# TPI vs Enduro Bearings



## SBH1973 (Nov 21, 2002)

I was wondering if anyone can comment on the quality of TPI bearings, especially compared to US-made Enduro. I've been using Enduro bearings in almost all of the hubs I carry, and with great success. But one of the manufacturers I buy from has recently suggested switching to TPI, which are made in TAIWAN (edit: not India] My own sense is this is a cost-cutting measure, but they also suggested that TPI's bearing for a new front hub is 1) more expensive than its Enduro counterpart and 2) for whatever reason fits better with their hub shell and axle, whereas the Enduro bearing of the same size is more prone to play. 

So, if anyone has any experience with TPI, I'd love to hear it.

Edit: These are actually Tung Pei bearings, made in Taiwan. Tung Pei is an established bearing manufacturer.


----------



## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

As a customer I'd prefer bearings from a company I'd heard of. And TPI's web site does not inspire confidence- no bearing grade information and the listed applications can be filled by poor quality bearings.

Couldn't the factory just tighten their tolerances slightly to match the Enduro bearings?


----------



## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

Brandon, are you going to be selling replacement bearings for your hubs?


----------



## SBH1973 (Nov 21, 2002)

Mike T. said:


> Brandon, are you going to be selling replacement bearings for your hubs?


Yes, but just for the hubs I carry. I figure pretty soon someone might want to change theirs out so it's good to have a few on hand.


----------



## sTEEVEE (Jun 5, 2018)

Greetings,

I am a nuubee to this forum, and I am glad to be here. Riding is somewhat of a passion, albeit with extremely limited time resources and a *way-down-market" bike. :0)

Although this thread is somewhat dated, the information in it is inaccurate. I'd like to try to clarify some of the above information. While I have been selling bearings for the past 35 years, bicycles is not one of our primary markets (yes, we do have bearings that will fit in a bicycle), so I speak with some level of objectivity with respect to this forum.

Enduro has an office in the US, but they are not an American brand. They are an Asian brand.

TPI is located in Taiwan. Their factories were built by NTN, arguably the highest-quality Japanese bearing out there, certainly a TIER-1 supplier. TPI's primary market is the vast machine tool manufacturing base in Taiwan - to whit, they are the largest supplier of super-precision spindle bearings into that market. I believe their quality is beyond reproach, and you should feel completely comfortable using their product in any bicycle application. Good luck!


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Since no one has expressed any interest in this thread in the last 6 years it's most likely not gonna be an issue. At all. 

But it's good to know you're so experienced where large bearings are concerned.


----------



## November Dave (Dec 7, 2011)

Zombie thread!!

Since we're on the topic, I made a relatively deep dive into bearings earlier this year (you can read a bunch more here). It was in response to a few Enduro bearings in White Industries hubs that had gone bad prematurely (or at least premature in my judgement - bearing life is subject to a lot of variables). Anyhow, our sole gripe with WI hubs (and it's a long standing gripe) is their bearings. The "2RS" seal type just sucks. And they changed them recently (hooray!) to have one full contact seal on the outside of the bearing, a semi-contact seal on the inside side of the bearing, and a full grease fill.

To the best of my research, seal type and grease fill are the ONLY things that are going to affect bearing life, all use parameters being equal. ABEC rating comes into play in the 10000 rpm range that these bearings are rated for, not the 700 rpm that a bike doing 60 mph actually uses them at. Chrome bearings seem to be the best choice for material, but stainless may also be good. So far as I can tell at all, there is zero net benefit to the best ceramic bearings, and net negative benefit to hybrid ceramic or cheap ceramic bearings. 

Good bearings will maintain close fit tolerances (both how they fit into the hub or other part into which they go and relative to their internal parts) and bad bearings will not hold these specs well so are more likely to have poor fit and may develop play. 

So if and when you need replacement bearings, there are lot of good suppliers out there and the most important things to watch for are good seals and good grease fill. Any QBP shop can get Phil Wood bearings, which are full contact seals and full grease fill. Phil doesn't make them, they are just NSK (? or some other good mfg) bearings that Phil buys and repackages. Enduro ABEC 3 full contact bearings are also a good choice.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

_You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to November Dave again.
_
Great post!


----------



## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

cxwrench said:


> You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to November Dave again.


I always wondered what those Rep chicklets were for. It's not like you can cash them in for a food mixer, a pair of tires or a bike is it?


----------



## November Dave (Dec 7, 2011)

Thanks, CX!

Mike T - They're a lot like bitcoin (some people think they're valuable and I don't understand them even at all)


----------



## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

November Dave said:


> Mike T - They're a lot like bitcoin (some people think they're valuable and I don't understand them even at all)


I think they're more like those extra 4" pieces of chain links we all have kicking around - basically useless but we live in hope that one day they will have a purpose. Back in the day (10spd era) we could have assembled them into a free chain but we were just way too busy stuffing in the miles and resting on the couch.


----------



## Enoch562 (May 13, 2010)

Mike T. said:


> I think they're more like those extra 4" pieces of chain links we all have kicking around - basically useless but we live in hope that one day they will have a purpose.


LOL , thats funny. I thought I was the only one that saved them forever. I think they are too heavy to be lifted into the trash can


----------

