Ever heard of PLASTIC Wheel bearings? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Shawn T. W. · #16 06-24-2009, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigblockchev

Bearings can come with at least three types of cages, stamped steel, brass or plastic. The big advantage of plastic cages is that they won't microweld to the balls at very high speed. Brass cages are good for this too. Steel cages can fail in this way if lubrication is sparse and the surface speeds are too high. Nothing wrong with plastic cages in this application in my opinion. Cheers Dan

Thats good to hear! 1st time I ever saw such a thing, makes sense now that I think about it . . . but, I don't plan on keeping it for long, I need to buy me a diesel MB . . .

pawoSD · #17 06-24-2009, 07:11 PM

Plastic....psh....typical GM. I just replaced the front bearings on my wife's W124 about 4 months ago (when I did a brake job) and used FAG german bearings. Cost about $55 to do both sides. Not bad. And they were all metal!

bigblockchev · #18 06-24-2009, 08:19 PM

I had a hard time sourcing plastic cage bearings for the input shaft of my BMW motorcycle transmission a while ago. The stock steel cage bearing typically fail when the steel cage collapses and distorts and all the balls all migrate to one side. I have seen this failure mode many times in that application. Cheers Dan

JonL · #19 06-24-2009, 08:51 PM

My 722.4 transmission had lots of plastic cages on its bearings. Original MB equipment.
The FAG wheel bearings I put in my W201 a few weeks ago were made in Korea.
The Febi/Bilstein control arms I put in my friend's BMW recently said "Germany" on them, but had a hang tag that said "Made in Taiwan."
The Scan-Tech spring seat I put in my daughter's Volvo was made in China.

I wouldn't mind all this internationalization at all, except things are disproportionately made in China, and disproportionately NOT made in the USA.

The quality of all these parts was just fine.

GREASY_BEAST · #20 06-24-2009, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonL

I wouldn't mind all this internationalization at all, except things are disproportionately made in China, and disproportionately NOT made in the USA.

The quality of all these parts was just fine.

The very reasons why the first derivative of progress in the U.S. is pointing towards the third world and the same for China is pointing towards civilization. Pretty soon we will be a colony again.

I could have sworn the cages in MB OE bearings were cast, not stamped. They have that rough cast look about them.

pawoSD · #21 06-24-2009, 11:32 PM

I've learned to avoid most Febi products, they seem to be migrating most of their stuff to China. I was extremely un-pleased when I got some Chinese motor mounts.

In the future whenever I get a China made part, I am sending it back and complaining.

charmalu · #22 10-03-2012, 11:27 AM

I ran across this thread while searching for something. I had never seen or heard of plastic bearing cages. this is interesting. seem they have proven them selves. thought I would repost this for new members or even for some us older ones.

Charlie

300D85 · #23 10-03-2012, 12:07 PM

first (and only) time i ever came across plastic on a (rear wheel) bearing was on a 85 dodge caravan,

pretty sure it was original

vstech · #24 10-03-2012, 12:28 PM

the cage on the bearings on the MB vacuum pumps are plastic... and they fail taking out the engine!!!

qwerty · #25 10-03-2012, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

the cage on the bearings on the MB vacuum pumps are plastic... and they fail taking out the engine!!!

Do you have any information that points to the cage failure as the causative factor?

vstech · #26 10-03-2012, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qwerty

Do you have any information that points to the cage failure as the causative factor?

... are you serious?

the cage fails, and the balls all group together, then the wear from that lets them jump out of the race, and into the engine...

this is why inspection of the vacuum pump is CRITICAL on the 603!!!!!

Zulfiqar · #27 10-03-2012, 12:58 PM

I had a VW golf that had a steel or something cage in the rear wheel bearings - the brand was INA, looked odd, still didnt care, washed with gasoline/kerosene/ATF mix - greased with some regular grease and they were good.

First time I have come to know of plastic cages in wheel bearing application. motorcycles have this though on the steering head in some brands.

qwerty · #28 10-03-2012, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

... are you serious?

the cage fails, and the balls all group together, then the wear from that lets them jump out of the race, and into the engine...

That is true. But the fact that the cage failed doesn not mean that the cage failure itself was the primary causative factor. The cage failure could easily be secondary to a failure of some other component. For sure, even the strongest cage is incredibly flimsy when compared to other bearing components.

vstech · #29 10-03-2012, 02:24 PM

Hmm. I've found several VP's that had missing cages, and all balls were present in the pump, and it had not failed yet.
I'm going with the plastic fails from the hot engine oil, and the balls then slip over and touch each other, and the resulting slack on the bearing causes the wear and it fails.

whunter · #30 10-03-2012, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charmalu

I ran across this thread while searching for something. I had never seen or heard of plastic bearing cages. this is interesting. seem they have proven them selves. thought I would repost this for new members or even for some us older ones.

Charlie

They have been used since the mid to late 1960's, and are still in use today.
The technology is proven - mature.

.