Since when is Timken an ebay generic? I would like somebody to produce the name of a MFG of HHR hubs that is NOT a major brand. So the fact that TIMKEN is cast into the part does not show the MFG? I don't know how/why you would go to the trouble of making a counterfeit casting then getting a counterfeit box printed and then get past the US Government inspectors (the guys that steamroll watches and purses)(and pat down babies).

And for the record the hubs I bought from Ebay had TIMKEN castings and a sealed TIMKEN box and have lasted longer, so far than the original equipment did. I had to replace at 80K now have 172K.

To answer the OP there is no difference between "hub assembly" and "front wheel bearing" on the HHR.

 

The 5 year / 100K power train warranty applies to hub bearings for 2007 through 2009. I believe GM eliminated bearings from the list of covered items starting in 2010.

I have had two of them (one front and one rear) replaced under warranty, so I'm really glad I don't have a 2010 or 2011 warranty (or lack thereof).

 

If you want brands that are not major brands that produce hub assemblies, have you ever heard of Bearing Tech, Precision, Ilgin, or PTC? Timken does not make the HHR hubs, nor do they make any of the KBI OEM hub units on almost all GM passenger cars. Only KBI makes them for the OE and aftermarket, the rest are from China, Korea, etc. There are many, many counterfiet bearing manufactures putting name brand stampings(like Timken) on their products. I am in the bearing business and it is a major problem that costs legitimate companies millions of dollars. There is very little policing on trademark infringement from imported goods. If you knew how easy it is to have a product like a bearing copied in China, you would see why these products are of an inferior quality most of the time. The OEM hub units on GM cars are already a less durable design than hub assemblies that are made by other manufacturers like NTN, Timken or SKF. When you take he KBI design and copy it with inferior materials or no knowledge of what the actual use is of the part, like they do in China, you make a very marginal product. I have seen MANY failures of off shore hub assemblies, I would never trust to use any of them of my car, they are just not safe.

 

I just got my HHR back from a "front brake job" at Firestone today. My brakes work correctly for the first time in the 1 1/2 years I have owned my used HHR. There initially was significant pulsation in front, and eventually one of the hub bearings was found to be defective. It was replaced under the 2007-2009 version of the power train warranty. The pulsation improved, but didn't go away. The brake pads were replaced and the rotors turned (within spec). The remaining pulsation is finally gone now. What I suspect happened is that the failing front hub assembly caused rotor thickness variation (RTV). The RTV persisted after the hub was replaced. Resurfacing the rotors got rid of the RTV, which now shouldn't recur until another hub assembly fails and the process repeats itself.

 

So if I am looking at buying the parts myself for replacing bad front wheel bearings - there are wheel hubs and wheel bearings listed - which would I order?

 

Hubs............ You can't replace just the bearings.

 

You need to replace the hub assemblies. Here are the part numbers:
With ABS, Front-Federal Mogul-513206, Timken-HA590086, SKF-BR930433
Without ABS, Front-Federal Mogul-513237, Timken-HA590087, SKF-BR930429

Rear hubs:
With ABS-Federal Mogul-512250, TImken-HA590088, SKF-BR930488
Without ABS-Federal Mogul-512315, TImken-HA590089, SKF-BR930369

 

Thank you so much!

 

x2

 

You are supposed to replace the axle nut, too. It's a crush nut, wait till you price those babies! I decided that the axles had enough extra thread on them that I'd notice before there was a problem.