authentic or fake koyo wheel bearing

hi guys, I'm new here. I've been reading here about our front wheel bearing replacement. I decided to go with aftermarket hub with a koyo replacement bearing. right now I'm only planning on doing my driver side that is bad, that is why I hunted this down instead of the full set sold here by 05taco for $320. from what I have gathered the koyo bearing should have a serial number around the skinny lip on the outside, mine does not. so now I'm wondering if it's an authentic or not. the first picture is from another thread I found, it was purchased from the same vender as I did and it has the serial number. in the ad from the seller there is a serial present on the bearing. thanks in advance.

 

Most of the fake ones I've seen have crude laser etched markings on them. I could be wrong, but it looks legitimate to me.

 

I think 05taco reputation speaks for its self.

 

messaged the seller, they agreed it should have the number. I guess they had a batch of these and may be counterfeit. they are sending me a numbered one.

 

I've been selling bearings since 2007 and have never heard of a fake Koyo bearing. Usually Koyo is the "fake" to names like Timken.

 

05taco sells just one side. You don't have to buy 2.

Not much of a salesman then. Tons of Koyo fakes & Koyo is =/> Timken.

 

Explain what makes it better.

 

There are counterfeit Koyo bearings; it has been documented here. There are counterfeit SKF bearings, Samsung chargers, NGK spark plugs, Superfeet insoles...….

 

First I should apologize. I shouldn’t have said you’re not much of a salesman. Sorry.
to answer your question, I said Koyo is equal to or greater than Timken. I said that from failure rates I’ve experienced.

 

Next time, check out Jersey Hubs.. https://www.jerseybuilthubs.biz/

 

But oddly enough, there are no counterfeit politicians. They're all genuine idiots.

 

That guy has been banned from here due to his CS, lies, never shipping, etc.. Do NOT purchase from this guy!!!

 

Nvm then! I thought that guy was decent (initially). Thanks for the info!

 

Vendors, if you’re going to sell products to us here, please stay informed so you may speak intelligently about them.
Koyo/Timken.

Another more current article.

Koyo itself has posted several articles about fakes.

As far as brand loyalty goes, in my experience, it doesn’t apply unilaterally to products. For instance, I’ve punted an Acura Integra with my ARB bumper but the ARB tire filler/gage combo crapped out on me in a month. The bumper is still going strong (with some new character) winching my self and others back to the trail, but the tire filler was replaced with another brand that is still accurate two years latter.

For the consumer. Do a little homework first, not just on the seller but on the product itself as well as this community. It’s one thing to trust a person to source you a quality part and expect them to stand behind the product based on their perception of its reputation but it’s another thing to expect good customer service based on a members reputation on these forums. Personally, I’d like to think vendors who are willing to business with us here have done their due diligence on sourcing quality products that we want and need. Thus offering us good customer service in return for our loyalty to them. We then spread the word around here that they’re “the guy” to buy from. This only works if there is transparency from the vendor.

I myself have fallen victim to my own frugal behavior. I’ve mistakenly purchased knockoffs from “reputable suppliers”. I let my frugal nature cloud my judgement of the sellers reputation based strictly on their transaction history as apposed to word of mouth experiences from the community here. This community is an invaluable source of info that can help steer us out of the ditch if we can trust one another. Keeping the trust strong starts with solid feedback on our experiences both good and bad.
OP, you’re doing the right thing here, homework, due diligence, sharing your experiences with us.

 

I'm not a vendor.

 

I really didn’t think you were but if you’re selling it all still applies the same. If you’re buying it also applies. If you’re commenting it also applies.

Just do us all a favor and checkout those links so you can stay informed and make educated posts about branding and product info.