Back in the early 70's The Army purchased Land-Rover wheel bearings from a source other than the usual supplier.
Premature bearing failures led to an investigation.
The finding was that the ball metal was softer than what was supplied from the earlier established supplier.
I had the opportunity to speak with one of the engineers who took part in the investigation.
Just goes to show that sometimes inferior quality parts are a part of the market.
Cheers
