Hat in hand once again folks.
Been working on 95 4runner. TLR Rear bearing does not fit well into housing. Practically falls out.

longer whine: Replacing rear wheel seal and bearings. A couple of months ago I pulled both sides apart. Ordered a "SST" from ebay. Didn't really fit well so had to modify my Horror Freight 12 ton press a bit. Noticed that my backing plate serrated bolts had fallen out. Still don't know where they went. They were there 'cuz I took the nuts off backside. /end-aside

Got both axles pressed out and both housings off. One housing (the bearing side that had play in it) had some drift-punch (?) marks like it was attempted to hold the bearing in there. Obviously some one had been here before. That new bearing for thatl side had to be pressed in lightly. On the other side (drivers actually) I didn't think much about it but bearing popped out pretty easy.

Time passes and I get around to ordering new serrated bolts and nuts for both plates. /aside: Thanks McGeorge Toyota. (Think they're in VA somewhere). Very reasonable price. Shipped in two days. Every where else they are made from Unobtainium. Had gotten bearings from YotaShop I think.

So I inserted the bolts and was attempting to wrestle the mess into press. The 'easy press' bearing actually fell out of the housing onto floor. Wth?! Work around. Got the shaft and the retainer ring pressed on. Here's the fun part.

It feels like the bearing is worn out. This is the driver side again. Wobble wobble. I note the backing plate slides around on the outer races. I can wiggle it up and down that is axially along the direction of the shaft. I took a couple of pics and will try to get them posted. But the clip fits in the gap so I think I've got bearing pressed far enough on. In fact going to get my camera the housing slid down due to gravity (its on the bench resting with the lugnut studs down). I can walk it back up so the bearing looks 1/8th inch or so seated below the chamfered part.

That does not seem good at all. There would be nothing to firmly hold bearing in housing once housing (or race body) is bolted back to axle. Could have 1/8 or 3/16 of play. In fact it would appear to be 'bearing wear' symptoms.
Haven't attempted to assemble other half.

I can't find any threads on any boards where this has been an issue. (Wondering if maybe Covid fog is real...)
Yeah. Wrong file type. I'll work on that.

 

Heres some reasonable pics I hope.


Bearing set into housing; where it should be

Housing slid down

 

On my old 88 pickup (2wd) the rear bearings always had some play in them. I replaced both bearings and the new ones had the same play as the old ones. Not sure how hard they were to press on as I paid a machine shop to assemble them. These are a floating style of axle I believe.

 

An update if anyone ever sees this.

So I had noted that I had some markings on the inside of the hub. Both of them actually. Like heat damage, bluing and discolor. I took some 240 emory cloth and cleaned it up a bit.
Realize that doing this will take some amount of material off the hub.
Quite a number of shops had suggested taking a punch and peening that inside surface to create friction points. In fact there were some punch marks on the outer edge of one of the hubs.
So maybe the side that had been replaced prior had the issue?

I had gotten an idea from some machinist websites, so I found some Loktite 660. Its a pretty thick grayish (almost looks like it has metal particles in it?) gel.
I put some around the 'outside facing' edge of the outer race of the bearing. Actually both of them becuz I took the other side apart again. And on the one side that fell out just placed it back in there.
Theory is that the thin ring of paste would push towards the 'inside'. It did not ooze out of the inside part of bearings. meaning the inside face of outer race.

I left it set for a weekish as I went back to NM. Came back and I have no play at all. Will it be a royal pain if I ever have to replace the bearing again? Most probably.
Seems pretty good to me. But what do I know.

Oh, as a side note. I probably had NOT need to worry about the 'play' I thought. As I noticed the gap between the bearings inside 'cover' would be taken up by the space of the lip or edge on the axle that surrounds the inner seal. So perhaps the only thing I might have prevented is the outer race spinning inside the hub housing. I don't think that would be good under any circumstance.

I'll let you all know if it falls off. Assuming I ever get it all back to gether.

 

Peening creates craters that raises the metal up around the edge. You have to do a bunch all the way around, but pretty effective. I'd feel better about that over Loctite or any similar adhesive.

 

I have owned my 1991 truck since new and just did the rear wheel bearings for the first time. There were punch marks in both bearing housings that were there from the factory . When assembled I believe the outer race is clamped in place between the axle housing and the bearing housing and am assuming the peen marks just assist assembly as the factory bearings were not overly tight on the OD.

 

Yes chas650 you are correct. Once the axle retaining nuts are on it will pull up to the outer edge of the axle tube. There is also a thin o-ring that fits in that space as well.

The only thing one need be concerned of is the outer race actually spinning inside the bearing housing. I had scoring on that surface. Negating the action of the actual bearings.
Think I'm good now. (No it is not running yet).