Maybe Mopar is right!

S

Streetwise guy

New member
They say to change the ACR hub and bearing every 12 competition hours. Mine busted at 19 hours. Luckily, I decided to take it apart and see why the axle nut had slacked off twice, so no harm done. It broke right at the outside edge of the bearing, so the spline of the outer joint was doing all the support for the wheel. I wonder how long the axle would last before the wheel/brake assembly exited the car in a spectacular fashion?
 
The acr hubs I just changed out had over 25 hours of w2w track time. Thing alot of it has to do with what type of tracks you run and car setup.
 
Hub failure

I experience a hub failure this year at Sebring and my hubs only had approximately 10 hours on them, when it failed it snapped the axle and luckly the wheel did not exit the car before I got it stopped. After being put on a flat bed and brought back into the pits upon jacking the car the whole wheel assembly fell off. What Chris Childs told me was to check the torque on your hubs every session for two or three times and them make it pre race weekend check. The hub tends to back off and allows to much slack. But yes you need to change these every 12 hours of track time to be safe.
 
The ACR hubs are on national backorder up here- there was 7 on b.o. this morning when I phoned my dealership, now there is 11, since I run a Neon ministock too. If they don't show in a couple of weeks I may have to start beating the bushes for a source. Any suggestions?
 
Streetwise guy said:
The ACR hubs are on national backorder up here- there was 7 on b.o. this morning when I phoned my dealership, now there is 11, since I run a Neon ministock too. If they don't show in a couple of weeks I may have to start beating the bushes for a source. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I had to go with the Napa Hub, they make a Heavy Duty Hub which is thicker than a stock neon. IIRC the stock hub flange is 8mm, the ACR is 10mm and the napa flange is 9 and change, plus you can get them for around $80 each if you have an shop acct.
 
Check with your dealer regarding this # 04670292 (ACR)

This is the hub only. The Hub and bearing kits are all gone and not likely going to return from what my sources @ Mopar tell me.

The napa part is junk, I would only use it in a pinch.

Email me for further info.

Cheers
 
I've got over 10 hrs on my "NAPA-junk" hubs & bearrings with ZERO problems. During which, I even had a braking problem that melted & warped a set of Hawk Blues. Since I run the same tracks as Darryl & he was using the ACR hubs, how can you say which is better or worse (ACR vs NAPA)????????????:shrug:

Quick poll:
Which Hub/Bearring were you using when it failed??
1) ACR (mopar)
2) non-ACR (mopar)
3) NAPA
4) other
 
splats said:
I've got over 10 hrs on my "NAPA-junk" hubs & bearrings with ZERO problems. During which, I even had a braking problem that melted & warped a set of Hawk Blues. Since I run the same tracks as Darryl & he was using the ACR hubs, how can you say which is better or worse (ACR vs NAPA)????????????:shrug:

Quick poll:
Which Hub/Bearring were you using when it failed??
1) ACR (mopar)
2) non-ACR (mopar)
3) NAPA
4) other
Click to expand...


Slow the cart down there a minute.......

I ordered 6 hubs from Napa and not one of them measured the same as any other one?

Hub failures on Neons; gen1, gen2, SRT-4 are very common. What tire compund you use, what spring rate you use, what bushings you have, all play a factor.

I have never broken one, but I replace them every 10 hours, period!

If you wish to risk your car, or your life with an inferior part, that is your business. No car leaves my shop with anything other than the Mopar piece.
 
I have broken a stock piece ice racing 5 years ago, and an ACR piece roadracing- big springs and Konis and poly bushings and one curb exiting a chicane on my home track that is probably pretty hard on things. There are two Napa parts listed, one Chinese, one SKF. The Chinese one I would not even put in a street car. I got an SKF kit, so we'll see how it performs this weekend.

Thanks for the hub number- the only listing I had seen was the upgrade kit from MP. It never occurred to me to look for the hub only. Thanks.
 
All that I was trying to point out was that ALL the failures that I've heard about were the ACR's. I've only had the Neon for 2 seasons, so I'm still trying to sort it out. It just seems strange that an ACR hub will only last for 10 hrs on 'our' cars, yet the street version will last 125k-150k + miles. Yes, I know that we are rougher on them. But, that much rougher???? I'm running 400# springs on the front & Toyos.

As far as the NAPA (or other) hubs, how many of them have failed??

Just because a part has Mopar (or GM or Ford) on it, does NOT automatically make it supperior to the after-market parts.

I'm not trying to start an argument or offend anyone. But if all (most) of the failures are factory hubs, maybe I/we need to try other ones. Safety is my #1 concern, finishing is #2, & speed is #3. If all brands of hubs are failing, then WHY?? My Daytona had 100k+ miles on it before we turned it into a circle-track car. It ran asphalt, dirt, & figure-8. We then put it in ITB & ran 4 seasons with it (mostly Sebring). Had several axle changes & VERY stiff front springs. It still has the same hub/bearrings that were in the car when I bounght it in '00. WHAT IS SO STRANGE ABOUT THE NEONS?? I've not heard of this problem from other brands (VW, Honda, etc.).
 
Ask around, and you will find that VW's and Hondas have similiar issues. I have seen Crx's break them aswell as A1/A2 Golfs.

Wheel spacers really put the T2 SRT-4's over the edge with hubs. Then came the loved Hoosier A compounds :)
 
My first one broke during driver's school at Nelson. Went for a wild ride coming out of turn two. NOW I check/torque the axle nut after EVERY session and replace the hub/bearing assembly after 8-10 hours of abuse. That and I keep a spare set of loaded knuckles in the trailer, just in case......

Dan
 
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Streetwise guy said:
I have broken a stock piece ice racing 5 years ago, and an ACR piece roadracing- big springs and Konis and poly bushings and one curb exiting a chicane on my home track that is probably pretty hard on things. There are two Napa parts listed, one Chinese, one SKF. The Chinese one I would not even put in a street car. I got an SKF kit, so we'll see how it performs this weekend.

Thanks for the hub number- the only listing I had seen was the upgrade kit from MP. It never occurred to me to look for the hub only. Thanks.
Click to expand...

The SKF one is the Heavy Duty hub, it is thicker than any of the other aftermarket ones and the stock non-ACR Mopar Hub.
 
autoparts123.com shows a timken hub kit for 66.48 w/free shipping. They are sitting on the bench ready to go in our ACR this week. The bearings are actually FAG if I remember correctly.
autoparts123.com is actually parts plus america web site. Nobody has been able to touch their prices on anything!!.
 
I paid $96 canadian for an SKF to go racing this weekend. It looked like an acceptible piece, and survived a very enjoyable and enthusiastic 2 1/2 hours of track time. I figure 10 or so hours, then bin it and put another on. Another couple hun every 4 race weekends is, sadly, a pretty small part of my budget this year.

I phoned my Dodge dealer this AM to tell him to drop the backorder on the MP kits, and order me the hub only. He phoned back and said they won't cancell the backorder, as they are in the pipeline somewhere. I will let you guys know if and when they show up.
 
When the Mopar Hub/Bearing assy went disco we started using the SKF with acceptable results. With any of the hubs, proper torque and adherence to a strict replacement schedule is key.

Last year at Nelson's Longest Day, we ran a set of Mopar hubs 24 hours without re-checking torque with no problem but in that situation there really wasn't much in the way of heat cycling like in more typical sprints.
 
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