After market bearings as good as OEM?

[ranger1]

I am going on a big ride this coming weekend & didn't have much time to look into after market bearings so I went with the OEM.
The price for the OEM ones is staggering, over "THREE TIMES" the price of after market ones!!!!!! I paid $110 just for the three jackshaft bearings! Dennis Kirk sells the whole bearing kit which not only includes the three bearings but all the seals as well for only $36!!!
My question is this, are the OEM bearings that much better or are they an over priced rip off?

 

[BOUNTYHUNTER]

I am going on a big ride this coming weekend & didn't have much time to look into after market bearings so I went with the OEM.
The price for the OEM ones is staggering, over "THREE TIMES" the price of after market ones!!!!!! I paid $110 just for the three jackshaft bearings! Dennis Kirk sells the whole bearing kit which not only includes the three bearings but all the seals as well for only $36!!!
My question is this, are the OEM bearings that much better or are they an over priced rip off?

If you check it out...you can buy bearings in a sleve...10 per i belive still and a group buy makes it even cheaper if your buddies go in with you.

MTN, SKF are very good bearings just to name a few
http://www.vxb.com/page/bearings/CTGY/S ... e_bearings

 

[ranger1]

I know the high end brand name bearings like SKF are top quality but when I checked out your link, I couldn't find the brand name for those bearings.
Still wondering if that type of generic bearing or the cheap version of bearings, NTN etc, are as good as the OEM.

 

[grader]

bottom line is yamaha bearings are top quality. for jackshaft bearings go oem, you dont want problems there, for idlers and skid, as well as driveshaft, cheap will do and replace yearly.

 

[Grimm]

I agree that you should go with a top brand bearing (not necessarily OEM) when replacing jackshaft or drivetrain bearings, however I've found that using a low budget bearing for the idler wheels provided equal to and often better longevity versus OEM. Mind you, I clean and regrease (low temp synthetic) idler wheel bearings before storage every year.

 

[thor452]

corret me if im wrong but last i knew there was only like 3 manufactures of berrings.I didnt know that there was such a thing as generic?

 

[ranger1]

corret me if im wrong but last i knew there was only like 3 manufactures of bearings.I didn't know that there was such a thing as generic?

Hahaha, sorry, I said "Generic" when I referred to bountyhunters bearing link because that bearing distributor did not offer the brand.
Grader & Grimm have a very good point, best to stick with the higher quality bearings in vital areas such as the chaincase & jackshaft because if these fail it could leave you stranded on the trail. Also, these are a pain in the butt to change so if there is a chance that the OEM would last longer probably worth the extra money there. I bought this sled with 5800 miles & the aftermarket clutch side jackshaft bearing is already pooched!! Can't have many miles on that bearing!
A friend of mine said that I could change the aftermarket ones three times for the price I paid for the OEM ones, I told him I don't want to change those three times, lol!!!!!
I just hope the OEM do in fact last longer for the price they charged me for them!!!
As for the idler wheel bearings, I just go with the cheapy KML ($3.50 for 6205's) ones & grease them annually.

 

[Grimm]

My experience has been that if you clean and regrease the drivetrain bearings annually, you shouldn't have any problems with the bearings for many many many miles. Never had to change them on my Vector (10000km) or my Nytro (9500km).

 

[Snowmobileaddict]

I know the high end brand name bearings like SKF are top quality but when I checked out your link, I couldn't find the brand name for those bearings.
Still wondering if that type of generic bearing or the cheap version of bearings, NTN etc, are as good as the OEM.

NTN
SKF
KOYO
FAG (yes that is really the name)
Timken
HRB
LYC

 

[yamahas]

I have had bad luck with All Balls.

 

[RTX]

I do machine maintenance/repair for a living.
theres are many different factors involved in selecting a bearing.
Just because they are the same size or are made by a major bearing manufactures does not mean they are the same grade or even have the same load rating
some may believe a bearing is a bearing but many factors play into how long a bearing will last.
If i was ever going to replace chaincase and/or driveshaft/jackshaft bearing i would use oem unless you know for fact you are replacing with the exact equivelent bearings.

the small amount of money you saved by purchasing a cheap bearing will seem insignificant when you have a chaincase failure

 

[ranger1]

I do machine maintenance/repair for a living.
theres are many different factors involved in selecting a bearing.
Just because they are the same size or are made by a major bearing manufactures does not mean they are the same grade or even have the same load rating
some may believe a bearing is a bearing but many factors play into how long a bearing will last.
If i was ever going to replace chaincase and/or driveshaft/jackshaft bearing i would use oem unless you know for fact you are replacing with the exact equivelent bearings.

the small amount of money you saved by purchasing a cheap bearing will seem insignificant when you have a chaincase failure

I spent the big bucks replacing all three jackshaft bearings with the OEM ones. The bearing on the clutch side is tapered, the buggered bearing I took out from that side was a 6206 with a broken collar. Is a 6206 even tapered?

 

[DigitalFusion]

I have had bad luck with All Balls.

x100

Ive never used them on the sled, but thats only because I refuse to buy them. Had too many bad experiences with them not lasting worth a damn on dirt bikes and ATV's

 

[Blue Dave]

I bought all of my bearings from a wholesale supplier at a much lower price than Yamaha. They offer both the cheap Chinese bearings and the more expensive Japanese bearings. The Japanese bearings are what Yamaha sells and they are cheaper from a bearing supplier than your Yamaha dealer.

The only bearing that I had to buy from Yamaha was the jackshaft bearing behind the secondary clutch because it is special in that it has a tapered ID and I could not source it anywhere but the dealer.