SOT; quality wheel bearings/hubs, for VW Tiguan Options

[fixer34]

Had my 2011 VW Tiguan in to the shop. They had to pull the intake manifold and media blast the intake valves to clean off carbon buildup. Computer was throwing misfire codes.

Anyway, while it was in, they said front wheel bearings noisy and need to be done in the near future. The shop price was $300/ea. I can find ones online for $50/ea, but not gonna go there. Seems like FAG and Timken are about in the middle on price, and pretty well known names. Any opinions/experience with these, or maybe another brand?

I have no problem doing this myself, just don't want to do it too often.

[Superhawk996]

I continue to chuckle at all the concern over bearings I see on the site.

Let's start with this premise. In 90% of cases, an OEM service part is the best part you're going to find. Yes OEM service parts cost WAY more. There are well founded reasons for that we'll get into later. If it were me, I'd be inclined to buy the OEM service bearing for your Tiguan from the dealer or other VW distributior of OEM parts.

The price the Mechanic is giving you is usually another markup of usually 25-40% on his price. Let's call it his handling fee. Independent mechanics rarely use OEM parts unless specifically requested.

The price of aftermarket bearings will be always be much lower than OEM parts. In part due to the reason mentioned above by 914Sixer. The specification level the hub / bearing is built to has everthing to do with cost. Yes, there are dirt cheap China knock offs and these ARE NOT built to the same stand as OE parts.

And finally let's set a premise that China made parts are not necessarily garbage. Just like any part made elsehwere in the world, it is all about who made it and to what standard. Plenty of USA made garbage out there too. Likewise plenty of OEM parts are coming out of China built with quality and held, and tested to OEM standards.

Now back to OEM parts. OEM service part markups can be on the order of 5X of production part costs. ROBBERY is what most people scream.

Why would it be that high?

Even if the part is still in production, Service parts usually have to be scheduled differently, taken off line differently, packed into service containers, and have part number stickers, labeling, and/or etched barcodes, that are different than produciton parts. Then the parts have to be shipped to service operations. There, they are stored (which is a real cost) often for years. Ultimately they are distributed on a 1 by 1 basis to the dealers and/or parts distributors (FLAPS) that order them on a small volume basis (relative to mass production).

If the parts are no longer in production, its even worse. The OEM supplier having to break into their usual current production runs of parts to re-setup production tooling and manufacture small batch runs of the service part to OEM specifications. All this is a HUGE cost add over what the production part cost. 2x-3x the orignal mass production service part price is not unheard of for small batch build OEM service parts.

Now back to hubs and bearing assemblies. An modern OEM hub bearing is held to very tight standard for things like hub runout and durability. This often involves machining the hub flange AFTER the studs are pressed in. Pressing the studs causes deformation to the hub. Aftermarket parts won't do this. It is part of the costs saved during aftermarket manufacture. Not to mention costs the aftermarket can save on materials, seals, grease, balls, cages, etc.

All of these very real OEM manufacturing costs, special handling, and distribution get embedded into that 5X markup. So let's just say you have a hub/bearing assembly that has a mass prodution cost of $30 when the cars were originally built. After all the special handling, warehousing, and distribution is it really that outrageous to think that a cost of $150 at the dealership for an OEM quality service part is all that outrageous?

Now do I like it? Nope. Like you, I'd love to be able to get OEM quality parts at aftermarket costs. It isn't in the cards though.

I sometimes use aftermarket parts for sure. But for me, it's a cost vs. risk analysis just like you find yourself doing.

Brake rotors are another great example. Do you know there are about 5-7 different types of "cast iron" that brake rotors could be made of and each has pro/cons and direct effects for NVH, durability, thermal stress cracking, effect upon that black rotor dust generation? Do you even care? Most people don't and then go for the cheapest part.

Tires? The conversation I hear most often at the tire store counter is something to the effect of "What!!! $150 dollars per tire??". No consideration given to the fact that the tires are the key interface between you and the road that set braking distances and are what often is the difference between an accident and a close call.

What I find is that most people have no knowlege or appreciation for why OEM parts cost so much, or exactly what they are getting for the extra $$.

I'll get off the soapbox now.