Answer me this. I turned 74 yesterday. WHY ARE PEOPLE who are not engineers so anxious to re-engineer something that has worked since before I was born? Timken bearings have been around since 1898
You don't need a diploma in engineering hanging on the wall to improve a product or idea. But it doesn't hurt if you do.
People have been trying to improve the area between axle and wheel since the wheel was invented. As a side note, I don't believe the person who invented the wheel had an engineering diploma.[Citation needed]
At some time in history the roller bearing was an improvement over whatever product people were using before roller bearings.
The auto manufacturing industry doesn’t always do things based on what performs the best. There are host of factors that play into how something is done. Cost is just one example.