Issues with reassembly of rear stub axle and bearing housing
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 10:40 pm
We recently replaced the rear wheel bearings in our 1983 air-cooled Westy. The drivers side went totally smoothly, which was a blessing after doing the passenger side first. For starters, the passenger side axle nut was SUPER frozen on there. Then, once we used the Colin method for removing it by driving the vehicle against the breaker, things went relatively well. Getting things apart wasn't all that bad at all. Getting the bearings in wasn't even that bad. I will note that I tapped them in, not overly forcefully, using the old bearing to tap on so as not to damage the new bearing races. I do think I tapped the outer bearing in a little deeper than originally seated unintentionally, but not too much, maybe a few mm.
Upon reassembling the bearing housing into the stub axle, I encountered some real difficulty. I had to really hammer on the flange of the bearing housing to get it to seat onto the stub axle, and I'm still not positive it seated fully! As I kept trying to get it all assembled, the outer bearing's inner race did not want to stay in place. I had to use the old inner race (with some dental floss around it so I'd be able to pull it back off of the stub axle) to hammer the new race into place. Once reassembled, things again went smoothly.
But once all was back together, the ol' "clunk clunk" of the tire was back when I checked for play. My work does not appear to have solved the problem . . . On that side. Driver's side, all was well. I'm wondering what might be the cause and where I go from here. Disassemble? Inspect? Stumped. Curious. Finally got all of the grease off of me and out of my hair
Upon reassembling the bearing housing into the stub axle, I encountered some real difficulty. I had to really hammer on the flange of the bearing housing to get it to seat onto the stub axle, and I'm still not positive it seated fully! As I kept trying to get it all assembled, the outer bearing's inner race did not want to stay in place. I had to use the old inner race (with some dental floss around it so I'd be able to pull it back off of the stub axle) to hammer the new race into place. Once reassembled, things again went smoothly.
But once all was back together, the ol' "clunk clunk" of the tire was back when I checked for play. My work does not appear to have solved the problem . . . On that side. Driver's side, all was well. I'm wondering what might be the cause and where I go from here. Disassemble? Inspect? Stumped. Curious. Finally got all of the grease off of me and out of my hair