Thread: Rear wheel bearings

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Yes it happens on an around 30? yrs old car. Last owner/s /mechanic was a bit she'll be right.
Probably had water in the diff over its life. Most "used" 4wd do. Its just the way its maintained after wards that make the difference.
Id take the cover the diff for an inspection while you are at it.

Dont be tempted to bodge the repair.
Get a new or 2nd hand hub and stub.
Now is a good time for some Ashcroft or Maxi Drive axles and drive flanges.

Yea i was thinking of ways of trying to clean out the crap.Its an arb air locker , what would you look for while inspecting the diff? Yea i definetly need a new stub axles and new wheel bearing hubs. There pretty price the half shafts, which one do you think is better maxi or ashcroft ?

Dont think you can go wrong either way.
I have Aschroft axles and flanges. These replaced some very old and neglected (prior to my ownership) maxi drives.
Ashcroft was chosen as at the time the dollar was up and the conversion rate landed the Ashcroft gear nearly 200 less than the Maxi Drive.

Pay careful attention to the teeth and look for signs of "pitting".
Check for debris,sludge, metal etc in the oil.

Im not familiar with the ARB airlocker so hopefully someone else will chime in.
It might be a good opportunity for a new seal/oring in the locker while youre in there

The locker probably explains the twisted spline - all the torque has gone to the one shaft at some stage. After all, that is what the locker is intended to enable!

Originally Posted by strangy

Dont think you can go wrong either way.
I have Aschroft axles and flanges. These replaced some very old and neglected (prior to my ownership) maxi drives.
Ashcroft was chosen as at the time the dollar was up and the conversion rate landed the Ashcroft gear nearly 200 less than the Maxi Drive.

Pay careful attention to the teeth and look for signs of "pitting".
Check for debris,sludge, metal etc in the oil.

Im not familiar with the ARB airlocker so hopefully someone else will chime in.
It might be a good opportunity for a new seal/oring in the locker while youre in there

Thank you i think thats definitely a good idea . Looking at receipts the locker isnt that old. So hopefully it is ok. How do you guys think the water would have entered the diff ? Through the breather? Its a shame its been neglected makes a easy job complicated

Water could have got in via breather or hub seals or pinion seal or even hubcap - you will not realise the seal is not performing perfectly unless it lets oil out. But there may not be an actual leak. Every time the axle heats up, the air inside expands. When it cools down, it contracts, drawing more air in.

If this air is near saturated with water vapour, and the axle then cools further (a common scenario as night falls), the air becomes saturated and water condenses out as a mist on the cold inner surface of the housing. If the car is used regularly, the chances are it will evaporate again on the next warming cycle, but if the vehicle is only used intermittently, it may start rust. And some of it will be absorbed by the diff oil to form sludge, particularly where this oil is only a thin film.

Worst situation is a vehicle with long periods of disuse in a humid climate, but that is used enough to occasionally get fully warmed up.

Hi 200 defenda.

Its a bit tough when you find problems and damage that are caused for the want of an hours labor and oil/grease.
I'd go with maxidrive if possible to support a local business, plus good support for future damage if it happens.

If you remove drive shafts and flanges you wash out the axle housing, most of the crap will be laying on the bottom, I pushed diesel soaked rags back wards and forwards though mine to get them spotless.

When you replace the stub axles, leave the drive shafts hub seal out, and replace the hub seals with high quality dual lip County hub seals. ( you're now converted to oil filled hubs on the back & 90 % of your troubles are behind you.

My car used to do a lot of deep water crossings and the grease lubed bearings and hubs were always giving me grief, after i changed to oil filed i don't think I've changed a bearing since. The hubs run cooler, the seals are better lubed I think I have changed a couple of seals in the last 100,000 kms.

If I suspect there's water in the hub I drain the oil and check, and then top up the diff after the hubs have refilled.

IMV the secret to long seal/bearing life, ( and an easy life for you), is setting the bearings properly so the hub doesn't "rock" on the stub axle. the hub is "rocking" it means the seal is moving onto and away from the seal face. I always do my bearings with a little pre load so there's no discernible rocking movement in the wheel. After adjustment the next run on the highway , coast to a stop and feel the hubs with your hand if you can hold your hand on them theyre ok, about 45 -50 deg is typical or ambient plus 20 deg. if you have an IR gun,

Don't forget to put some moly grease on your new drive flanges, and if your go for oil filled, the oil in the hub will also keep them lubed & clean. Once you get the rear hubs set up right its just an "annual" check by jacking up one wheel at a time and trying to "rock it", each year i usually have to adjust one of my bearings. I allow about i hour or 1.5 hours a year for this job. (4 wheels).

good luck, cheers simmo

PS have a pristine set of LR rear axles & drive flanges with plugs in them for oil filling in my spares if you need.