Trailer bearings

Am having a hard time online trying to fins some basic trailer bearings for my 30 year old Haulmark. I am desperately trying to avoid Chinese junk, and Russian bearings (for obvious reasons). But the old standbys (SKF, Timken, NTN) don't seem to make anything close to what I need:

They are tapered roller bearings:

1. OD 2.875", Width 1.00" Bore 1.75"

2. OD 2.10", Width 0.653- ish", Bore 1.25"

Not asking for someone to do my work, just hoping someone here has successfully ordered something like this recently and head me in the right direction

Thanks in advance

BT

I assume you have tried your local bearing distributor???

The bearings normally have a manufacturer and a number engraved on them.

The bearing supply house if they are good can get you quality replacements.

At least that has always worked for me with any bearing ( but one of my best friends from high school worked there for 45+ years)

I've had good luck at https://www.etrailer.com/ you can call and explain what you need and if they don't have it they'll tell you who can help.

Thanks guys. While I have the bearing numbers, none of the non China/Russian manufacturers seem to make them. I have spent hours on their sites so far to no avail. I will try the etrailer guys - thx

bt

assume you called Haulmark directly? no help there?

https://www.123bearing.com/

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Originally Posted by stonebridge20

https://www.123bearing.com/

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I used 123bearing for some obscure sizes I needed for my Snowcat, they had them in stock and shipped fast - from Paris. Excellent service and prices, not to mention the fast shipping, like 3 days via DHL to Seattle.

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Originally Posted by jphoenix13

I used 123bearing for some obscure sizes I needed for my Snowcat, they had them in stock and shipped fast - from Paris. Excellent service and prices, not to mention the fast shipping, like 3 days via DHL to Seattle.

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Same experience here. That's why I posted the link.

Bill,

Have you tried taking the old bearings to your local auto parts house? They should be able to match up a set for you. Buy a spare set and keep in the trailer.

The numbering system for the old bearings have changed. There should also be a Mfgr, model and serial number on your trailer axles. Take that info to your parts house. They may have a lookup.

Unfortunately most stock bearing manufacturing has gone to third world countries due to labor costs. Also, counterfeit products abound along with repackaged old stock. The last set I bought was from my local NAPA store.

have you tried etrailer.com?

Are you sure they are tapered roller bearings?
Are the OD dimensions you gave the OD of the cup (race) or of the cone (bearing)?

I just looked through the whole SKF catalog and there are no tapered roller bearings with 1.75 ID (cone) and 2.875 OD (cup). The smallest one they make is 3.03 OD.

Generally there are numbers stamped on the back side of both the cup and cone. If you post those numbers, or maybe some pictures with dimensions, I'm sure I or someone can help you out. There should be no trailer axle with bearings you can't buy at NAPA. Also FYI, your local NAPA, or anyone with a commercial account, has access to the SKF bearing catalog...

Tractor supply

What are the actual bearing numbers?

Have you tried just doing a google search for them?

Thanks for the input folks. It isn't that I can't get new bearings (yep, can search by number). It is that I cannot find any that are not either China or Russia country of origin - that was my self-imposed limiting factor as I simply don't care for the quality of the Chinese junk and I will not buy anything Russian, ever (Ukrainian on mother's side) out of principle.

Having said that, I can easily get the Chinese bearings (they are on the shelf pretty much everywhere) and will keep the old sets as emergency spares in the trailer. Not much choice.....

best,
bt

I refuse to put Chinese bearings on my race car and have had to switch brands when my old standard went to China. Too easy ordering trailer bearings from etrailer, so I just live with the Chinese junk and keep a close watch on the temps when towing.

I would assume that if you stick to a quality brand like SKF that you will get SKF quality bearings. They may be made in China these days , but no doubt to SKF standards rather than just generic Chinese junk. Cheaper to make in China, but a brand like SKF probably isn't going to risk its reputation selling a low quality product.

A while back I was in a discussion with a manufacturing company regarding Chinese stuff. He told me that the Chinese can make any quality you want. It just came down to what you want to pay. So yes most Chinese items are junk, but I would suspect as stated above a quality mfg like Timken or SKF would demand a higher quality. It made sense to me.

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Originally Posted by GreginCanada

, but a brand like SKF probably isn't going to risk its reputation selling a low quality product.

