TheSamba.com :: View topic - Vanagon T3 Syncro front wheel bearing and seal info post

Mon Mar 24, 2014 2:54 am

Having replaced many T3 Syncro front wheel bearings because I wanted to fit longer front wheel studs, I have found out some info about the front wheel bearings which I thought I'd share so that everyone else can benefit.

The front wheel bearing VW part number is: 251.407.625

It's used in many other vehicles (BMW and Porsche) as a rear wheel bearing.

The bearing spec is:
Height: 42 mm
Outer Diameter: 80 mm
Inner Diameter: 42 mm

These part numbers are:

BMW: 33411123426, 33411131670, 33411133123, 33411134549

I've found this list on an ebay auction (again, I'm not responsible for the accuracy... check yourself before buying!).

BMW: 524td 1985-86 | 525i 1992-92 | 525iT 1993-93 | 528e 1982-88 | 530i 1994-95 | 533i 1983-84 | 535i 1985-93 | 535is 1988-88 | 540i 1994-95 | 633CSi 1982-84 | 635CSi 1985-89 | 733i 1982-84 | 735i 1985-92 | 735iL 1988-92 | 740i 1993-94 | 740iL 1993-94 | 750iL 1988-94 | M5 1988-88 | M5 1991-93 | M6 1987-88

Porsche: 99905302001

I've found this list on a Porsche parts website (again, check yourself for accuracy).

Fits:
Porsche 911 1974-89 (not Turbo)
Porsche 944 1985-91
Porsche 968 1992-95

The following cross reference information was taken from this website:

http://www.autopartoo.com/oem/partscrossinterchange.html?search=527243CA

I take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information from the website so please, check yourself with the outer dimensions when buying your replacement bearing.

Cross Interchange Part No. for: FAG 527243CA

Factory Number
FAG 527243
FAG 527243BE
FAG 527243C
FAG 527243E
FAG FW9180
KOYO DAC4280B2RS
TIMKEN 513180
SKF 305988
SKF 305988CD
SKF 309609C
SKF FW161
SKF GRW214
SKF BA2B309609AD
GREEN RW944
BMW 33411123426
BMW 33411131670
BMW 33411133123
PORSCHE 99905302001
BMW 33411134549
VW 251407625
OE 99905302000
OE 99905302200
OE 99905304201
OE 99905304206
OE 99905304207
SKF 309609AD
BCA 513180
BREDA LORETT C540
SKF BA2B305988
MEYLE 3003341100
FAG 582226
SWAG 20904524
FEBI BILSTEIN 04524
DT Components 513180
Precision Seals & Bearings 513180
BECK/ARNLEY 0513875 I
MAXGEAR 330033
LEMFORDER 1065901
NATIONAL 513180
TOPRAN 500639
MEYLE 3003341100S
VAICO V200506
VAICO V2005061
MASTER-SPORT 1319SETMS
TRISCAN 853011207
JP GROUP 1451200500
BMW 33411133124
PEX 160261
BMW 33411468903
METZGER WM2018
PORSCHE 99905302000
FEDERAL MOGUL 513180
VEMA 515010
BREDA LORETT C540
NK 761509
OPTIMAL 502070
CORTECO 19017494
RUVILLE 5010
SNR R15010
KAWE FR591969
SPIDAN 26358
LAZORLITE U813664
BENDIX 050264B
SKF 305988D
SKF VKBA1319
IAPCO L0110004
PORSCHE 99905302200
PORSCHE 99905304201
PORSCHE 99905304210
PORSCHE 99905305405
QUINTON HAZELL BK10513
QUINTON HAZELL QWB513
PORSCHE 99905304206
PORSCHE 99905304207
L&S Bearing FV3180
CHICAGO RAWHIDE FW161
SKF WKH1319
SKF WKH962
ITM 3803108
SKF BAHB309609
AUDI 251407625
FLENNOR FR591969
FEBI BILSTEIN 21046
sbs 1401761509
KAGER 830487
PERFECT CIRCLE 513180
SNR DAC4280B2RSC87
TIMKEN WB000017
KOYO DAC4280B2RSC87
FAG 713649260
FAG 805394C
OPTIMAL 102103
SWAG 99905588
KACO 10242
KACO 10322
FAG 527243D
MAPCO 26748
MOOG 513180
HK 4926
VEMO 200506
VEMO V200506
VEMO V2005061
LEMFORDER 10658
LEMFORDER 1065801
SNR R15427
SNR R16702
TRISCAN 853011208
SK SK10157
SK SK11319
RPK RPK10157
RPK RPK11319
KAWE FR191092
AUTEX 805931
FEBI BILSTEIN 4524
FREMAX FWB0283
IPD 304926
JP GROUP 8833411134549
FEBI BILSTEIN 05588
SPIDAN 0026358
SPIDAN 26595
FLENNOR FR191092
BECK/ARNLEY 0514058
BECK/ARNLEY 0514123
MGA KR3262
OE 33411468903251407625
CANADIAN TIRE 91308520
CARQUEST 513180
BENDIX 050763B
GMB 7150001
BWC 0513875
FEDERAL 513180
WERTHENBACH CW0263
MACK 1458FW161
DT Components 307FFL5
Precision Seals & Bearings 307FFL5
QUINTON HAZELL QWB932

