Is it worth 3x the price for OEM bearings/ABS sensor?

[astroturf]

GM wrenches should be very familiar with this procedure.

Keep us posted.

Yes, I bet they are!

I'm on the fence... deciding whether or not I should take up the offer from the small independent garage for the cash deal of around $650 for parts and labor using (supposedly) decent aftermarket parts, since my bearings are a bit worn anyways. Or get a bit more mileage out of the bearings and just get him to try and clean up the area around the ABS sensors to see if that gets the ABS to stop activating at low speeds on every stop. Or... save up a for a bit longer and get genuine GM parts (around $1300 plus tax) and then get the independent shop to put them in for 2 hours labor. Normally I'm all for getting OEM parts, unless the aftermarket parts are a significant upgrade. But in this case, they're not. It's the price difference! I can get 2 aftermarket bearings for less than the price of one OEM!

So... I'm kind of leaning towards just getting the aftermarket bearings. They might not be as good as OEM parts, but in this case, brand new aftermarket parts should be better than partially worn OEM bearings with defective ABS sensors. Might be the best compromise. I might be moving out of province in the summer and the van will need to be inspected to register it. I don't want it to fail an inspection because the bearings are too worn. Might as well do it now while I have the time and can get a good deal.

DUDE...

Hands Up in the Air, Shaking Head as I walk away.

Good Luck, Jim

PS The previous owners of that van would not put up with being robbed, and nor should you!

[Stroverlander]

I went with a Timken hub assembly (Rock Auto) when I noticed play in my right front, still haven't installed yet because I'm going to be doing cv axles and front axle shaft seals (again) at the same time. You can also purchase the abs speed sensors separately if needed.

Do the orange ABS and/or red brake light illuminate when any of this happens? You might also want to check and clean the connectors on the ebcm located underneath the body on the driver's side frame rail. When my ABS and brake lights started coming on over bumps, I cleaned and greased the sensors with no change so scanned the ABS codes which turned out be bad ebcm (common). Removed ebcm, tested abs pump (supplied 12V to motor) to make sure it worked and had ebcm repaired for $70.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

My opinion on the OEM parts is if they only lasted 65k miles the first time, NO way in hell am I buying another part at 3x the aftermarket price when the aftermarket part will last just as long! Before forking out any money, get the code scanned and see what it really is. Might be worth the $70 - $100 at the dealer to get it scanned and a written quote for repair. You'll then know EXACTLY what's wrong. If it is the front bearings going bad, go to the independent shop as long as he is reliable and not just some schmuck trying to make a couple bucks.

[JustSomeGuy]

Since we're half way through winter and the sensors could still get dirty and corroded, I'm thinking of getting the mechanic to see if he can clean them up to buy me some time. Then when the winter is over, get new bearings installed - either the aftermarket ones, or OEM. I wish I knew someone who worked at a GM dealership would could get me a deep discount! Even at $400 per bearing, it's still a lot, but better than $650 a bearing!

I can print out the TSB and show that to my local mechanic guy too. In any case, my bearings aren't that badly worn yet, it's more for the ABS issue I want to do this. I've gotten used to driving with the ABS coming on at low speeds, but it's not ideal. The problem hasn't got any worse. Maybe it will, maybe it won't.

[JustSomeGuy]

I've decided to get the aftermarket parts, but will install them when the winter is over. My stock bearings aren't "that" bad yet, so I can stretch it out a few more weeks or months. Then once the new parts are installed, I won't have to worry about winter road salt corroding the sensors - at least for another year. With any luck, I'll be living out west next year and won't have to worry about snow and road salt any more.

Waiting a few weeks or couple of months will also let me save up a bit more. Even with aftermarket parts, this is a rather pricey job. Hopefully this will also cure a weird "scraping" noise I keep hearing. I've recently replaced the pad and rotors front and back (and rear calipers), and changed the rear diff oil (and the diff looked fine), so I've ruled out those as possible sources for the scraping noise. It might just be the bearings.