25-04-2016, 09:21 AM
It's a race to the bottom at the moment with beam parts suppliers, and having tried a few I can conclude that prices are cheap and quality is distinctly variable 
The French supplier on eBay I wouldn't use - the shafts seem OK, but the bearings are cheap-feeling and unbranded (although did have the correct number of needles) and the metal outer collars are too big and don't fit the tube at all. The inner rubber seals were fine in terms of fit when mated with some OE outer metal seals. I'm wondering if this is the same kit Neat Autos are now supplying from your description?
The Polish supplier seems to be one of the better ones and I've used them a few times - as above, they're SNR bearing kits and they do at least seem to fit and function. Longevity seems reasonable - one I did 3 years or so back I pulled apart recently and the bearings/seals still looked good, one shaft was good and one had slight needle markings on it. For a car with uprated torsion bars and which gets battered with millions of speed humps thanks to living in London that seems reasonable.
I've not tried any bearings from Peugeot direct recently - they went through a spate of supplying rubbish with the incorrect number of needles that didn't last at all and I've refused to buy any bearing kits from them since given they clearly weren't supplying OE quality. The seals etc are all good, the shafts again fine but expensive.
The French supplier on eBay I wouldn't use - the shafts seem OK, but the bearings are cheap-feeling and unbranded (although did have the correct number of needles) and the metal outer collars are too big and don't fit the tube at all. The inner rubber seals were fine in terms of fit when mated with some OE outer metal seals. I'm wondering if this is the same kit Neat Autos are now supplying from your description?
The Polish supplier seems to be one of the better ones and I've used them a few times - as above, they're SNR bearing kits and they do at least seem to fit and function. Longevity seems reasonable - one I did 3 years or so back I pulled apart recently and the bearings/seals still looked good, one shaft was good and one had slight needle markings on it. For a car with uprated torsion bars and which gets battered with millions of speed humps thanks to living in London that seems reasonable.
I've not tried any bearings from Peugeot direct recently - they went through a spate of supplying rubbish with the incorrect number of needles that didn't last at all and I've refused to buy any bearing kits from them since given they clearly weren't supplying OE quality. The seals etc are all good, the shafts again fine but expensive.
1990 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 // 1991 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 16v // 1992 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 // 1999 Peugeot 306 HDi Estate