New Hubs being returned

Black Snow Slide

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 15, 2007
Messages
276
I bought new 6 lug 5.5" 3k pound hubs from my local trailer guy. I opened the box today to pack them with grease so I can finish the trailer tomorrow. Both hubs the back races were not pressed all the way in. On further inspection you can see tremendous heat was used and blue marks on the races. I packed them back in the box and noticed," Made in China".
 

90stingray

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
1,162
Re: New Hubs being returned

Most all that stuff is made in china coming from tsc and northern. Unless you go down to the bearing supply store and buy name brand. The brand on my new hub bearings... Tomken.... are they trying to sound like Timken? Anyhow, originals on my ez loader were chinese and they lasted 10+ years no issues. Probably would have went longer but I am a new owner... so it got all new this month. Wonder why they used heat to put in the races???
 

oldjeep

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
Re: New Hubs being returned

Are you sure the blue is not just the protective coating they put on them so they don't rust?
 

Black Snow Slide

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 15, 2007
Messages
276
Re: New Hubs being returned

It is the blue that is from heat. If i was a takeing a guess, it looks like a repackaged return. It looks like they were heated up to expand the area for the races. The races cant be pressed in any further then they are. There is still a .25 inch gap before the lip where the races are saposed to seat. This is true with both. The color of the small race is that of the cover of my stainless steel grill, kind of yellow/tan color.
 

MH Hawker

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
5,516
Re: New Hubs being returned

well having installed thousands of bearings and races and yes I have heated many of them. A race that shows a blue color is now bad period. it has lost some or all of its temper, the color change proves that. Hubs bearing fits are lose enough to be driven not pressed or heat fited. And as far as jap or chinese bearings those work just fine. It sounds like to me that the hub was misused and returned long befor you got it. A guess on why thier not going all the way in is a mis cut race fit, not sure if your talking about the front or back fit but the back one should go in deep enough for race and seal, and the front deep enough for warshers and a jam nut and so on. It sounds like a bad hub so I would take it back and see if he has another one that is correct and yes he may be able to replace the race but I wouldnt chance it , the race has ben hot , so it is more than likely so has the hub.,Standing beside the road with a spun bearing just plain sucks and will cost you big time in one way or another. And a bit of info a outside bearing or race is heated slightly to expand for a slip fit and a inside bearing or race is frozen to shrink it for a slip fit and hub bearing are inside fits , so no heat should ever be needed, but a over night in the freezer works wonders . Heating a inside bearing is often used to remove one that stuck but that works because all the temper is lost and it gets soft and the steel compresses and gets smaller and of course its shot.
 
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Black Snow Slide

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 15, 2007
Messages
276
Re: New Hubs being returned

My trailer guy took a look at them this AM and took them out back. 15 Minutes later he gave me new hubs with new races and an appoligy. As I was walking out the door he gave me two tubes of grease for my trouble. What more can a man ask for besides made in the USA.
 

MH Hawker

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
5,516
Re: New Hubs being returned

yea there you go , its nice to deal with good people , one look and he knew thier was a peoblem
 
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