Cheaper final drive bearing kits

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Lavoy
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Cheaper final drive bearing kits

Post by Lavoy » Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:48 pm

Had a discussion with someone the other day that mentioned that my competition is so much cheaper than I am on final drive bearing kits, which is fine, I have no problem with that. So I did a little research. I sell the kits for $275 with ALL Timken bearings, OEM seal, and SKF or Timken pinion seal.
If I was to switch to all less than name brand bearings, go to the Transcom pinion seal, and use a cheap import axle seal instead of the OEM seal (for which there is no direct cross reference, the seal anyone will give you is a parade crawler only seal), looks like the same kit I sell would be about $140, maybe less with some more research.
For those of you wanting this quality of kit, I can definitely source them with no problem, but I do not stock them, and won't be stocking them, but it will give you an alternative. I will quite strongly recommend that this kit is never used in a working crawler, the axle seal will fail in fairly short order if you do. Once it does, you will be looking for a final drive case, bull and pinion gears, so again, don't use these parts in a working crawler. If the crawler is a parade/show crawler, there should be no problem at all.
The moral of the story is you get what you pay for, and depending on your use usage, it may cost you a lot more in the long run. So if I quote you a price on something, there might be a good reason that I am more expensive, and it's not that I want to retire to an island somewhere, it might be the quality of the part, or lack thereof that you are being quoted by someone else.
Lavoy
Parts and restoration for antique and late model John Deere crawlers.
Owner and moderator www.jdcrawlers.com

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Stan Disbrow
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Re: Cheaper final drive bearing kits

Post by Stan Disbrow » Tue Jan 12, 2021 5:05 am

Hi,

There are all sorts of cheaper parts out there. And, all sorts of 'well, that repair didn't last long' stories as well.

The saving of a few bucks on any repair isn't for me. The way I look at is, you've been there (whatever the repair / rebuild is) before me and you know the score.

I will go with that.

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

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pop pop
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Re: Cheaper final drive bearing kits

Post by pop pop » Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:43 am

boy i can related to this,
recently had a axle bearing to replace, son went to store and came back with an imported, "universal fit" bearing, :?: :roll:
it lasted 1.5 miles. :evil: :evil: so he got another one, it lasted 2 miles. :evil: :evil:
so i said, what gives? why cant you buy the OEM bearing! its what the store had. :roll:
you can imagine how pissed off i was after doing the work twice and now going to do it a third time. :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:
found the correct bearing, USmade, for $9 more, needless to say, it works fine now. :wink:

made in the USA has never let me down :D
440icd/602/8a,,440icd/831/ripper,,440icd/831/3pt.,misc. 440 parts, i have 5 of these now, but i can stop anytime :cry:

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