AWD/FWD Unitized Wheel Hub Bearings

[CTX-SLPR]

Howdy folks,

Looking at pricing for unitized front wheel hub bearings pointed me to something interesting. For a RWD/AWD sedan (say Infiniti M35) the front hubs are almost half as much from your local auto parts place and 2/3rds from someone like Rock Auto for the AWD version vs. the RWD version. While there is a slightly larger application cross reference for the AWD parts I think a fair bit of this might be that the AWD hubs are simpler to make since there's the half shaft (CV shaft in common parlance) constraining the axial load. Doesn't seem like it would be anything wrong with taking a set of junkyard half shafts and just cutting them down so you're left with just a spud in there and use them in a RWD application. I think Jeep actually did this with the RWD Commander/Grand Cherokee early on before they decided it wasn't worth it. As long as you left some feature to lock the spud in place while you pull the hub nut off shouldn't be an operational concern either I wouldn't think.

Thoughts?

[SuperBuickGuy]

I've 'saved' money on cheaper unitized bearings... they've never saved me money and have cost me a lot of time.

As far as 'removing' the hub nut - that is fine for some, early GM 4x4 ones, no, but current 4x4 hubs, yes. Matter of fact, the Camaro uses the same unitized bearings in every corner and the splines just spin happily without a spud shaft

I'd never weld a CV shaft - you can't get enough penetration to make it safe - not just that, even if you could, they're spring steel so if you do weld on them, you create a harder, heat-affected-zone at the weld (not just break, shatter). If you want to adapt - dividers for your mill are cheap....

[CTX-SLPR]

I think you've completely misunderstood what I'm after. This is an idea where I use the cheaper between available options from SKF or Timken between where the specific application has a RWD bearing and an AWD/FWD hub part numbers. I doubt Nissan/Infiniti would have taken the trouble to make a new part number for a RWD bearing when the AWD bearing is shared with so many other applications if it didn't need the clamping force of the half shaft. There would be no CV shaft in use, just a spud to clamp the bearing together as the original application had, some form of feature would need to go on the back so I can hold it still while the nut comes off.

[anotheridiot]

do these hubs have the sensors hermetically sealed within them? I would not put it past the dealers to have two different types of sensors between front and back where they would not give the computer the correct information to decide which wheels to direct power to and that is more of what makes it more expensive.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I'm fairly certain that unitized bearings (built for cars manufactured within the last 10 years), whether awd or not, do not need a spud shaft and nut to maintain the integrity of the bearing.

[CTX-SLPR]

do these hubs have the sensors hermetically sealed within them? I would not put it past the dealers to have two different types of sensors between front and back where they would not give the computer the correct information to decide which wheels to direct power to and that is more of what makes it more expensive.

Wheel speed sensor is external and present on both variants for the M45 (which cross references to like almost everything Infiniti made with a five lug pattern and AWD 2006-2018).
Reason for the Nissan/Infiniti stuff is the IRS I'm stripping out of a friend's Q45 has about the right track width for the Riviera, a 3.45:1 rear ratio, and everything bolts to a single subframe other than the upper spring and shock attach points so the geometry is baked in vs. I have to recreate it. The Nissan/Infiniti stuff has a smaller hub bore (66.1mm) than the Ford (70.5mm) or Hyundai (67.1) so leaves those open as options as well as the Nissan/Infiniti wheels and brakes while keeping the 5x4.5in lug spacing. WRX's have a way to small hub bore (56.1), Toyota/Lexus stuff is still too small (60.1mm) and Honda/Acura is almost big enough (64.1mm). I'm trying to avoid having to machine stuff to fit and instead get things like hub-centric spacers for stuff.