Throwout bearing for 98 4.0

[Andy Maurer]

I am replacing my 4.0 after bending a valve/cracking the head & thinking I might as well replace the clutch while I have it all apart. I am getting the Luk 05-065 clutch kit but have read bad things about the included throw out bearing. What would be the correct upgrade for a throw out bearing? I found this in a different thread but Amazon states it does not fit my 98 4.0 w/Ax-15:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BZIQ4Q/?tag=wranglerorg-20

I plan on using this pilot bearing rather than the one provided with the clutch kit:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BZ548M/?tag=wranglerorg-20


I am not planning on replacing the fly wheel so no need to go down that rabbit hole

 

[jeepguy03]

I also have a 1998 with AX-15 that I plan on replacing the clutch in soon. I ordered the Luk kit, and also bought a metal throw-out bearing (NATIONAL #614093) since the reviews on the plastic one seemed mixed. In theory, the plastic (it's some kind of hybrid plastic) is supposed to save the input shaft of the transmission from damage in case the bearing fails, which makes sense. To be fair, I didn't read any negative reviews on the plastic one stating it had actually failed, most just seemed to be annoyed by the use of plastic. I have both, and will likely use the metal one, but I haven't quite decided yet.

 

[Andy Maurer]

The reviews on the National throw out bearing are about as bad as the reviews with the one included in the Luk kit... decisions decisions!

 

[jeepguy03]

The reviews on the National throw out bearing are about as bad as the reviews with the one included in the Luk kit... decisions decisions!

Yeah everything seems to be shit these days. Now that I think about it I might have bought the SKF throw-out bearing but the National pilot bearing because I thought the kit didn't come with one. I'll have to look at the boxes on my shelf once I'm home to confirm. I wonder if something happened that damaged the transmission shaft if you would have more chances of getting it resolved with Luk if you used everything from their kit, instead of piecing together parts.

I mean generally LUK is regarded in the automotive community as being high quality, so I'd be surprised if they stuck just some junk POS plastic bearing in their kit, but who knows...

 

[Andy Maurer]

Yeah everything seems to be shit these days.

Amen to that!

 

[SvtLdr]

I'm heading down the same path at you guys. 210,000 miles on my '98 AX-15 with the original clutch.

OP, I'm curious, what's wrong with the pilot bearing that LUK supplies? I hadn't heard anything negative about that yet...

 

[Andy Maurer]

I don't have any first hand experience with the LUK kit or anything supplied with it. In reading reviews I see several people stating they have replaced the provided pilot and throw out bearings with "upgrades". Given the low cost of the "upgrades" and effort involved with replacing a clutch it makes sense to use the better parts.... if they in fact are better than what is supplied.

My intent in creating this thread was to try and determine if the bearings supplied with the kit are okay, or if there is value in "upgrading"

 

[jeepguy03]

From what I've seen, many of the negative reviews were just about the part being made out of "plastic", none of the ones I saw seemed to indicate an actual failure.

For what it's worth I'll be replacing the clutch on my 158k mile '98 TJ not because the clutch is bad, but because the pilot bearing is getting noisy.

 

[TheBoogieman]

I've never had a composite one fail. I was driving my Jeeps 30,000 miles a year too.

 

[CodaMan]

I'll be replacing my clutch soon with a Luk kit and I will use the composite (not plastic) release bearing. I ain't scared.

 

[CharlesHS]

My recommendation would be to go with a TIMKEN TOB; you wont be sorry...
Timken makes a quality product.
Here is the part on Amazon for your 1998 TJ.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BZ6XV4/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[CodaMan]

My recommendation would be to go with TIMKEN; you wont be sorry...
Timken makes a quality product.
Here is the part on Amazon for your 1998 TJ.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BZ6XV4/?tag=wranglerorg-20

The Timken has terrible reviews just like the National. If you want to "upgrade" the TOB why not use a Mopar bearing?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F6E6ZEK/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[CharlesHS]

The Tinken has terribel reviews just like the National. If you want to "upgrade" the TOB why not use a Mopar bearing?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F6E6ZEK/?tag=wranglerorg-20

For more than double the price... I would stay with the Timken.
For all you know.... the original Factory part may have been sourced from Timken before the Chinese CRAP started being used.

 

[CodaMan]

For more than double the price... I would stay with the Timken.
For all you know.... the original Factory part may have been sourced from Timken before the Chinese CRAP started being used.

If it's about the $40, why not stay with the Luk? If you remove the reviews about the Luk bearing being "plastic" and only look at failed bearing reviews it blows away both Timken and National.

 

[CharlesHS]

My experience with Timken products working in the Industrial environment for 35 years and the use of their products in Jeeps and other vehicles for almost 40 years; Timken has always provided great performance.
The OP can decide what he wants to use.

 

[jeepguy03]

This is the one I bought, the SKF, made in USA.