The T3 Syncro front wheel bearing seals are particular to our vehicle and they are fairly expensive from VW (last time I looked, they were £18.00 each!) but, there are people/businesses around the world who have realised that there is a market for these and have had batches produced.

I had a batch of 300 produced a long time ago and sold most of them before selling the remainder of the batch to Futbus, now known as as vwbuses.co.uk. I do not know if Dave is selling them or not.

I do know that Burley Motorsports were looking at having a batch produced but I don't know where they're at with this at present.

Remember that you need 2 x seals per hub.

I hope that this info is helpful and accurate. Please let me know if it's not :)

MG

Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:41 am

:wink:
Thanks

Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:34 am

Burley stocks seals and quality bearings.
If your a handy person with measuring tools using your findings and visiting a bearing supply house can yield great results. This is a lesson I learned after resealing a 1978 Ducati 900 SS Desmo motorbike I once owned using all expensive factory parts...those parts were old shelf stock and quickly took to leaking as bad if not worse than the parts that were replaced. I could not afford nor did I trust the factory parts at that point so after second disassembly and armed with a sheet of dimensions off to the bearing supplier I went, cost was 1/3 of what I had spent at the Ducati dealer. Sealed up tight as a drum, I then did a stupid thing at work, told an IDIOT my real opinion of him and quit my job, the Ducati was sold for survival money.....of all the bikes I have owned this is the one I regret selling the most :D

Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:12 am

Front wheel bearing seal that isn't 45$: (looks like VC has dropped the price quite a bit 19$ now)
SKF 25410
Cr 65X80X8 CRWI R
12$ at FLAPs

Here it is for 9.5$
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SKF-25410-Wheel-Seal-65x80...338b7b896f

Installed them 4 years ago, no problems.

Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:07 am

Burley Motorsports has 120 of these seals in stock right now.
We retail them for $14.99 ea. All day long.
These are high Quality seals from our usual European manufacturer.
FYI These are not Chinese.
All our customers say they are great. :)

Mon Mar 24, 2014 12:46 pm

The seals for the front wheel bearings on the Syncro are really quite particular if you want them to seal as they do from VW.

Not only do you get the normal seal onto the shaft that passes through the bearing but you also get a secondary seal here as well (note that there are two lips on the inner surface) ... on top of that you get a third seal onto the hub which is the lip sticking up from the main part of the seal. VW really did go all out on these seals :D

If you plan on going anywhere near water, I would fit the proper seals. A normal seal would be fine for a street Syncro but not much more.

MG

Mon Mar 24, 2014 4:59 pm

Are you saying that if you go into a FLAPS and ask for a syncro frt bearing seal they are going to give you the wrong one?

At 15$ it's now an easy decision but they were 45$ the last time I replaced them so off to Montys I went.

Too many river crossings to count but maybe I'm just getting lucky.

Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:01 pm

zeohsix wrote: ...I then did a stupid thing at work, told an IDIOT my real opinion of him and quit my job, the Ducati was sold for survival money.....of all the bikes I have owned this is the one I regret selling the most :D
Stupid thing? Sounds like your actions mirrored your morals/ethics, and was something that 99% of the rest of us don't have the courage to do. I hope the only down-side was losing the Ducati you loved the most...?

Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:04 am

fairweather wrote: Are you saying that if you go into a FLAPS and ask for a syncro frt bearing seal they are going to give you the wrong one?

At 15$ it's now an easy decision but they were 45$ the last time I replaced them so off to Montys I went.

Too many river crossings to count but maybe I'm just getting lucky.

I would expect that it's possible to fit a plain one lip seal and following the link to the cheapest one, the image would suggest that. If there was a better image then we could confirm one way or the other..

MG

Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:09 am

fairweather wrote: Are you saying that if you go into a FLAPS and ask for a syncro frt bearing seal they are going to give you the wrong one?

At 15$ it's now an easy decision but they were 45$ the last time I replaced them so off to Montys I went.

Too many river crossings to count but maybe I'm just getting lucky.

I would expect that it's possible to fit a plain one lip seal and following the link to the cheapest one, the image would suggest that. If there was a better image then we could confirm one way or the other..

MG

Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:44 pm

I see the post is a few months old

Where can I get all three seals(Per hub) from?

Seems like Burly Motorsports only keep stock of one seal at the moment

We do quite a lot of water crossings so having all the correct seals in place is very important to me...

Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:59 pm

EclipseZA wrote: I see the post is a few months old

Where can I get all three seals(Per hub) from?

Seems like Burly Motorsports only keep stock of one seal at the moment

We do quite a lot of water crossings so having all the correct seals in place is very important to me...

Only two per hub and inner and outer are identical. Order 4 from Burley, and 2 bearings, because the old one falls apart when the hub comes out.

Mon Jan 05, 2015 9:40 am

Syncroincity wrote: EclipseZA wrote: I see the post is a few months old

Where can I get all three seals(Per hub) from?

Seems like Burly Motorsports only keep stock of one seal at the moment

We do quite a lot of water crossings so having all the correct seals in place is very important to me...

Only two per hub and inner and outer are identical. Order 4 from Burley, and 2 bearings, because the old one falls apart when the hub comes out.

There is another seal on the outer CV joint that sits inside the inner bearing seal.

This seal is quote often cracked, missing or badly worn.

Please excuse the photo... just one I found on Google.

MG

Mon Jan 05, 2015 9:46 am

The outer dirt seal comes on the better quality joints when purchased brand new.
I don't see them on rebuilt parts any longer.

I have saved some metal rings and have a few good seals as well.

Time to see if they can be reproduced I guess.

Anybody have a line on these two parts new?

Mon Jan 05, 2015 9:49 am

Brickwerks sell the seal on it's own, I don't know about the pressed steel lip.

MG

Mon Jan 05, 2015 10:07 am

Cool, thanks.

Mon Jan 05, 2015 10:52 am

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=395577

For the bearing compatibility, yes BMW is the easiest one to cross part with , although that bearing is a pretty simple design mounted elsewhere.

No need the dimensions to find one at the bearing retailers, just the stamped part number on it, which gives you dimensions and load ability. Some bearing are not sold by the industry because they are only for the car market, same goes for the seals sometimes.

Cheers!

Sat Jan 24, 2015 3:49 pm

Burley Motorsports always stocks the seals ( I buy them 300 at a time ) that go into the bearing housing section of the spindle , 1 seal on each side of the bearing , so 2 seals per side , 4 of these seals per Syncro.
I dont have the other seal that goes onto the cv joint flange shoulder.

Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:07 am

After reading am i correct in saying when u pull front axles u have to replace wheel brng as it getsdamaged??? I have a boot to replace.

Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:24 am

morymob wrote: After reading am i correct in saying when u pull front axles u have to replace wheel brng as it getsdamaged??? I have a boot to replace.

You can pull the axles without any impact on the wheel bearings. You just remove the axle nuts/bolts and slide the axle out of the front hub.

However, if you have to remove the hub from the upright (knuckle), then you disturb the front wheels bearings and they must be replaced.

And don't put the weight of the van on the front hubs if the stub axle is not in place and torqued properly. The stub axle and nut are what keeps the proper preload on the bearing.