Baer Brakes again.

[baxterday]

I have a unique situation, my 1998 K1500 Suburban is equipped with Baer brakes, rotors and calipers. The spindle in the front hub is 12 mm smaller than stock. So the bearing in one is going. I have a new Timken hub ready to go in but have to pull the spindle out of the old one and put it into the new hub assembly. When we pressed out the original spindle the bearings in the hub were damaged, maybe because they already were? We are afraid to press the spindle from the new hub assembly out and risk messing up the new bearings. So, I was wondering, does anyone have the bearing numbers that are in the hub assembly. We could not find any in the old hub assembly.

 

[baxterday]

Answered my own question, and maybe I can help others. The unit is sold as a unit and Timken does not provide part numbers to do a rebuild. Seems like nobody does. My only option is to have the new spindle turned down on a lathe to the correct diameter to accommodate the Baer rotor. Don't buy Baer brake systems for your older truck!

 

[Schurkey]

1. You don't have a "spindle". You have a non-serviceable hub assembly.

2. Yeah, if they can screw-up some machining, they can force you to buy replacement parts from them. Generally, at inflated pricing, 'cause they know they've seized you at the base of your snarglies.

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3. I'm really surprised you can't find numbers on the old bearings/races. HOWEVER, if those hub assemblies are anything like the old Toronado hubs, the bearings--inner and outer--are completely common and inexpensive. Problem is, the spacer that goes between them is not common or inexpensive, or available separately. When those bearings go into a Toronado hub, they're sold as an assembly--two common bearings, two common races, and an uncommon, select-fit spacer that makes the whole works expensive. So even if you had the bearing numbers for your hub, you wouldn't be able to buy replacements without the matching select-fit spacer which may--or may not--be the same as the spacer in the old bearing assembly.

4. If this were me, I'd consider opening-up the rotor to match the hub rather than cutting the hub to match the rotor. But that's me, and I can't see either part to know which would be easier or more-practical.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

I think I would put it back to stock.

 

[baxterday]

We examined the old bearing for numbers, none. I took them to a really nice machine shop in Blue Ridge, GA today. Chad had the new Timken hub sets turned down to Baer specs in no time. What a nightmare this has been, but seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. I will put the new hub sets on the truck tomorrow. I had them both done and will change both sides, not just the bad one.
Not enough metal on the inside of the rotor to remove. I guess that's why they did it the way they did.

 

[baxterday]

I think I would put it back to stock.

That was my next step, but needed to change the knuckles. Believe me, the truck stops so much better with the Baer brakes, but this aspect has driven me nuts. Baer did offer to turn down the spindles if I could not get it done locally. Their customer service department has been great.

 

[Schurkey]

Baer did offer to turn down the spindles

There are no "spindles" on K-series trucks.

The 2WD "C" trucks have steel spindles permanently pressed-into the cast iron steering knuckles.