696 Products
SKF Car Parts
SKF is a bearing and sealing specialist with a dedicated automotive wheel-end programme. This represented range is exceptionally focused: almost every item is an SKF wheel bearing kit, with only one suspension spring outside that group. The bearing selection spans separate press-in bearings, flanged hub units and more integrated hub assemblies. Depending on the reference, a kit may include an axle nut, circlip, seal, O-ring, flange or ABS impulse ring, but contents must be checked individually.
Identify the vehicle by VIN, registration, production date and option or PR codes, then confirm front or rear axle, left or right side where specified, driven or non-driven position and suspension layout. Compare the SKF VKBA reference and the old unit's dimensions, flange, bolt pattern and sensor arrangement. The evidence includes applications split by PR number, axle design and integrated ABS sensor. A bearing with the same inner and outer diameters is not necessarily interchangeable if width, seal, preload, encoder or supplied fixings differ.
Diagnose the wheel end before dismantling. A bearing may produce a speed-related hum, roughness, heat, play or an ABS fault, yet tyre noise, brake contact, driveshaft joints and damaged encoder targets can create similar symptoms. Raise and support the vehicle safely, inspect wheel security and rotate or load the wheel only by a suitable method. Record wheel-speed data when a warning lamp is involved.
Installation requires the vehicle procedure and appropriate tools. Apply force only through the ring being fitted; pressing through the rolling elements can mark the raceways before the vehicle moves. Keep seals and magnetic encoders clean, establish their required orientation, renew specified circlips and single-use nuts and tighten with the wheel end in the instructed condition. Never use an impact wrench where controlled torque and angle are required. After assembly, check free rotation, sensor routing, brake operation, wheel fastener torque and warning lamps. Road-test for noise only when the vehicle is safe. The relevant SKF kits are shown below for precise comparison.
Your Current Vehicle
Or
Select Your Vehicle
Popular Part Types
Only part types stocked for this brand are shown.
Car Parts Categories
Browse the main catalogue areas in which this brand has matching products.
Other popular manufacturers of aftermarket automotive parts
Explore established alternatives with related products in the current catalogue.
SKF wheel bearing kits for complete wheel-end repair
SKF's automotive programme covers wheel hub bearings and application-specific kits. Its official technical information describes three main generations: a separate double-row bearing, a bearing integrated with one flange, and a more complete hub unit with wheel and suspension flanges. This collection is narrower than SKF's worldwide automotive activity. It consists almost wholly of VKBA wheel bearing kits, plus one listed coil spring.
The kit reference is decisive because the surrounding details vary. Some wheel ends need loose seals, retaining rings or a replacement nut; others arrive as a bolted hub. ABS information may be carried by a separate toothed ring, a magnetic encoder within the seal or an integrated sensor. Check the box contents against the current application before the old unit is destroyed during removal.
Distinguish the wheel bearing designs
| General design | Typical form | Installation concern | Compatibility detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-generation unit | Double-row bearing pressed into a knuckle or hub | Support and press on the correct ring at each stage | Inner diameter, outer diameter, width, seal and encoder side |
| Second-generation unit | Bearing combined with a wheel or mounting flange | Use adaptors that do not load or distort the flange | Flange offset, wheel holes, centring and ABS arrangement |
| Third-generation hub | Integrated flanges bolted to the suspension and carrying the wheel | Clean mounting faces and tighten bolts in the specified sequence | Driven spline, connector, studs, bolt pattern and sensor |
| Tapered bearing set | Separate inner and outer cones and cups on applicable older designs | Lubrication and end-float or preload procedure are design-specific | Cup and cone pairing, seal, spacer and adjustment method |
| Bearing with magnetic encoder | Sealing face contains alternating magnetic poles for wheel speed | Fit the encoded side towards the sensor and avoid magnetic debris | Encoder presence, pole pattern, sensor gap and orientation |
Generation is a useful description, not an ordering shortcut. Two vehicles can use bearings of the same broad form but with different offsets, splines or magnetic targets. The SKF application and the vehicle repair information should agree before work begins.
