1994 Firebird Part for 1991-1996 Corvette Front Hub Bearing

Thanks to TomH91 for the tip (and promise that it would work). I replaced
my front hub bearings with 1994 Firebird parts. Why? Cuz the SKF bearings
are in stock at Pep Boys for $109 and the vette parts have disappeared at
prices below $200.
What\’s the difference? Hardly anything. The
Firebird flange that bolts to the knuckle is over 1/8\” thicker, but the
dimensions between the faces of the flanges is identical. So we have the
same overall dimensions and gain a little thicker flange by using the
Firebird part.
The holes in the Firebird flange are threaded, the
vettes are not. Thats cuz the bolts on the Firebird go in from the engine
side with no nuts required. The vette\’s bolts go in from the outside
and use thrust nuts on the engine side. (There is a large hole in the
outer flange that is used to feed the bolt in to position when going at it
from the outside)
You could just put the bolts in from the inside,
like the Firebird, but there is a tin connector bracket (holds speed
sensor wire) that mounts on 2 of the bolts and I did not want to subject
it to the required torque (66 ft/lbs)- your mileage may vary.
I put
the hubs in the mill and ran a 29/32 drill bit through the holes to make
them the same size as the vette part. I think you could do this with a
hand held drill if you can clamp the flange so it won\’t spin. The
diameter of the hole is not critical (within reason) as the hub centers
inside the knuckle. After drilling the holes, it looks and mounts just
like the vette part.
If I\’ve confused you, just get the part and
it will be very clear – it\’s too simple.
Oh yea, the speed
sensor looks identical and works fine (no codes).