AU IRS Wheel bearings

[madmelon]

Hi All,
I've recently considered undertaking a bearing change for the rear end of my AUIII XR8. Having read many horror stories about the difficulty of this and wanting a quality replacement bearing, I set out to determine if Timken make a bearing to suit. The process was this...

-Searched for a bearing kit to suit online, finding an ebay listing showing a part number. The part number was for an NTN bearing, being ET-CRI-0848

-Google searched "ET-CRI-0848" to ensure that exact term was in the results.

-One result was for a Slovakian auto parts website "Darma Slovensko"
http://www.darmaslovensko.sk/?page=e...kaz=FAG579102A

This showed the same AU IRS bearing part number applying to the Ford Windstar and the 95- Taurus. It also showed a Timken part number "JMR4249", a F.A.G. part number (in the url too) 579102A, and a FENIX part number 513058

-Went to "Automotive Aftermarket" section of the Timken bearing website and searched for 95 Taurus. Result was a bearing called "SET49"
http://www.showmetheparts.com/timken/

-Open SET49 link and lo and behold, the image shows JMR4249 stamped on the bearing race and it looks much like the AU IRS wheel bearing.

Other applications include IRS mustang (rear), Jag XK8/XKR/XJ8/XJR (rear), Chrysler Neon and PT Cruiser (front), Dodge Neon (front), Hyundai Tuscon and Santa Fe (Rear), a few Kias, Mercuries, Lincolns and other Fords.

Now to be 100% sure, you'd have to measure one up but from what I've seen it looks good. This exercise has also had another nice little side benefit- these bearings can be had for ~US$30 each plus freight instead of the AU$70+ we would see them for here in an inferior brand.

Hope this helps someone.

[jeffb]

I bought the same NTN bearings that were originally in mine from CBC bearings http://www.conbear.com/ and they were horrible to get apart, had my 20t press maxed out and they finally let go

[mik]

thanks for that info Madmelon, that is a good price.

when i did mine i went to a bearing place(action bearings from memory), yes i think they where about 70 buks each, mine where german brand, they have done about the same mileage as the original ford ones, approximately 100,000k`s each and are getting just a very little bit of noise into them , so i guess i`ll be doing mine again soon.

indeed Jeffb, they can be a sod to get off, i have spoken to a few work shops about the process of pressing them off, some seem to come off with only a light press, the workshop boss at one of the ford dealers near me(good bloke) and i where chatting about them, he replied i have a broken 50 ton press from AU irs bearings, the local diff place i went to when my mates press could`nt press them out also had a hell of a time, he told me he had three blokes working on them trying to get them apart ,
so yes they can be a bit of a sod.
i thought the other than on the ford IRS, it was pretty easy to do.
I recently started doing rear wheel bearings to a lexus LS 400, muma mia! they are on a whole different pain level to our ford IRS, next time i will save about 2000 buks and just say fix, words just can`t express my pain on this job .

[dieseltrain79]

Lol , my soarer needs rear bearing .... Not looking forward to it !

Prob gonna just buy used hub and install that .

[dieseltrain79]

Lol , my soarer needs rear bearing .... Not looking forward to it !

Prob gonna just buy used hub and install that .

I think I have same thing with the au . It's nit noisy but feels loose in the rear end and steers itself when applying throttle on / off ..

[mik]

Originally Posted by dieseltrain79

Lol , my soarer needs rear bearing .... Not looking forward to it !

Prob gonna just buy used hub and install that .

I think I have same thing with the au . It's nit noisy but feels loose in the rear end and steers itself when applying throttle on / off ..

the old banjo diff and cart springs has something going for them at wheel bearing time for sure .

[dieseltrain79]

Yeah , I miss my 9 inch ! Sometimes