Use vehicle data, position and option codes
Start with the complete VIN and build information. The evidence behind this range contains front-axle and rear-axle distinctions, multi-link variants, required quantities and PR-code splits. Those qualifiers can identify a brake package, axle or hub change hidden within the same model year. Left and right units may also differ when a sensor lead or flange geometry is handed.
Compare the removed bearing only after checking whether it is original to the vehicle. Record the SKF number, vehicle component reference and all dimensions available. For a hub, inspect wheel-stud count and thread, mounting-hole layout, driveshaft spline count and connector position. For a press-in unit, confirm bore, shaft, width and retaining method. Do not discard a reusable carrier or flange until the selected kit's configuration is understood.
| Application check | Data required | Common wrong assumption |
|---|---|---|
| Axle and side | Front/rear, left/right and driven/non-driven | One reference must serve every corner |
| Production variant | VIN break, build date, chassis or PR code | Model year alone identifies the running change |
| Brake and suspension | Hub carrier, brake package and axle layout | Engine size determines the wheel end |
| ABS system | Separate ring, encoded seal, integrated sensor and plug | A plain black seal has no directional function |
| Kit scope | Bearing, flange, seals, rings, fasteners and fitting notes | Every VKBA box contains identical accessory types |
Confirm the fault before removing the hub
A worn bearing often creates a drone or rumble that rises with road speed and may change as cornering transfers load. That pattern is helpful but not conclusive. Cupped tyres, differential bearings, driveshaft joints and brake shields can mimic wheel-end noise. Compare surfaces and temperatures cautiously, listen from multiple positions and use chassis microphones where appropriate.
Free play can indicate bearing wear, but it may also come from ball joints, track rods, suspension bushes or loose wheel fasteners. Some failing bearings remain tight; some adjustable designs have a permitted end float. Observe where movement occurs rather than replacing whichever part is nearest your hands.
ABS complaints require a separate evidence trail. Read individual wheel speeds at low and road speeds, inspect the sensor supply and wiring and examine the target ring. Rust beneath a sensor, metallic debris on a magnetic face or incorrect bearing orientation can distort the signal. Replacing a bearing will not repair a broken harness farther up the vehicle.
Prepare the wheel end safely
Work on firm, level ground with the vehicle secured at approved lifting points. A jack raises the vehicle; it is not sole support for work beneath it. Remove the wheel and brake components without suspending a caliper by its hose. Protect the hydraulic line and sensor lead from tension, heat and impact.
Corroded driveshafts and hubs can release suddenly under stored force. Use the specified puller or press arrangement, wear eye protection and keep hands out of the load path. Hammering the end of a driveshaft can damage threads, joints or transmission components. If heat is permitted, control its position and temperature so seals, sensors and heat-treated parts are not harmed.
Clean the knuckle bore, circlip groove, hub shoulder and mounting faces without removing parent metal. Deep corrosion, ovality or damage may make the carrier unserviceable. Inspect the driveshaft spline and seal running surfaces while access is available. A new bearing cannot correct a distorted bore or damaged flange.
Pressing force must follow the fitted ring
| Operation | Where force belongs | Damage caused by the wrong path |
|---|---|---|
| Press bearing into knuckle | Outer ring, with the knuckle squarely supported | Load through balls or rollers can indent the raceways |
| Press hub into installed bearing | Inner ring supported from behind | Unsupported loading can separate or preload the inner races |
| Install a flanged unit | Approved adaptor on the structurally intended face | Direct hammer blows can distort flange or encoder |
| Fit seal or impulse ring | Correct driver acting evenly on the specified edge | Cocking changes the sensor gap or allows contamination |
| Seat bolted hub | Fasteners drawing onto a clean flat face by sequence | Rust scale can create run-out and later looseness |
Keep the bearing wrapped until needed and handle it with clean gloves. Do not wash a pre-greased sealed unit or add grease without instruction. A smooth spin by hand does not justify rotating a dry or contaminated new bearing at high speed with compressed air.
SKF publishes application-specific instructions and technical bulletins, including warnings where an ABS ring may be damaged during access and where a particular mounting tool is recommended. Use the document for the selected VKBA reference. Generic internet methods cannot account for every circlip direction, snap ring, preload or encoder arrangement.
