pilots understood disabling the ABS system was no longer an acceptable option.

 

No doubt, a badly designed ABS system is a liability...but the systems in our cars aren't a bad system.  Even a skilled driver isn't likely to outperform a properly maintained ABS system under normal conditions, and definitely not in all situations..

[Galaxie500XL]

Power steering is pretty important unless you're built like Joe Piscopo

The only car I've ever owned with manual steering was the Galaxie. Steering was fantastic in that car--but it had a steering wheel the size of a bus wheel, just to keep the steering effort reasonable.

 

Edit:  No, that's not my old car, but it's pretty close...except I don't believe it's a real 500XL.  All 500XL's had the shifter in the console, and this one still has a column mounted shifter...but, I see a console, and it has the correct decorative gas and brake pedals, so maybe they just replaced the column with one from a regular Galaxie.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Galaxie500XL

[Imp558]

The only car I've ever owned with manual steering was the Galaxie. Steering was fantastic in that car--but it had a steering wheel the size of a bus wheel, just to keep the steering effort reasonable.

 

Edit:  No, that's not my old car, but it's pretty close...except I don't believe it's a real 500XL.  All 500XL's had the shifter in the console, and this one still has a column mounted shifter...but, I see a console, and it has the correct decorative gas and brake pedals, so maybe they just replaced the column with one from a regular Galaxie.

 

My '64 Special was the same way, no power and a huge wheel. It didn't feel bad to steer as long as the car was moving.

Back in those days however they had a little different geometry on the caster and it made them a lot easier to steer.

When the steering went o the Monte I had to drive it to get it to work, wide around the corners all the way at night and I was pretty beat when I got there.

[Galaxie500XL]

Preferred caster setting on the Galaxie was actually 0 degrees, which you'd think would create a problem with the car wandering all over the place, but it didn't, somehow.  I suspect part of that was the use of bearings, rather than bushings in the front suspension, which is really unusual.

 

Another interior shot of someone's Galaxie...this one is exactly like my old one, but I didn't have the optional underdash air conditioner. 

 

These were great looking interiors.