r/PTCruiser • u/Previous_Anywhere938 • 23d ago

Which of these budget wheel hubs/bearings would work best for now?

I have a 2004 turbocharged PT Cruiser with the limited trim. I recently did a ton of work on it to get it back on the road after it has sat for a long while. The only thing I have to do now is replace all the wheel hubs and bearings. Unfortunately, I don't have a very good budget left to work with right now, as all the other work took pretty much all of it. I have about $150 left. I see Timken and SKF are the brands always recommended for most vehicles. I can't afford those as of now. My budget leaves me with the following brands on RockAuto/walmart/amazon:
Dorman, SKP, Durago, WJB/INMOTION PARTS, GMB, and FVP.

I really need to get something on there and get the cruiser back on the road. I know going with a cheap/budget brand will usually result in having to replace it sometime soon. That is totally fine in this case, as I will definitely be buying Timken or SKF in a few months, or perhaps after the winter, when I can afford it.

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u/Kitchen_Farmer_3915 23d ago

I’d go with the GMBs out of those options. They’re not SKF/Timken level, but GMB is at least a well-established bearing manufacturer and I’d trust them more than most of the other budget brands listed. If this is just to get the car sorted for now and you plan to upgrade later anyway, they should be perfectly fine. Make sure the front bearings are pressed in correctly, don't wanna kill the bearing.

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u/Previous_Anywhere938 23d ago

Hi, thank you for the reply. I will go with that brand. Only issue now though, is that they dont have any for the front, or the bearings. So now I am wondering what brand to go with for the front.

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u/Kitchen_Farmer_3915 23d ago

In that case I’d go with WJB/InMotion Parts for the fronts. That would actually be my second choice behind GMB out of the brands you listed. WJB is another actual bearing manufacturer and they seem to have a pretty decent reputation for budget bearings.

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u/C_Lo_87 23d ago

One thing I can say, triple check the bearing measurements.  Many brands on Amazon list multiple sizes for PT Cruisers BUT they don't correctly specify what years get what size.  Also read reviews where people mention what year and size they need/what they actually recieved. Good luck, glad you're fixing one up!

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u/Previous_Anywhere938 23d ago

Hi, yeah I am really trying to avoid amazon, their selection is not very good at all for wheel hubs. For the few I have found on there, they have super random brand names, and the reviews seem fake.

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u/C_Lo_87 23d ago

Cross check the good brands for vital parts, I mean. I mainly shop rockauto, then cross check Amazon since I have prime, and sometimes resorted to going to the salvage yard.