The 4-digit Wheel Bearing

"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
10/21/2016 at 09:40 • Filed to: Ferrari, F355, 355F1, 355, Maintenance

There’s a joke saying that “You can never escape the exotic car repair shop for less than $1000.”

There are exceptions but this time was not to be one of them. The mechanic grabbed my right rear wheel and said, “Hey check out this wheel.” He gave it a few good pulls.

Click. Click.

“You need a new bearing.” The sealed bearing was not user-serviceable. Replacement? Are you sitting down?

$1900. For ONE BEARING.

So that’s done. But what, you thought I was out of the woods?

“By the way, your wheel is right here. Take a look, you see those bolt sleeves? They’re cracked. Buy five of them...”

A UK company named Hill Engineering makes superior aluminium replacement sleeves at $11 each. That’s another $55.

“...no, wait, the other wheels are probably bad too. Buy twenty.”

Are we done yet?

This afternoon, I visited the shop again. The owner was absent, but a tech had just put on the new bearing which had arrived from Ferrari NA.

“Hey is this your car? I just found this, it looks kinda bad.”

Parking brake shoe, $60 per half-disc. The shop owner arrives.

“Oh, the parking brake. So—you want to replace just this side? Or.......the other side too?”

$&@$@@$$@###%%

Another $240.

I just want to drive.

DISCUSSION (20)

Berang > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
10/21/2016 at 09:43

That parking brake shoe has about another 40 years of life left in it.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Berang
10/21/2016 at 09:48

Yeah, really. I’ve seen new parking brake shoes with barely more lining on them than that.

Urambo Tauro > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
10/21/2016 at 10:01

More than I can afford, Pal.

JGrabowMSt > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
10/21/2016 at 10:04

Im really curious about what the wholesale vs retail pricing is on a $1900 wheel bearing. I cant imagine its made of anything more magical than the $35 wheel bearings on the Magnum (also a non-serviceable complete assembly). Im a couple thousand miles in with no regrets.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
10/21/2016 at 10:04

Thanks for the heads up. Now if I win the lottery I’ll know to get a S2k instead of a Ferrari!

AuthiCooper1300 > JGrabowMSt
10/21/2016 at 10:26

There are two possibilities: either it is a more or less bespoke part made in short batches by SKF etc with incredible fine tolerances etc, which means the price is indeed stratospherically high; or it is just a somehow standard bearing (also suitable for Lord knows which rather plebeian conveyance) albeit nicely wrapped in a Ferrari original parts bag.

In both cases, as “old stock” they also suffer from yearly increases in price, with predictable results.

I understand some model of Ferrari from the 70s or 80s actually used the same steering rack as a Fiat 131 (Brava in the US). Don’t ask me which one, just cannot remember.

A similar story (granted, not a mechanical part) but Maserati used to charge the moon and the stars for the main headlights of the Biturbo. Which happened to be the same as the Fiat 127. Porsche famously used to buy from Audi (they said) some parts for the 924/944 and the price was, well, higher than the same part in an Audi box.

In any case, even if it is a standard-size bearing one would assume the batches for Ferrari would go through more stringent quality testing... I suppose.

Somewhere in the Web someone must have studied the subject and probably found out whether indeed they are used in other cars.

McMike > Berang
10/21/2016 at 10:31

No shit. Unless you drive with them on, a drum parking shoe is a lifetime item.

DipodomysDeserti > JGrabowMSt
10/21/2016 at 10:35

The Ferrari bearing is greased with baby human peasant grease.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Berang
10/21/2016 at 13:01

You’re right, on any normal car replacing a parking brake drum/shoe is unheard of. I thought about whether to replace it, and decided to do so because:

1. The parking brake is a notorious problem on older Ferraris (not sure about newer ones...wouldn’t be surprised either way). They frequently fall out of adjustment and I want to minimise the variables. Even when in perfect shape, it is not very strong and I prefer to park the car in-gear.

2. The photo doesn’t show it too well, but the wear is rather uneven (see the abrupt cutoff of the white marks towards the bottom), so we weren’t sure if that was contributing to poor grip.

3. The wheel bearing was already off the car.

So it may or may not do much to try new brake shoes. We’ll see. Thanks for the input!

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > AuthiCooper1300
10/21/2016 at 13:16

The bearing is indeed an SKF product, as with many European cars.

I’m not under the impression that it’s made to different tolerances compared to others, but the physical dimensions and mounting points are probably Ferrari-specific. For the F355, the bearing has no commonality with other cars so we’re screwed on that front.

The rest is just low production, poor availability and typical “old stock” high-demand.

It sucks, but this is the reality of rare old cars. With sufficient demand, someone would machine a cheaper or repairable version—this happens with high-failure-rate items like the melting headers and exploding water pumps.

JRapp: now as good as new again > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
10/21/2016 at 13:46

How much would it cost to have some machine shop custom build bearing or few?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time
10/21/2016 at 13:54

Get a car, even a Ferrari, any car that is not 20 years old.

With this thing I seem to have found my limits on old car ownership. I will probably never buy anything older than this, even if it has childhood dream written all over it. I will not fall for you, Testarossa.

ilostmypants > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
10/21/2016 at 14:06

I bet those brakes and bearings have a generic park number, do you think Ferrari would go through the trouble of having there own bearing assembly made or just use one off the shelf that fit there need, it’s just a matter of finding out if and what that is.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > JRapp: now as good as new again
10/21/2016 at 16:14

At the sparse rate of failure I’m not confident of a cost-effective third-party solution for the bearing.

Common failure points such as exhaust headers & water pump have been addressed by aftermarket companies and resourceful owners this way.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > ilostmypants
10/21/2016 at 16:16

For wheel bearings, there is parts commonality between some models of Ferrari to other [less overpriced] car brands, but not specifically for the F355.

Also, some models have bearings that can be opened and re-packed with new balls and grease.