unit bearing question

[O_M_Jeep]

I just installed a set of Raybestos unit bearings from Rockauto.com, I did 2 trails, one pretty extreme, then 3 days in Moab (trailered there and back, did 2 lvl 6 and a lvl 4 trail there) so it had about 150 miles or less on them (I did both sides at the same time) when I was getting ready to hit the hardest trail I have near me I discovered an axle shaft ujoint popped, after carefully looking at all the possible causes I discovered a lot of slop in the new unit bearing. So, did a bad unit bearing cause the ujoint to fail or vice-versa? I should mention the ujoints were spicer 371s and only a week and maybe 20 miles older than the unit bearings. Is there a better brand of unit bearing? I replaced the shafts with alloys and new ujoints, the other side is right as can be, Rockauto is going to warranty the unit bearing, so I'm out $600 on alloys but it was on the list anyway. I'm getting pretty practiced at pulling shafts lately, and I had my stock unit bearing handy (the stocks weren't worn out, just worn and not as tight as I wanted), so it'll hit the trail sunday, I'm just curious if anyone wants recommend a better brand bearing or is Raybestos a good manufacturer?

 

[superj]

I cannot help but that really sucks

 

[Jester32]

My ac delco bearings hold up well. And they get abused almost everyday

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

My guess is the ujoint failure led to slop in the hub. You must've been on it pretty hard to break the ujoint with 33" Duratracs.

 

[O_M_Jeep]

I was wheeling pretty hard, I'm guessing I was on Metal Masher in Moab when it let go, the scary thing is it never made any noise at all, not even driving back in to town, silent as could be, thats the part that worries me most was that I didnt know it had gone.