Wheel bearing replacements

[Yw-slayer]

The BL Legacy's front is droning at speed. Subaru have said that the wheel bearings are going.

They have quoted me around USD850 for (obviously original) all 4 bearings, not including labour.

With some googling I have found that I can apparently buy (with free shipping due to Prime) parts Autoround 513220 Front Wheel Hub and Bearing Assembly Fit for Subaru Outback Legacy 2005-2014 5-Lug w/ABS and Autoround Rear Wheel Hub and Bearing Assembly 512293 Compatible with Subaru Outback Legacy 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 off Amazon for the princely sum of USD180. I could probably get them and take them to my independent dealer to get them installed. Or just get him to try and source some, possibly cheaper ones.

Is there anything I should be aware of if I decide to not get the original bearings? I'm already letting Subaru change the front caliper and pads as those are very thin. Is it silly to get proper brakes but then cheap out on the bearings? Bearing in mind that this is a nearly 16-year old car and we may not keep it that much longer for various reasons.

[Rare White Ape]

All of your wheel bearings are AWESOME VALUE

[dodint]

I wouldn't have a problem making that purchase. But then I buy stuff for BMWs from Rockauto. ;)

[JoshInKC]

Take this with a grain of salt, as its been ~20 years since I sold car parts for a living.
I'm not familiar with autoround but it looks like to be a budget brand, and for something like wheel hubs or cv shafts I'd generally go with a higher grade of product. Not only because that's a pretty important part of keeping a car moving safely down the road, but also because when I did sell parts we saw a lot fewer preinstallation returns due to quality control issues, and fewer warranty replacements even with the longer warranties (usually like 5 years vs 1, or 1 year vs 90 days) on the name brand pieces like that.
$850 seems like (typical dealership) highway robbery, though so I'd see if I could split the difference - Something like Moog at double your autoround price is still less than 1/2 the dealer parts.

[Yw-slayer]

Thanks guys. I saw some mentions of Moog on the Legacy gt forum with some abs sensor mentions. But I'll check again and may also need to check with my independent.

Although frankly it's probably time to sell the car...

[dodint]

The SRT-4 was comprised mostly of Moog suspension parts. Highly recommend.

[TheBenior]

I've had good experiences so far with Moog sway bar end links, but that's all I've tried from that brand.

[Yw-slayer]

Good to know. Thanks!

[JoeW]

Doing brakes all around and front wheel bearings on my 4Runner later this week.

[Yw-slayer]

I wen6 for original Subaru bearings in the end as the price diff in absolute terms wasn’t that significant. The steering feel and ride seem to have improved a fair amount, although of course it could just be psychological.