Rear wheel bearing spinning in housing.

[jims6t6]

Has anyone had a rear wheel bearing spin in the axle housing causing the grease seal to fail?

 

[cmayna]

No but how do you know if it is infact spinning in the axle housing?

 

[Jonk67]

Me either but I think the axle would have to 'walk' to make contact between the bearing and the seal or a bent axle to cause seal damage/leaking. As you know the bearing is a press fit on the axle and just slips into the tube bearing area, no press fit there. Here's a pic of my axle tube after cleaning (looks like a PO user red permatex and I didn't get it out yet in the pic)

Of course you'll need to pull the axle to replace the seal/bearing, I'd do some close inspection of the inner tube surface at that point and check condition of the axle (splines, etc.) and if it still true.
Pics always help if you have it out.
Jon

 

[jims6t6]

Not my car. Another club member believes that the bearing is spinning in the housing. I would think that the weight of the car would prevent it from spinning. But I would think that it would have a bad vibration if it were spinning. I suspect that the axle has a ridge worn in it from the seal causing the seal to fail.

Comments

 

[Sluggo]

LOL, not to mention the god awful noise it would make. I doubt it's spinning.

If it's a 9 inch, 31 spline and 28 spline axles take different seals and the parts guys don't always know which is which.