Though this might be interesting. Got two Timken wheel wheel bearings in. Same box, same part number 513106. One would think you would be getting the same parts. Wrong again. One bearing was SNR from France and the other was FAG from Slovakia. Both known manufacturers but in the global economy no telling what will appear in the box. Even saw the same Timken bearings saying made in China.

Timken used to be a top line USA bearing manufacturer.

Great post, and interesting.

Next question, for those of us who might wish to put two rear wheel bearings on the shelf: Which rear wheel bearings would one want? French, Slovakian? Or…?

Just read where Timken had shuttered many US plants and started 7 new plants in China back in 2008

You guys are killing me.

I recently bought Timken front wheel bearings for 2006 Mazda MPV minivan / parts hauler. Same basic double row ball bearing as 914's use.

Bearings in the Timken box were Koyo, made in Japan.

Couldn't care less. They are marvelous and will last longer than the minivan will at this point. Rust will kill the MPV before the bearings die.

Bottom line: I'm sure they meet (or probably exceed) Timken's Design Validation test requirements for replacment bearings and I trust Timken to take care of its brand. Don't really care who's name is on them or the point of origin when they come out of the box.

Koyo is now a brand owned by JTEKT which was formed in a Koyo & Toyoda Machine Works (not a typo - thats a D -- not Toyota) merger. I've worked with JTEKT in the past and can tell you they have more than one or two Japanese engineers running around their North American operations. Great engineers!

JTEKT also purchased Timken's needle bearing business. For all I know, part of that deal was that Timken would source ball bearings from Koyo. You scratch my back . . . .

All I know is that no one listened to Ross Perot 1992. Now here we are. Actions have consequences

The preferred country, when I built my formula car, order was Swiss, Germany, US, Japan, France... then all the rest.

We are in a global economy, anything goes. I would prefer an American made Timken, but ... I think FAG's are ok, but the Japs have some high quality/precision stuff

I can not figure out how a part can be made cheaper and with in factory specs that is also shipped from half way around the world on a boat? I bet the people making these parts are not paid well enough to care about quality...
Bring good jobs back, and medications and how about some real F*^$ing gas!
My last two cents...
Matt

High quality bearings come out of plants all over the world. I've see more than one instance where those in foreign plants were more concerned about quality than those is USA.

With respect to shipping costs, that equation is quickly reversing itself with container shipping rates going to all time highs. Expect that to affect everyting you buy that is imported regardless of where in the world it is coming from.



https://www.ft.com/content/ad5e1a80-cecf-4b...35-ee50be9adfc6

Part of the problem is that we all want to pay the absolute lowest price, so it’s a race to the bottom. If a manufacturer doesn’t find a way to do things cheaper, they have a hard time staying in business. Quality maybe just as good. For now. It’s market dynamics playing itself out. Unfortunately, when we’re presented with a higher and lower priced option of similar quality, people choose lower 99% of the time….without regard for what that savings of a few bucks does to our quality of life as a whole.

I ordered 2 Timken rear wheel bearings from Rock Auto and FAG bearings were in the box.

Well stated.

We should all take a good look at the clothes we wear. Where did your underwear come from? Your shirt? Your jeans?

I have a favorite brand of jeans that I prefer simply because they fit me better than Levis and they are still made here in the USA. Way more expensive than Levis. Hope they can continue to survive selling a niche product. Not sure what to do about the underwear

There used to be a thriving textile industry in this country. Long gone. Just one of many examples.