I am rebuilding the front hubs of my 72 240Z with new bearings and bearing races. The new bearings I purchased from a local car parts store sold me a set packaged by federal-mogul and made in Japan. After cleaning the preservative grease, the bearings rattled way too much when moved by hand up and down, sideways and when spinning by hand. I know that when loaded with grease all of this excess movement ceases, but with use, heat will leak the grease out of the bearings creating major wear.

Is there recommendid brand where movement is not so sloppy and where to buy them? I prefer Timkin bearings but where to get them for our cars?

V/r Ed

The rattling is likely the bearing cage, not the bearings themselves.

Check the ungreased and uninstalled wheel bearing rattle, play, and spin spec in the FSM.

John. The front wheel bearings are "cup and cone" and the cup (bearing) gets driven into the cone (race) based on the level of preload you put on them by tightening the big nut. If you had a rattling rear bearing, that would be a problem, but any tapered bearing is going to have rollers in a loose cage and rattle until it is packed with grease and installed in the car.

So, as an amateur, reading both comments, particularly from John Coffee, the bearings I have are good to go. Thx Ed K