Smooth Spin: Vintage Radial Ball Bearings
Ball Bearings are designed for high-speed, low-friction applications. In vintage cars, you will find these in generators, alternators, clutch pilots, and transmission input shafts.
Vintage Manufacturers We stock New Departure (NDH), BCA, and Fafnir bearings.
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Sealed vs. Shielded: We list whether the bearing has rubber seals (to keep grease in) or metal shields.
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Clutch Pilots: The critical bearing that sits in the back of the crankshaft. If this fails, your transmission won't shift.
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Generator/Alternator: The #1 cause of charging system noise is a bad ball bearing.
The USA Steel Advantage: Miscellaneous Bearings
This category houses our extensive collection of NOS and NORS Bearings for various automotive applications. From steering column bearings to rare accessory drive bearings, if it spins, we likely have the part.
Why NOS and NORS? Modern bearings are often manufactured with looser tolerances and cheaper steel. Our vintage inventory from Hyatt, New Departure, and MRC features superior US-made steel and precision honing that lasts longer in classic applications.
Heavy Load: Cylindrical & Needle Roller Bearings
Roller Bearings (cylindrical bearings) are the heavy lifters of the automotive world. You will typically find these in rear axles, transmissions, and heavy-duty truck hubs where the load is perpendicular to the shaft.
Hyatt & Bower Quality
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Straight Roller: Common in rear axle shafts and manual transmissions.
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Needle Roller: Used in U-Joints and transmission cluster gears.
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Split Roller: The classic Hyatt design found in early GM drivetrains.
Handle the Corner: Tapered Roller Bearings (Cup & Cone)
The Tapered Roller Bearing is the standard for front wheel hubs and differentials. Designed by Timken, the angled rollers allow the bearing to handle both the weight of the car (radial load) and the side-force of cornering (thrust load).
Cup & Cone Explained Most tapered bearings are sold as two parts:
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The Cone: The inner assembly with the rollers.
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The Cup: The outer race that is pressed into the hub or housing.
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Always Replace Both: Never put a new cone in an old, pitted cup! We stock matched sets from Timken and Bower.
Silence the Roar: Front & Rear Wheel Bearings
A growling or grinding noise that gets louder with speed is the classic sign of a bad Wheel Bearing. If ignored, a seized bearing can weld itself to the spindle or shear an axle.
Front vs. Rear
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Front Wheel: Typically adjustable tapered roller bearings (Inner and Outer).
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Rear Wheel: Pressed-on bearings for semi-floating axles. Replacing these usually requires a shop press.
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Inventory: We stock the specific numbers (e.g., A2, A6, Set 10) for Ford, GM, and Mopar axles.
Keep Grease In, Dirt Out: Oil & Grease Seals
The humble Oil Seal (or Grease Seal) is the gatekeeper of your axle. If it fails, grease escapes onto your brakes, and road grit enters your bearings, causing catastrophic failure.
Vintage Seal Technology
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Leather vs. Neoprene: We stock original-style Leather/Rawhide seals for restorations that require period-correct lubrication, as well as modern Neoprene/Nitrile upgrades for better longevity.
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Locations: Front wheel hub seals, rear axle shaft seals, and pinion seals.
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Brands: Authentic National, CR (Chicago Rawhide), and Trotter seals.
