Well, I've got a differential or two that at some point are going to need going thru to be useable and will likely need some bearings replaced. Even if they're marginal I'll replace them, as it doesn't look like a fun job I'd like to repeat in the near term. I've already got the spider gear kits and parts, so I focused on bearings. I started pricing the 5 bearings needed and WOW are they expensive! I didn't dig too hard on the web, but used Amazon's prices for the Timken bearings. The total for the 5 come out to right around $700.
I assume Timken are the best, but I'm sure there are other bearings out there that aren't too shabby in comparison. Has anyone cross referenced the Timkens to another decent quality bearing manufacturer? Who in the bearing world is comparable to Timken these days?
I've had good results from Timken bearings, even if they're made by a different company overseas. Hopefully that means that Timken is still controlling the quality.
You can get a complete differential bearing kit (all Timken) for less than $600.
“When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, IT IS THEIR RIGHT, IT IS THEIR DUTY, TO THROW OFF SUCH GOVERNMENT...” -Declaration of Independence, 1776
Yeah, I saw the kit DC Truck parts has for $550. I also just spent about 30 minutes looking online. So far the best prices I've found add up to around $530, but some of this pricing is just nuts. Amazon wants $278 for one of the bearings and I just found the same bearing from another vendor for $128! These prices are all over the map!
Some of those bearings are no longer made and there depleting the supply.
Notably the double roller pinion bearing.
The carrier bearings are easy to get as they fit other applications and reasonably priced, the pinion not so much.
btw watch yourself with amazon's computer parts numbers. They cannot determine between the wdx,wm,m37 and w series power wagons.
It's very easy to get the wrong parts.
TGP
Differential bearing cost for all new, current production parts is actually up closer to $900 these days. There are some around that have been laying on someone's shelf for years that are a bit cheaper. The 2 cones that are paired with the double cup are Timken only, no competition, so they charge what they please. Better to check with bearing suppliers who deal in lots of NOS parts; but be careful, if they have not been stored correctly, older parts could be no good. Building a differential is something you only want to do once, and a bearing failure will also cause lots of collateral damage.
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