Disposable rear bearings?

[resuwrecked]

Eating spindles and bearings is all about improper assembly; insufficient grease and/or torquing the bearing down.

X2. I have never lost a spindle or bearing over my 7 or so years of festiva ownership. Do it right the first time, check them at least every oil change, don't run them loose or too tight, and don't wait till they have welded themselves to the spindle to regrease them.

I also don't believe driving habits have any affect on bearing life. I have 400lb coilovers with 205 60 15's on the rear and I make them howl around turns regularly. No problems.

[nitrofarm]

I believe the problem with my car is that the rear axle seems to be ever so slightly bent. It looks like the previous owner slid sideways into a curb. I think my rear bearings are always side-loaded. I've done plenty of bearings in my time and never have seen a car eat bearings like this one.

The fact that the Aspire takes the same bearings is a good thing for me. I already have a set I bought for back up. :smile:

...and I never use anything but Timken.

Slid into a curb and bent the straight axle to a point that it now has excessive neg camber? And this is eating bearings

[TominMO]

I believe the problem with my car is that the rear axle seems to be ever so slightly bent. It looks like the previous owner slid sideways into a curb. I think my rear bearings are always side-loaded. I've done plenty of bearings in my time and never have seen a car eat bearings like this one.

The fact that the Aspire takes the same bearings is a good thing for me. I already have a set I bought for back up. :smile:

...and I never use anything but Timken.

All righty then, time for the Aspire swap!

[Safety Guy]

After I do rear bearings I always check them a day or two later. They have always needed a bit more tightening because I didn't adjust preload too well. If my rear wheels have just a slight amount of side wobble this seems to be okay. I think a bit loose is way better than too tight.

Karl

[boydg1]

.... I agree 100% with you. I have a looser than I would like right rear wheel and its been that way for years and has NOT hurt a thing. I do NOT have access to the pealable shims. I used to have, I'll just have to make the right size shims.
.

After I do rear bearings I always check them a day or two later. They have always needed a bit more tightening because I didn't adjust preload too well. If my rear wheels have just a slight amount of side wobble this seems to be okay. I think a bit loose is way better than too tight.

Karl

[Oren09]

I'm doing a brake job in the very near future- I received new pads, shoes, and hardware today.
I assume this would be a great time to repack the bearings. I had the rear brakes apart awhile back to adjust for dragging, but I just kind of ignored the bearings. My car just rolled 64K miles. How do I clean out all the old grease? How can you tell if a bearing is bad or going bad with it out of the hub/off the spindle?

[Pu241]

OK, you need to do some reading here.
You will have to use a press to remove and install the hub bearings.
Hubs are in front on a festiva.
So most people never repack the hub bearings, just replace them when they get noisy.

Spindles are in the back.
The bearings are in the drum and can be removed relativly easily for repacking and need to be properly adjusted and rechecked after install to confirm they are not too loose or tight, but as the children's tale says, "just right". To maximize their longevity.

[Zanzer]

Like John says, I do the "wiggle test" after setting the bearings as the manual specifies. I try to find a happy medium between the factory setting and "a hair loose" LOL And then recheck after some miles because it can and often does change a little after you drive the car.

As for cleaning the rear bearings, I wash them in gasoline. It makes quick work of the old grease and crud.

[Pu241]

As for cleaning the rear bearings, I wash them in gasoline. It makes quick work of the old grease and crud.

Diesel fuel or kerosene will work as well, just depends on what you have available.

[Zanzer]

^^X2

I just prefer the smell of gas over the other 2 :mrgreen: LOL

[Pu241]

^^X2

I just prefer the smell of gas over the other 2 :mrgreen: LOL

I like ethyl ether or benzene.
Chloro benzene is good stuff too!

[Zanzer]

I'm game as long as it isn't habit forming LOL :mrgreen:

I really like MEK......mmmmmmm magic markers

[Pu241]

I really like MEK......mmmmmmm magic markers

MEK is chemically similar to DME, both will dissolve grease and oil nicely, but are very volatile.
Thats why I prefer diesel/kero.

[drddan]

Not to mention that MEK is a carcinogen and is readily absorbed into the skin!
Believe it was pulled from the shelves of stores a few years back and was almost unavailable for a while because of that.
It me struck as peculilar when it started showing up on the shelves again.

[Zanzer]

Oh ya, it's wicked stuff. I was joking about using it because it smells so good LOL

It does make good octane booster though