Thought I'd post this as we have another interesting thread on bearings.
Regulars know of my 450kg tare 748kg gross van I made jan 2016. The van axle came assembled with chinese bearings. I purchased a spare set too. And the wheels are 10" with 5-10 tyres. We did 19,000 km on our lap. We've done a further couple of thousand on this trip too Vic to Bundaberg. Currently on our way home. We havent had a problem with those bearings. Sure I'd use better quality if replacing them. Considering those wheels rotate double than larger wheels I think thats pretty good.
__________________
Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him...
I run Chineese Bearings as well. I carry a full inventory of bearings in a special 11lt tuff box labelled the bearing box.
Now some may pull out their long arms and take aim.
You have nothing to fear if you do your maintenance.
We, as most know just completed a second run to WA towing a 6mtr boat fully loaded. Same set of bearings have travelled 2 x 11,000km = 22,000km return to Sydney.
I run 9x6 Kenda tyres @ 55psi cold. @ 102km all day and night. our trailers all up 1900kg.
I do worry about spare tyres out on the Nullarbor. Hence I carry 4 spare tyres and tubes.
On this trip we blew 2 tyres on day two, (not my fault) and changed one out in Sandstone WA for safety reasons.
Chinese Bearings, Like most Chinese mfg'd gear "nowadays"
Depending on MFG and QC.
are pretty much as good as Western gear.
Some better. Some. Not so.
But They've been making huge Fibreglass Motor Yachts. Sailing yachts and Tugs. work boats Ships.
for decades now.
with some of them being made for the TOP US and European boatbuilders.
As long as the QC is there. They as good as anybody elses, I believe.
I use some torches here. $15\20\30 Chinese.
as good as the $150plus Aust, US ones.
Japan one of the better World MFG's. Thailand, Malaysia. after them.
They ALL started as Cr-p.... Remember.
Why shouldn't China be next. and the same as everybody else.
Some good. Some bad.
Just SELECT what you buy.
Bought spare bearings from local bearings shop, Jap bearings $20 a set for the wheels of the Coromal, today I dismantled the belt tensioner on the Colorado, GM logo stamped on it and chinese bearings inside, bearings were okay but the bloody spring has shagged it, of course 2 days out from hooking up, of course one of the few spares I don't have (at $150 a lot to sit in the spares box.)
I can remember back to when Jap stuff was rubbish, then it was Taiwan, then Korea, we'll all be doomed then China and while China is improving especially as it makes all the known brand's now, it's Thailand and India thats sneaking in with the rubbish gear......................
__________________
Checking out the places I drove past a thousand times................
