They have repacked lifetime warranty wheel bearings for nearly the same price as stock, and the RWB tool for $220. Just wondering if anyone has dealt with them, as far as how long it takes for them to ship an order out, quality of parts, warranty, etc... I haven't heard much about them.
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Haven't dealt with them much personally, but RRT is owned/operated by Barry Battle, who started Bimmerworld with James Clay.
They do alot of track/race car prep, and they are all familiar with what it takes to make a car last on the race track.
Can't comment on how quickly they ship their products, but I feel safe in saying that they are a legit company to deal with.
The repacked wheel bearings.........not too sure about those. Do you know anyone who has actually had to replace their E30 wheel bearings more than once?? Do you plan on keeping the car for ever and ever?? Without more details, I'd just go with new.....
Bret -
Those RRT rear wheel bearings are brand new units repacked with a synthetic grease which they claim offers more longevity than the original manufacturer's grease.
However, if it were up to me, I think I would trust the judgement and manufacturing capabilities of FAG or SKF lubrication / bearing engineers before I just knuckle under and buy someone else's repacked units.
Originally posted by whysimonComment
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There was a long thread over on bf.c about those bearings vs. stock, but it didn't look like many people were using e30's, so figured I'd ask you guys. I do ~10 track days and ~10 autox's each summer, on r-comps, so the bearings will see a bit of abuse.
I guess the main argument is, the quantity/quality of grease in stock bearings is designed for street driving, and the temperatures involved with typical/spirited driving. Track cars obviously see much higher lateral loads and temperatures, so a better quality/larger amount of grease helps.Comment
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Just buy the good stuff. The amount of extra cost compared to the mileage you get out of those? Well worth it.
oh, and $220 is a good price for the tool... provided you don't have to pay shipping.Slicktop City!Comment
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Interesting, I did not know that Barry and James started Bimmerworld together.Originally posted by Rigmaster View Post
Did they split in a friendly way?
I bought the 57mm studs and 17mm nuts on my S50 car from RRT last year. Shipping was fast.
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Honestly don't know all the details (nor do I care to know), but from what I understand, they are both on pretty good terms with each other.Originally posted by Ben Carufel View Post
They were friends long before Bimmerworld got started, I think they may have been in college together.
IMHO, both Bimmerworld and RRT are good sources for BMW parts and performance items....
As far as the bearings, I wouldn't be concerned about the quantity of grease that is put in new bearings- I'm sure they have done plenty of engineering studies to make sure they put the correct amount in there (not too much, not too little). If you're really worried about it, you can buy a needle injector that goes on the end of a grease gun and just squirt some grease into your bearings- I've seen them at the auto parts store for like $3..... Then you can use whatever type of grease you want to use.Comment
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lifetime warranty sounds interesting. Due to the wide tires I run on the track and upgraded brakes I go through front wheel bearings about once per year.
I bet track time voids the lifetime warranty though. You might want to ask about this.
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It does void the warranty, I did inquire about this. Your example is my point - track cars eat through fronts in one season. They are nearly the same price for front actually, it would be stupid not too.
My point about the quality of stock bearings is that they were not filled with grease with the intention of track use - the extreme loads and heat. If companies can put half the quality and half the quantity of grease in to save money over a production run, without effecting the majority of customers, they will.
I'd rather pay the extra for the time and effort RRT has spent on testing different quantities and types of grease then try to hack it myself. I just wanted to be sure they were a decent company to order from.Comment
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Originally posted by JGood View Post
Maybe if you're doing an event every weekend, but otherwise you should NOT be wearing out front wheel bearings in a year- even with a bunch of track use. I changed my fronts shortly after I started tracking my car, and it's got several years of pretty heavy track use on the "new" bearings with no noise or sign that they're wearing out.
While I might agree with your point on wheel bearings if we were talking about a Chrysler Sebring or some other POS, I think BMW (and FAG or whoever makes the wheel bearings these days) does not scrimp on the amount or quality of the grease in these wheel bearings. If the choice is a used bearing with synthetic grease stuffed in it or a new one- I'd go new every time. If the RRT bearings are new with synth grease- then YES, I'd definitely go with that if they're about the same cost as regular OEM bearings.
Bret.Comment
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Originally posted by Rigmaster View Post
Yes, RRT's are new bearings. I guess some people are going through wheel bearings that quick, and some aren't. I'll give OEM a try as it looks like it will be about $100 cheaper for all 4 from bavauto.
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