look at my rear bearings (2 Viewers)

[Klunky Chris]

so I'm part way into my rear axle overhaul and yeppers..... looks like the bearings were running in gear oil. :

foamy white gear oil that looks H2O contaminated at that
opinions???

anyway, the trick with the impact driver for the lock washer worked like a charm!!!

after a few good whacks, both phillips came right out!!
I was starting to strip the first one I was playing with before swiching to the impact driver. I was even using a good snap-on phillips!!!

The lock nut turned off by hand....

this lock nut system is a little different than the *star* folding washers on the front!!!

So....to the point of my post
I got down to my bearings and find that the cage holding the rollers is blued like a rifle!!!

It is totally uniform though, and both are exactly the same color. Is this normal, or are they heat damaged???

I know my new Koyo front bearings weren't blued.....
also, the bearings don't looked chewed up, they actually seem ok (but what do I know... )

Should I spend lots o' money on new bearings???

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Those bearings look fine to me. If they are not scored or pitted, I think you are good to go. Some full float axles are designed to lube the bearings with gear oil so it must be ok. Reassemble with the new axle tube seals and you should be set for another 30k. Be careful putting the lock screw in the right hole so that it fully seats.

 

[Koffer]

Should I spend lots o' money on new bearings???

Nope clean them up and grease them well and all will be good . Id say put new ones in if they looked like your rotors

 

[landtoy80]

Get the inner axle seal and clean out your breather as it probably plugged at the nipple on the diff. Plugged breather= leaking axle seal.

 

[landtoy80]

What are you using to set the bearing preload?

 

[landtank]

I use a torque wrench. spring guage ain't worth sh*t in 30 deg weather

 

[Klunky Chris]

This is what the outter bearing looked like when I pulled it out:

I have all new OEM seals and will be putting them in.

I'll check the diff breather.
To clean the line out, should I blow air back up the line from the diff maybe?
Isn't there a filter at the top? should I remove it?

If the white mucky is H2O like I'm thinking, how the heck did it get in there?
leaking pinion maybe? or from the hubs?

 

[Klunky Chris]

[quote author=landtoy80 link=board=2;threadid=8739;start=msg75238#msg75238 date=1071289967]
What are you using to set the bearing preload?
[/quote]

I don't know yet :

I think I'll use a drift on the round popups on the lock washer to tighten, and then check preload with a scale...

I don't have SST 09509-25011 :'(

 

[landtoy80]

Blow into the hose to see if its plugged. If so pipe cleaner it clean.
If the pinion is leaking water in it would leak oil out. The inner seal could of been bad.
Do you have the quarter sized seal that goes in the alxe? Stick your finger in the alxe and feel the bump. Thats the leaking seal. It doesn't come with some seal kits.

 

[IdahoDoug]

How did the spindle look? Much of a groove where the bearing runs? On the bottom?

DougM

 

[landtoy80]

My SST

 

[Klunky Chris]

[quote author=IdahoDoug link=board=2;threadid=8739;start=msg75247#msg75247 date=1071290563]
How did the spindle look? Much of a groove where the bearing runs? On the bottom?

DougM [/quote]

Spindle looks good, no real grooving except in back where the hub seal goes.

 

[landtoy80]

Patent pending

 

[landtoy80]

Is the inner axle seal still in the axle on the last pic?