By Jenni Wirtz | 13 November, 2018
Market Overview
Wheel hub technology is developing quickly to cater for the ever-increasing demands of the modern vehicle. With weight saving and safety being at the forefront of design, vehicle manufacturers (VMs) are constantly looking at new ways to re-engineer the system to optimise its performance and efficiency.
Reflecting these developments, First Line Ltd, a global supplier of premium quality automotive components, has the necessary experience to ensure its aftermarket range encompasses the latest in wheel bearing design. Over the past decade, these have changed significantly with the original single-row ball/taper roller bearings undergoing three generations of evolution to cater for the advance in automotive technology.
Specified to Last
With these developments in mind, First Line continues to stay abreast of the trends to ensure that motor factors and installers are well prepared when the new technologies hit the aftermarket, by providing premium quality bearings that are manufactured to the highest of standards.
The difference between an OE specification bearing and a cheap alternative is only clear on the inside, therefore many repairers will not know what they are buying until it fails on the vehicle. By using a trusted brand, you can be sure that the specification and materials used are consistent with the original design. The Hub/Wheel Flange, Inner Raceway, Outer Raceway, Rolling Elements, and Bearing Steel will all be manufactured from GCr15* grade steel, however the most common ways to cut costs is to reduce the amount of the ball bearings or rollers which will undoubtedly reduce the longevity of the product and lead to premature failure. With First Line Bearings, you can be sure that these vital aspects are specified to the original design, therefore you can supply with complete confidence.
Depth of Range
Offering a market leading range of wheel bearing kits with in excess of 1,000 references, First Line Ltd is committed to the continuous development of its bearing programme, ensuring it is up to date not only in terms of the current technologies, such as the latest generation of bearings, but also with new model applications.
New To Range
One such example of its new-to-range prowess, is the Tesla Model S, the world’s second bestselling full electric car, after the Nissan Leaf, with more than 200,000 global sales to date. Taking the vehicle’s popularity into account and anticipating increased demand, First Line has added the front/rear wheel bearing kit, part number FBK1516, for the Tesla Model S and Model X 2014> and front wheel bearing kit FBK1524, for the Tesla Model S 2WD 2014> to its ever-growing range.
Clear Identification
When it comes to supplying the correct bearings, common questions often asked about the characteristics e.g. does it have the ASB sensor built in, how many bolt holes, does it come with all the necessary fixings etc. To remove the need for these questions we have introduced over 350 360° images across our Gen 2.1/Gen 3 range of Wheel Bearings. These images can be seen in WebCat and help to enable quick and accurate look -up