sebdavid

Hey guys,

Thought I'd post this here since a lot of you are using the SKF units. I bought a car and I'd like to know if I have the stock hubs or SKF ones on the car (it was track-prepared to a good extent). How can I tell the difference without too much disassembly? Is there a tell-tale sign of some sort?

I've looked for pictures but from pics, the two units look very similar to my untrained, talentless eyes.

Thanks!

JDIllon

One way is, all SKF racing bearings are splined! So if the front bearings are splined, they are probably SKF. Other than that you probably need to find the part# on them. Just my .02 JD

Falcon

So, the fronts and rears are interchangeable?

TmillerC5

Yep, I put a set of rears on over the winter on the front.
That hole is saving me 2# of unsprung wieght

Bill Dearborn

It is an indication the fronts may be SKFs but some people used the stock rears in the front. The stock rears do always work well on the front since due to their internal design they need the axle shaft going through them for proper support.

Bill

B y r o n

I don't think the splines are going to be a good indicator, that is unless Chevrolet is putting SKF's on the new Grand Sports. My '11 GS has splined front hubs from the factory.

davidfarmer

Bill, did you mean to say do "not" always work well. I'd love to know more about this, and how the new design no longer needs support. I'm not arguing with you (I have no knowledge of these designs), just curious.

drivinhard

IIRC, OEM rears are the lightest (splined), followed by the fronts (solid), followed by the SKF HD Race (splined). all were approx .5 lb increments

the SKF was like 1.1 lb heavier than an OEM rear (splined)

I have replaced my failed OEM ones with SKF HD ones as they have failed, I am on #3, so far so good.

Bill Dearborn

From what I understand the previous stock hubs had issues with the way the bearing was designed. The fronts with no hole in the center didn't have the issue while the rears needed the support the axle shaft gave them from just being inside the hub. That is supposedly the reason GM specified the rear hubs should not be used in the front. The hub design changed in 2009 and now they can use the same hub front and rear.

There was a discussion of these issues about 4 years ago when I posted pictures of a rear bearing with the flange broken off that had been on the front of a C5.

Bill