Fulvia / Flavia wheel bearing

[Huib Geurink]

Ciao Flavisti

As many know there is a continuing availability problem on Fulvia / Flavia wheelbearings. Price has gone up to 190 euro each. Even if somebody decides again to have a 1000 or so made, they price is not going to drop significantly and the problem is not going to disappear long term. The Fulvia / Flavia bearing was custom designed for Lancia. It never was and never will be a standard bearing.

One of my former employees now works for SKF. He put me in touch with the right people at SKF who recommended to use the standard 3209 bearing with washers and a bush. The inner diameter of the 3209 is the same as for the original bearing.
The outer diameter is 85 instead of 96 and the height is 30,2 instead of 34. The 3209 bearings is in the catalog and is expected to be available from your local bearings shop for the next 100 years. Current price level is around 60 to 90 euro depending on the version.

I am now setting up the manufacture of washers and bush. Initial estimate suggest a price of 25 euro for one set to convert one 3209 bearing to the Fulvia bearing.

Remember that once you have converted a wheel to the 3209 bearing, you never have to buy the washers and bush again for that wheel. If the bearing ever fails you just buy a low, sorry reasonable cost 3209 bearing from the shop around the corner.

Engineers working with bearings calculate the so called B10 life expectancy. This is a statistical thing predicting when 10% of the bearings have failed. Mind you, it is purely a mathematical excersize. Any bearing may fail within 10 minutes.

We have done the calculation for a Fulvia weighing 3000kg (thus 100% overload) driving continuously at 90km/h on a circle with a radius of 135 meter (standard radius for motorway spaghetti junctions). B10 life is then 165.000km for a S1 Fulvia coupe on 145x14 tires. It is more for the berlina's and for the S2 coupe because their tires have larger diameters.

Also we have invented a "B25" life expectancy. This is when one of the 4 bearings on a car is expected to go bust. When driving straight most of the time with a normally loaded car this is 1.000.000 km.

The conclusion from the calculations is that the 3209 bearing is not going to fail as a result of normal use, but eventually as a result of dirt and / or old grease or like the original one as a result of not being torqued enough as on the cars I am fixing now.

Let me know if you want to order some. The higher the total quantity, the more likely it is we meet the target of 25 euro per wheel. I will keep you informed if the price changes significantly.

Please ask any friends if they want to join. The higher the quantity, the more likely it is we get them at a good price as these are made on a CNC machine. Thus treat this posting as a "chain letter".

Ciao, Huib

[Peter Longhurst]

Huib:

May I, on behalf of the Flavia and 2000 Consortium of the LMC, register an interest here? We would be happy to add in an initial order for at least 12 of these kits. I might be able to improve on that, but am unsure of our exact financial position. I'll let you know as soon as I can.

I'm about to change my email address, but for now longhurstp@aol.com will work.

Well done for taking the trouble to think through this problem to a potentially sucessful conclusion!

With regards

Peter L

[Huib Geurink]

Thanks, Peter.

You are in the backlog file for 12 sets.

Today's SKF 3209A2RS1TN9MT33 bearing is a formidable ultra precise bearing with a no-wear seal, fibre reinforce formaldehyde 6.6 cages and high temp corrosion resistant grease.

You are among the guinea pigs, which requires that you drop me a note, when they last any less than 30 years.

If required I can also offer above bearing at 65 euro's.

After a short introduction / pre-order period the price for the sets will probably go up to 30 euro. The bearings will also be a bit higher.

Huib

[Julian Garrett]

Hi all, I am interested in the wheel bearing hub adaptor s if Huib or anyone is manufacturing them to fit the standard 3209 bearing on the rear of my 1976 fulvia, any feedback would be welcome,regards Julian

[Huib]

No more adaptors. Correct wheel bearings are now easily available.

[Julian Garrett]

Ok thanks