Magnetic ABS encoders and sensor protection
A magnetic encoder may be moulded into one bearing seal and can resemble the plain side. Before pressing, identify the encoded face with the specified detector card or tool and orient it towards the sensor. Keep magnets, filings and sharp picks away from it. Once the bearing is pressed backwards, removal usually damages the unit; turning the same bearing around is not a sound recovery.
Clean the sensor bore and fit the sensor squarely without forcing its plastic body. Route the cable through every original clip, leaving enough movement for steering and suspension while avoiding tyre, driveshaft and brake contact. Confirm a stable wheel-speed signal before returning the vehicle.
Fasteners, torque and final assembly
Use every replacement nut, bolt, circlip, seal or O-ring specified for the repair, but first confirm where each belongs. Some driveshaft nuts set bearing clamping or preload and are single use. Tighten by the current vehicle torque and angle sequence with calibrated tools. Do not substitute the torque printed for another axle or rely on an impact wrench's sound.
The procedure may require initial tightening with the wheel raised, final torque at ride height or a particular rotation step between stages. Follow it exactly. Stake or lock a nut only after torque is complete. Reusing a deformed locking nut or old circlip can compromise retention even when it threads or snaps into place.
Before refitting brakes, check hub run-out and clean the disc mounting face. Rust or trapped debris between hub and disc can create lateral run-out and pedal pulsation. Torque the road wheel in sequence to the vehicle figure; uneven wheel-bolt loading can distort the disc or flange.
Post-installation inspection and MOT context
- Rotate the hub and listen for contact while checking that the sensor lead remains clear.
- Confirm brake pedal operation before moving and make sure no hose is twisted.
- Read ABS wheel speeds and resolve any warning lamp before road use.
- Carry out a restrained road test for noise, steering behaviour and braking.
- Reinspect for looseness, heat and fastener security if the procedure requires it.
The DVSA MOT manual includes wheel bearings, hubs, wheel security and ABS within its inspection scope. Excessive roughness or play, an insecure hub and relevant warning-lamp faults can affect roadworthiness. An MOT pass is a minimum condition check on the test day, not a prediction that a noisy wheel bearing will remain serviceable.
SKF wheel bearing questions and answers
Q: What dominates this SKF selection?
A: Wheel bearing kits account for virtually the complete range represented here; there is only one listed suspension spring.
Q: What does a VKBA number identify?
A: It is an SKF wheel-bearing-kit reference tied to particular applications and contents, so the full number and qualifiers matter.
Q: Are all wheel bearing kits complete hubs?
A: No. A kit may contain a press-in bearing, a flanged unit or an integrated hub, with differing seals and fasteners.
Q: Can inner and outer diameter confirm the bearing?
A: Not alone. Width, flange offset, spline, seals, preload, encoder and mounting hardware can still differ.
Q: Does a humming noise prove wheel-bearing failure?
A: No. Tyres, brakes, differential and driveshaft components can sound similar, so localise and inspect the fault.
Q: Which way does a magnetic bearing seal face?
A: The encoded face normally points towards the wheel-speed sensor, but verify the exact application before pressing.
Q: Can force be transmitted through the balls during fitting?
A: No. Apply installation force through the ring with the interference fit to avoid raceway indentation.
Q: Should a sealed bearing receive extra grease?
A: Do not add or remove lubricant unless the SKF and vehicle instructions for that design explicitly require it.
Q: May I reuse the driveshaft nut?
A: Only if the vehicle procedure permits reuse; many wheel-end nuts are locking or torque-to-angle parts intended for replacement.
Q: Why can an ABS light appear after bearing work?
A: Reversed encoder orientation, sensor damage, debris, incorrect gap or poor cable routing can all interrupt the signal.
Q: Must both sides be replaced together?
A: Not universally. Assess each wheel end and follow any application-specific instruction rather than applying an automatic axle-pair rule.
Q: Is a road test enough after installation?
A: No. First verify torque, free rotation, brakes, sensor routing and diagnostic status, then road-test only when safe.