How hard to do axle bearings
03-21-2006, 01:33 PM
#2
Pretty simple (IMO).
You'll need a rear cover gasket, (unless you are just going to RTV it) Axles bearing(s), axle seal(s) and rear end gear oil and posi additive if you have posi.
Block the front tires and jack the rear up.
be sure to use jack stands.
Remove the wheels(s)
loosen up the diff case bolts, but dont fully remove them
pry on the case, being careful not to bend it
once the oil has drained, remove the bolts
remove the center pin
push the axle(s) in
pull the C clip out,
pull out the axle(s)
remove the seal
remove the bearing
install everything in teh opposite order.
This is just off the top of my head, get one of those Haynes manuals to help you out with torque values and actual steps.
David
You'll need a rear cover gasket, (unless you are just going to RTV it) Axles bearing(s), axle seal(s) and rear end gear oil and posi additive if you have posi.
Block the front tires and jack the rear up.
be sure to use jack stands.
Remove the wheels(s)
loosen up the diff case bolts, but dont fully remove them
pry on the case, being careful not to bend it
once the oil has drained, remove the bolts
remove the center pin
push the axle(s) in
pull the C clip out,
pull out the axle(s)
remove the seal
remove the bearing
install everything in teh opposite order.
This is just off the top of my head, get one of those Haynes manuals to help you out with torque values and actual steps.
David
03-21-2006, 03:58 PM
#3
The hardest part is getting the old bearings out of the axle tube. They are press fit, and it's not something you can find out you can't do and then drive the car again to have it done. You'll need a slide hammer/bearing puller, which can be "loaned" from Autozone.
Oh, and if yours are really rusted in like mine, and you destroy the bearings trying to get them out... be sure that you get all of the roller cylinders out. Once you bend up the cage the individual roller bearings can fall out. One of them stuck in the axle tube forgotten, could make for a trashed rear end. They are big, and there's only about a dozen of them, so they are easy enough to find and account for.
Beyond the slide hammer and the new bearings, the only other stuff you need is the same as a normal diff oil change. Good as time as any to install a girdle or drain plug.
Are you sure the bearings are bad? Two very common things thought be be bad bearings have to do with brake disc rub (squealing, often intermittent just under cornering load) and uneven tire wear (whomp whomp whomp, from when feathered front tires are taken to the back).
Oh, and if yours are really rusted in like mine, and you destroy the bearings trying to get them out... be sure that you get all of the roller cylinders out. Once you bend up the cage the individual roller bearings can fall out. One of them stuck in the axle tube forgotten, could make for a trashed rear end. They are big, and there's only about a dozen of them, so they are easy enough to find and account for.
Beyond the slide hammer and the new bearings, the only other stuff you need is the same as a normal diff oil change. Good as time as any to install a girdle or drain plug.
Are you sure the bearings are bad? Two very common things thought be be bad bearings have to do with brake disc rub (squealing, often intermittent just under cornering load) and uneven tire wear (whomp whomp whomp, from when feathered front tires are taken to the back).