I have a 1987 IROC-Z 5.7 wheel disc brakes. I am about to replace my front brakes and I want to change my wheel bearings at the same time. What is a good brand to go with?

 

Timken

 

I can't find them at Napa, Autozone or Advance Auto. Where can I buy them at?

 

Rockauto

 

Doesn't matter what brand you get. They're all made in China or Mexico...

 

T.L.

Thanks. You are right. Just wanted something reliable.

 

Not true at all.

Either way, even parts made in China or Mexico can been of good quality or poor quality, depends on what the vendor specs are.

 

Other than the pads I went with Napa parts.
I did research on the "SKF Brand" of Bearings first and only found positive reviews.
I'm very happy with my choice.
= https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/brak...brake-job.html

 

Show me one brand of wheel bearing for these cars that is made in USA...

 

A lot of Timken parts are still made in the USA. I buy Timken for all my projects and many of them still say Made in USA

 

Generally, if you install new rotors, they will come with the bearing race already pressed into place.

If I may expand on the OP's inquiry, what is the preferred source for new rotors with the bearing race already installed?

Thanks for the recommendation for Timken with the bearings.

One more question: What about recommendation for brake hoses?

I was pondering this project a few weeks ago, and I priced it out for whatever they are selling on the Advance Auto site. AMAZING how cheap you can do the whole shebang if you aren't particular about the China thing.

 

Maybe answered my own question regarding the issue of the bearing-race in the context of Timken.

Looks like Rock Auto sells the Timken bearing and race as a set.

Timken "SET 34."

 

While everybody is thinking about this, I checked Rock Auto too regarding rotors.

AC/Delco a good choice?

If you click on the link at http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....035649&jsn=682 and then click on the six pics you can scroll through there, the pic looks like the AC/Delco rotor comes with races installed.

Would you remove the AC/Delco race in order to use the Timken bearing?

Below are the pics I'm looking at on the Rock Auto site that makes me say it looks like the bearing race is already installed. If you go to the Rock Auto site and hold your cursor over the image, it will auto-zoom in. Problem is, the image is really low-rez, so my non-expert eye has some uncertainty as to what all I'm actually seeing in the pics.

Unless I'm overlooking something, or unless we are to infer from the language "No machining required - ready to be installed right out of the box" means "races included," the description on the Rock Auto site doesn't tell us whether the races are included with the rotor.

Its been 40 years since I beat the race out of a brake drum. I remember it being an embarrasing exerience. That's how good at it I was.

 

I should also mention that the reference I posted just above are the parts for my 1988 Sport Coupe. The OP may need to select the larger-diameter "performance package" rotors for his 1987 Z.

I looked at the "performance package" rotor pics on the Rock Auto site. The pics there show a somewhat beefier rotor, but with equally low-rez, blurry pics.

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Derp.

Hard to see, but I'm not unwrapping them further just to make a point.

 

There are actually laws about importing Chinese tapered bearings, ran into that a while back when dealing with a Chinese vendor with some Johnny joints. I have never seen a Chinese one yet, usually made in USA, Japan and mexico.

 

It'd be much more difficult to find any rotor sold without the bearing races installed.

All of the cheap brake hoses are made by Sunsong. It doesn't matter if you buy Dorman, Centric, AC Delco, they're all Sunsong hoses in the packages. Might try Wagner or Raybestos if you want something other than Sunsong.

Never buy from Advance Auto outright. Go to retailmenot.com and search for Advance Auto there's always at least a 30% off coupon available. Join Speedperks too and Advance Auto will give you discount codes that you can combine with the retailmenot codes. Do all of that, and they're only a couple dollars more than Rock Auto. Even with the shipping costs, Rock Auto is usually less and carries better brands of parts.

As a general rule, nearly everything in the AC Delco product lines for our cars are made by someone else. Most of the time the only AC Delco part is the package.

 

Probably not. "performance package" under brake parts means 1LE. Virtually none of the 1LE parts interchange with typical single piston front brakes found on most thirdgens.

 

For brake hoses, check out Brake Hoses Unlimited. They have an eBay store, and offer really cool braaided steel hoses...

 

Not saying it WILL be, but that race could be a Timken, Delco isn't making the race so...

 

Thanks for the replies!

 

I buy most of my stuff from Rockauto and Summit Racing. My local parts stores are a joke.

 

The Raybestos I just bought were labeled Sunsong on the hose.

 

I like to thank everyone who help me with my selection for the wheel bearings. I wet with the National wheel bearings. I changed my rotors and installed ceramic brake pads. She stop very good now. I will be moving to the rear brakes soon. I am going with factory calipers and semi metillac pads.