I purchased a set of new DG billet hubs a few weeks ago for my R. I got them mainly because of the price, $100 for the set due to a missing bearing, seal and the 2 speacially slotted spindle nuts (extra slots so it can be torqued to the correct preload adjustment and locked in with the cotter pin).
Keep in mind that these hubs have a retail cost of $350 for the 2 fronts.
After receiving the hubs I searched the net for any type of spec sheet on them but no luck. The DG website was also no help. So, I called DG. The first call was a short one. I told them I had purchased their hubs and needed a bearing, seal and the nuts. They told me that they only made those hubs in 2005 but lack of sales forced them to discontinue them. He was sorry but could not help me. :dunno: I asked if he could at least find some kind of spec sheet and give me the Timken Bearing part numbers...but he could find nothing. After that useless call I called 2 more times to try and talk with someone else who might help. Durring my 3rd call I finally got a guy on the phone who gave me a list of part number. He did not know what part number was what but at least it was something. He gave me a total of 8 part numbers.
Starting searching the net again for the part numbers. Was able to figure out which part number was for the bearing I needed but that was it. Until I came across the HardKor Engineering website. They sell what looks to be the exact same hub with a different dust cover. So, I called them up and ended up speaking to the owner Craig Tessmann.
Craig was familier with DG but had no clue that they had manufactured and sold billet hubs with tapered bearings. He was VERY suprised to find out that the DG hubs used the exact same hardware (tapered bearing with same custom seat and seal) as his hubs. As I described the hubs to him he got more and more suprised and felt that these hubs might have been a copy of his design. He machines his hubs inhouse and has been making this same model hub since 2001. I ended up sending him some pics of the hubs and he's convinced they copied his hubs.
With that in mind, you might think that he would not want to help me with my DG hub problem. Not even close, Mr. Tessmann spent a bunch of time on the phone with me explaining how to install the hubs with the proper preload and then pulled up the part numbers of the items I was missing and sold me just what I needed. On his website he sells bearing kits for his hubs but I only needed a single bearing. And that's what he sold and shipped to me. He did not make me buy the hole kit. He sent me everything that I was missing and he shipped it all that same day! Great guy.
Anyways, I know this was a long post but I felt I owed it to Hardkor Engineering to put this out there. I know I'm not the only one out there with these DG hubs and when it comes time to replace a bearing or seal Hardkor Engineering is a great resource.
As for DG. I can not believe a company of their size would manufacture an expensive racing hub and sell it for $350 and in less then 2 years no longer offer any support for the product. The hubs are the first DG product I have ever purchased and for sure the last. There customer service was terrible and so is their outdated website. And I won't even get into their new name (DG / HardKrome). HardKrome?? Looks alot like Hardkor :crazy: I just hope their hubs perform better then they do or I will have gone through all of this for nothing.
Total cost for my DG hubs after getting everyting I needed was about $140 + another $130 for rear Lonestar hubs.
I'll end this with what I told Mr. Tessmann
DG might be able to copy his designs but they will NEVER match his customer service. :thumbsup:
Here a pic of the hubs. Also included are my new Lonestar rear hubs...
Keep in mind that these hubs have a retail cost of $350 for the 2 fronts.
After receiving the hubs I searched the net for any type of spec sheet on them but no luck. The DG website was also no help. So, I called DG. The first call was a short one. I told them I had purchased their hubs and needed a bearing, seal and the nuts. They told me that they only made those hubs in 2005 but lack of sales forced them to discontinue them. He was sorry but could not help me. :dunno: I asked if he could at least find some kind of spec sheet and give me the Timken Bearing part numbers...but he could find nothing. After that useless call I called 2 more times to try and talk with someone else who might help. Durring my 3rd call I finally got a guy on the phone who gave me a list of part number. He did not know what part number was what but at least it was something. He gave me a total of 8 part numbers.
Starting searching the net again for the part numbers. Was able to figure out which part number was for the bearing I needed but that was it. Until I came across the HardKor Engineering website. They sell what looks to be the exact same hub with a different dust cover. So, I called them up and ended up speaking to the owner Craig Tessmann.
Craig was familier with DG but had no clue that they had manufactured and sold billet hubs with tapered bearings. He was VERY suprised to find out that the DG hubs used the exact same hardware (tapered bearing with same custom seat and seal) as his hubs. As I described the hubs to him he got more and more suprised and felt that these hubs might have been a copy of his design. He machines his hubs inhouse and has been making this same model hub since 2001. I ended up sending him some pics of the hubs and he's convinced they copied his hubs.
With that in mind, you might think that he would not want to help me with my DG hub problem. Not even close, Mr. Tessmann spent a bunch of time on the phone with me explaining how to install the hubs with the proper preload and then pulled up the part numbers of the items I was missing and sold me just what I needed. On his website he sells bearing kits for his hubs but I only needed a single bearing. And that's what he sold and shipped to me. He did not make me buy the hole kit. He sent me everything that I was missing and he shipped it all that same day! Great guy.
Anyways, I know this was a long post but I felt I owed it to Hardkor Engineering to put this out there. I know I'm not the only one out there with these DG hubs and when it comes time to replace a bearing or seal Hardkor Engineering is a great resource.
As for DG. I can not believe a company of their size would manufacture an expensive racing hub and sell it for $350 and in less then 2 years no longer offer any support for the product. The hubs are the first DG product I have ever purchased and for sure the last. There customer service was terrible and so is their outdated website. And I won't even get into their new name (DG / HardKrome). HardKrome?? Looks alot like Hardkor :crazy: I just hope their hubs perform better then they do or I will have gone through all of this for nothing.
Total cost for my DG hubs after getting everyting I needed was about $140 + another $130 for rear Lonestar hubs.
I'll end this with what I told Mr. Tessmann
DG might be able to copy his designs but they will NEVER match his customer service. :thumbsup:
Here a pic of the hubs. Also included are my new Lonestar rear hubs...