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A while back we had problems with the replacement VW Dasher bearings we used - all we could get were SKF, made in Brazil. They would become very loose in just one track session, and we had to grind a thou or so off of the faces that control the preload. It took a LOT of calling around before we were able to get FAGs made in either IItaly or Canada.

I hope that SKF learned a bit from that fiasco, but I wouldn't count on it.

Cryo and REM-ISF them.

My trailer still has bearings in it that I did in 2005

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Originally Posted by Lastminuteracin

A while back I was in a discussion with a manufacturing company regarding Chinese stuff. He told me that the Chinese can make any quality you want. It just came down to what you want to pay. So yes most Chinese items are junk, but I would suspect as stated above a quality mfg like Timken or SKF would demand a higher quality. It made sense to me.

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I have heard the same thing about Chinese manufacturing making whatever quality you want, which makes sense.

I'm also heavily involved in the vintage/youngtimer BMW community. We've always trusted Lemforder suspension parts as equivalent quality to factory BMW parts. They have been the original parts supplier to BMW for many models. Sometime in the last few years they started offshoring production to China. The not unexpected result is BMW owners and shops are reporting an increase in early failures and decreased service life. It's always possible that Lemforder changed their attitude to "make it as cheaply as possible" (they were acquired by ZF a while ago), but I've always considered them to be equivalent quality (and reputation) to Timken and SFK (although making different products). I guess it's just the reality of worldwide manufacturing in 2024.

Sigh......

So I will let the group know how it turned out.

I went directly to Dexter Axles (that is what Haulmark used on my trailer) and they had an awesome online catalogue. I picked out everything I thought I needed, but before I went to confirm the online order I called their help desk - I simply wanted to ensure that all the components I was ordering were the correct ones for the axles (these are odd axles, 5200 lbs and not widely used. I have concluded that you can use the 6000 lb brakes and drums etc on them, but wanted to be certain before we shipped really heavy stuff halfway across North America).

I need not have worried. Dexter refuses to ship to Canada. I've seen other US companies do this (McMaster Carr comes to mind) and it's frankly just pure laziness (actually, MMC will in fact ship to Canada, but not to a residential address, so now Blue Dread Racing has the same address as our house!). I asked if he could direct me to a Dexter dealer in Ontario and was told to use the website and figure it out myself. Nice.

Turns out there is a Dexter dealer 7 miles from my house. Call them up, tell them what I need, he can have it there in a day, wants to confirm pricing. Fellow calls me back and asks where I am located - I tell him. And then he says.....

"I can order all this stuff for you right now, but it is coming from a large distribution center half an hour from where you live. They will sell to retail there, and you will save my markup by just doing this yourself". WTF? I'm guessing the parts guy is paid by the hour!

So I get online, order all my stuff and probably saved $500 bucks in the process. I don't yet know the origin of the bearings, but am starting not to care anymore....

bt

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cory mcleod

I have heard the same thing about Chinese manufacturing making whatever quality you want, which makes sense.

I'm also heavily involved in the vintage/youngtimer BMW community. We've always trusted Lemforder suspension parts as equivalent quality to factory BMW parts. They have been the original parts supplier to BMW for many models. Sometime in the last few years they started offshoring production to China. The not unexpected result is BMW owners and shops are reporting an increase in early failures and decreased service life. It's always possible that Lemforder changed their attitude to "make it as cheaply as possible" (they were acquired by ZF a while ago), but I've always considered them to be equivalent quality (and reputation) to Timken and SFK (although making different products). I guess it's just the reality of worldwide manufacturing in 2024.

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Over the past few years I have been getting the feeling that 'trusted' name suppliers no longer care about their reputations and are outsourcing to the cheapest source they can find.

Out of curiosity, what are the bearing part numbers?

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Originally Posted by J Leonard

Out of curiosity, what are the bearing part numbers?

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Will post the actual ones once I get them, early next week. But on the Dexter site, they were: 15123 & 25580.

I know where you are going with this :) , and despite not being able to find them in Timken's database, here they are on Amazon:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/165156591340


bt

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Originally Posted by mmi16

Over the past few years I have been getting the feeling that 'trusted' name suppliers no longer care about their reputations and are outsourcing to the cheapest source they can find.

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This seems to be the norm since Covid.

In Canada Princess Auto sells Dexter stuff. I expect you can find one near you. But a warehouse that will sell direct will no doubt be the best price going.

Those look like pricy bearings , $80.00 U.S. / wheel ? Timken quality is nice, but I have never had to pay that much. Welcome to 2024 I guess.